The Environmental Studies degree provides students with a broad interdisciplinary background as well as a basis for career specialization and practical application and problem solving. The program is based upon an investigation both of the Earth’s environment and the wide variety of human interactions with that environment.
The major has three basic objectives:
- to transmit an understanding of environmental problems and their complexities,
- to motivate productive responses to those problems, both vocational and avocational, based on that understanding, and
- to foster the development of critical, inquiring minds.
All students majoring in Environmental Studies are required to take 40 credits in core courses. The core courses are designed to provide the student with a foundation in the physical, social and ethical dimensions of environmental issues. In addition to the core courses, students are required to earn either a second major or a minor, or take another 24 credits in concentration-area courses. The requirement of a double major, a related minor, or six concentration area courses is meant to deepen the student’s understanding of the origin and complexity of environmental issues while focusing attention on one particular area of study (e.g., engineering, math, journalism, justice & peace, geology, English, sociology, etc.). The department Chair can assist students in constructing successful concentration area proposals. Students are encouraged, but not required, to take additional courses in writing and computer applications, and should consult the Chair of the department for recommendations.
Major in Environmental Studies
40 credits
- ENVR 151 Environmental Problems and Sustainable Solutions (4 credits)
- ENVR 212 Society and Sustainability (4 credits)
- ENVR 401 Field Seminar (WID-designated WAC course) (4 credits)
Plus courses in each of the following competency areas:
Environment in Context (8 credits)
- ECON 370 Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
- ENGL 202 - 204 Topics: Literature and the Environment
- ENGL 304 Analytical and Persuasive Writing w/ SUST
- ENVR 351/POLS 309 Environmental Policy
- HIST 228 Environmental History
- JOUR 372 Environmental Journalism
- JPST 355 Public Policy
- PHIL 258 Environmental Ethics
- PSYC 342 Psychology of Work w/SUST
- SOWK 391 Social Policy for Change
- THEO 224: Bridges: Theology and the Environment
Ecological Literacy (8 credits)
- BIOL 102 Conservation Biology or BIOL 209 Biology of Sustainability
- CHEM 101 Environmental Chemistry
- ENGR 123 Energy and the Environment
- ESCI 132 Introduction to Environmental Science
- ESCI 310 Environmental Problem Solving
- GEOL 115 Environmental Geology or GEOL 162 Earth’s Record of Climate
Social Science Methods (8 credits)
- ENVR/GEOG 331 Conservation Geography (4 credits)
- GEOG 223 Remote Sensing (4 credits)
- GEOG 321 GIS with Sustainable Communities Partnership (4 credits)
- GEOG 350 Geography of Global Health (4 credits)
- PSYC 334 Psychology for Sustainability (4 credits)
Environment in Practice (4 credits)
- ENVR 298 Understanding Landscapes (4 credits)
- ENVR/GEOG 222 Minnesota Ecosystem Management (4 credits)
- GEOL 260 Geology in the Field (4 credits)
Plus:
Complete 2nd major or a minor in a discipline of choice.
Notes:
- Students cannot both major in Environmental Studies and minor in Sustainability.
- Not every SUST-designated course fulfills ENVR major requirements. Those that do are stipulated above.
Environmental Studies Undergraduate Courses
| Course Number | Title | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENVR 151 | Environmental Challenges | 4 | |
| Description of course Environmental Challenges : | A study of the interaction of humans and the environment over time and space; a broad introduction that integrates a variety of social-science perspectives into an understanding of the environment and the relations between humans and nature. Specific topics include ecology, population, economic development, resources and sustainable development. | ||
| ENVR 212 | Society and Sustainability | 4 | |
| Description of course Society and Sustainability : | An emphasis on the ways in which people have created, and attempted to solve, environmental problems in different cultural and historical contexts. Examines the roles of the entire spectrum of actors and human communities, including individuals, families, groups and formal organizations, neighborhoods, cities and nations. Students examine how individual dynamics (such as altruism and economic self-interest) and collective dynamics (such as competition, cohesion, social definitional processes and global interdependence) direct humans in their interactions with the environment. | ||
| ENVR 222 | MN Ecosystem Management | 4 | |
| Description of course MN Ecosystem Management : | This course covers the why, where, how, and what of conservation planning and management by studying local natural ecosystems, their land use history, and needs for management. Students learn about the need for natural areas, the history of the land in Minnesota, and how it shapes the need for conservation management and the unique challenges posed by climate change. Students are introduced to planning and land management tools and frameworks for enhancing resilience to climate change and ensuring that the many important functions of protected natural areas persist into the future. This course includes on-campus and outdoor classes and weekend field trips to natural areas to meet with conservation managers and gain an on-the-ground understanding of the impacts of climate change and other management challenges. Prerequisites: One of any EES course (ENVR, ESCI, GEOG, GEOL) or BIO 102, or BIO 207 or BIO 209 or permission of instructor. | ||
| ENVR 243 | Individual Study | 2 OR 4 | |
| Description of course Individual Study : | No description is available. | ||
| ENVR 269 | Research | 2 OR 4 | |
| Description of course Research : | No description is available. | ||
| ENVR 296 | Topics | 2 | |
| Description of course Topics : | The subject matter of these courses will vary from year to year, but will not duplicate existing courses. Descriptions of these courses are available in the Searchable Class Schedule on Murphy Online, View Searchable Class Schedule | ||
| ENVR 298 | Topics | 4 | |
| Description of course Topics : | The subject matter of these courses will vary from year to year, but will not duplicate existing courses. Descriptions of these courses are available in the Searchable Class Schedule on Murphy Online, View Searchable Class Schedule | ||
| ENVR 330 | ENVR Research Methods | 4 | |
| Description of course ENVR Research Methods : | This course introduces students to the empirical nature of environmental studies, grounding them in how knowledge is acquired in the various social sciences that contribute to this interdisciplinary field of study. The course provides students with opportunities to learn ethical research protocols, practices, and methods. A combination of lectures, reading, practical exercises, and projects will be used to explore how these methods can best be incorporated into interdisciplinary research designs. This course also provides students with the experience of developing their own research project, prepares students to be savvy consumers of information, and enhances decision-making competencies concerning environmental issues. Prerequisite: ENVR 151 or permission of the instructor. | ||
| ENVR 351 | Environmental Pol Formation | 4 | |
| Description of course Environmental Pol Formation : | An examination of environmental policy outcomes generated by institutions and organizations, including legislation, court decisions and administrative decisions. Additional focus on decision-making processes commonly used to assess environment-related legislation, including those rooted in economics and policy analysis. Prerequisite: 212 | ||
| ENVR 389 | Research | 2 OR 4 | |
| Description of course Research : | No description is available. | ||
| ENVR 393 | Individual Study | 2 OR 4 | |
| Description of course Individual Study : | No description is available. | ||
| ENVR 401 | Field Seminar | 4 | |
| Description of course Field Seminar : | A capstone course that combines field experience with classroom seminar. Student teams will conduct collaborative broadly interdisciplinary analyses of selected environmental problems. Field-based projects are chosen by the students in consultation with course instructor. Classroom seminars are used for exchange of information between teams and for discussion of readings pertinent to individual research projects or, more broadly, to the interdisciplinary character of environmental problem-solving. Each team produces a major paper that examines the selected problems through humanities, natural-science and social-science lenses. This class is cross-listed with, and is equivalent to, GEOG 402. Prerequisite: ENVR151, ENVR212, plus 20 credits from the 28 required competency credits in the major need to be completed before taking ENVR 401. | ||
| ENVR 476 | Experiential Learning | 1 TO 4 | |
| Description of course Experiential Learning : | No description is available. | ||
| ENVR 491 | Research | 2 OR 4 | |
| Description of course Research : | No description is available. | ||
| ENVR 495 | Individual Study | 2 OR 4 | |
| Description of course Individual Study : | No description is available. | ||