Environmental Studies Minor

This program will provide students with a working knowledge of, and sensitivity toward, current environmental problems, so that they may address environmental challenges from a multidisciplinary approach. This minor can be tailored to a variety of majors and concentrations including Political Science, Sociology, Economics, Education, and English Writing, in order to provide a unique and individualized course of study.

The Minor in Environmental Studies provides students with a solid foundation in basic environmental sciences, specifically biology, physiology, ecology, and sustainability. Additionally, students focus on the in-depth analyses of local and global environmental challenges, and the dynamic relationships which exist between humans and their world. The independent project is a key requirement of the capstone Environmental Ecology course. It is designed to integrate the skills and vision from the students’ major area of study within the examination of an important scientific issue in environmental studies.

Prerequisites

Principles of Biology I and II (4 credits each)

Requirements

One Bio/Environmental Science course (3 credits). Choose from:

BIO 1016Endangered Earth: Understanding Environmental Pollution

3

BIO 2016Global Environmentalism

3

BIO 2019Nutrition in Health and Disease

3

BIO 2025Special Topics: Aquatic Ecology

3

One additional Science course with laboratory (4 credits) Choose from:

BIO 3005Developmental Biology

4

BIO 3007Human Anatomy & Physiology I

4

BIO 3013Microbiology

4

BIO 3018Invertebrate Zoology

4

BIO 3031Aquatic Biology

4

BIO 3047Vertebrate Biology

4

One Capstone course (4 credits)

BIO 3055Plant Biology

4

BIO 3055: includes laboratory and integrative project

One Environmentally-relevant course from another department (3 credits).

Must be outside of student‘s major area of study and the Natural Sciences. (*course may have prerequisites)

Examples include:

  • Environmental chemistry
  • Environmental geography
  • Environmental sociology

Other classes may also be appropriate, see the Environmental Studies Chairperson for assistance.

Statistics is strongly recommended for this program.