Environmental Studies Minor (27-33 Credits)

The Environmental Studies Program offers an interdisciplinary approach for understanding the relationship between humans and the natural environment. It provides academic breadth, specific areas of expertise, and technical skills. The program supports an extensive internship program and is committed to the professional development of its students who seek employment in environmentally related fields such as resource management, environmental assessment, land-use planning, public administration, and teaching. The program also seeks to serve students interested in pursuing advanced training in Environmental Studies.

Mission:

Educate students about the physical, biological and social dimensions of the environment. The program teaches specific topics and skills central to understanding environmental issues and promotes pathways to jobs in the environmental field.

Learning outcomes:

1. Explain the interconnectedness of humans and the environment.

2. Apply problem solving skills to real-world environmental issues.

3. Demonstrate knowledge of current environmental issues in a community context.

Note: Some courses are offered only once every other year and students must plan accordingly.

Environmental Studies Minor (27-31):

Core Courses (8 Credits):

• HST 489 Environmental History (4)
• BI 357 General Ecology (4) -OR-
• BI 370 Humans and the Environment (4)

Foundation Courses (13-14 Credits)

• CH 371 Environmental Chemistry (3)
• ES 473 Environmental Geology (4)

Choose Two: one course from any two disciplines (6-7):

• COM 380 Environmental Communication (3)
• GEOG 380 Environmental Conservation (4)
• GEOG 392 Physical Geography (4)
• GEOG 425 Urban Planning and Policy (4)
• GEOG 480 Nature and the American West (4)
• PHL 255 Environmental Ethics (3)
• PS 447 Environmental Politics and Policy (4)
• PS 449 Environmental Values and Political Action (4)
• PS 477 International Environmental Politics (4)

Electives: Select two courses approved by minor adviser (6-10):

• ANTH 311 Human Evolution (4)
• BI 317 Vertebrate Natural History (4)
• BI 321 Systematic Field Botany (4)
• BI 331 General Microbiology (4)
• BI 361 Marine Ecology (5)
• BI 451 Invertebrate Zoology (5)
• BI 453 Marine Vertebrates (4)
• CH 310 Environmental Geochemistry (3)
• CH 412 Inorganic Chemistry of the Environment (4)
• EC 436 Environmental Economics and Public Policy (4)
• ES 322 Geomorphology and Aerial Photo Interpretation (4)
• ES 331 Introduction to Oceanography (3)
• ES 390 Basic Meteorology (3)
• ES 431 Paleobiology (4)
• ES 453 Geology of Pacific Northwest (4)
• ES 454 Volcanology (3)
• ES 460 Energy and Mineral Resources (3)
• ES 476 Hydrology (4)
• ES 492 Advanced GIS Applications in Earth Science (4)
• GEOG 240 Map and Air Photo Interpretation (4)
• GEOG 340 Cartography (4)
• GEOG 341 Geographic Information Systems (4)
• GEOG 385 Quantitative Methods in Geography (4)
• GEOG 390 Global Climate Change (4)
• GEOG 391 Biogeography (4)
• GEOG 393 Soils Geography (4)
• HST 407 Seminar (4)
• HST 490 Wests of Early America (4)
• HST 491 Western US: 20th Century Issues (4)
• HST 492 Pacific Northwest History (4)
• PS 409 Administrative Internship Practicum (4-8)
• SOC 290 World Population and Social Structure (3)
• SOC 328 Introduction to Social Data Analysis (3)
• SOC 350 Food and Hunger (3)
• SOC 400 Globalization and Development (3)