Environmental Studies

Departments/Programs:

Environmental Studies Minor (19-21 hours)
Required Courses
NATSC 030 Introduction to Environmental Science or CHEM 010 Chemistry and the Human Environment	4 hours
SOC 115 Population, Resources, and Environment	3 hours

Take at least two courses from:	6-7 hours
BIO 250 Conservation Biology	4 hours
ECON 215 Environmental Economics	3 hours
HIST 161 Environmental History	3 hours
SOC 215 Environmental Sociology and Social Impact Assessment	3 hours

Electives: at least two courses from:	6-7 hours
Select from the following (that are not already taken): BIO 250 Conservation Biology ECON 215 Environmental Economics HIST 161 Environmental History SOC 215 Environmental Sociology and Social Impact Assessment	3 hours
ANTHR 050 Introduction to Anthropology or ANTHR 151 Cultural Anthropology	3 hours
PHYS 054 Energy and the Global Environment	3 hours

Additional Requirements
A student must have at least two courses each from natural/physical sciences and social sciences. No student may count more than two courses in the minor towards any specific major. Note that some courses in the minor also have prerequisites.

NATSC 030 Introduction to Environmental Science (4 hours)

An introduction to environmental science that provides an interconnected grounding in the natural sciences. Topics include energy, ecosystems, photosynthesis, biodiversity, population dynamics, air pollution, water pollution, radon/radioactivity, and hazardous waste. Laboratory activities, computer exercises, guest speakers, and multimedia presentations will also be a part of the course. When possible, the course will be team taught by faculty from at least two of the three natural science departments: Biology, Chemistry, and Physics.

Three lectures per week.

One 3-hour lab per week.

CHEM 010 Chemistry and the Human Environment (4 hours)

A course designed to acquaint non-science majors with some fundamental concepts of chemistry. The course emphasizes the role of chemistry in understanding the interaction of modern society with the environment. Credit will not be given for both CHEM 051 Chemical Principles and CHEM 010 Chemistry and the Human Environment.

Three lectures per week.

One 3-hour lab per week.

SOC 115 Population, Resources, and Environment (3 hours)

An examination of population in its demographic, dynamic, and social aspects. The course also examines the problems associated with the interaction between populations and the environment. Strong cross-cultural emphasis.

(Normally offered each spring semester.)

BIO 250 Conservation Biology (4 hours)

A course devoted to exploring issues related to biological diversity, including how biodiversity is measured, where it is found, its value, threats to it, and measure taken at the population and species level to conserve it. The course includes examining links between conservation and economics, law, and the social sciences. Case studies and discussions of local and global topics will encourage students to understand the varied threats to global biodiversity and the principles necessary to overcome them.

Three lectures/discussions per week.

One 3-hour lab per week.

Prerequisite(s): BIO 050 General Biology of Plants or BIO 060 General Biology of Animals and sophomore standing.

(Normally offered alternate springs.)

ECON 215 Environmental Economics (3 hours)

This course allows students to investigate resource scarcity, the energy problem, and alternatives for the future. Emphasis is placed on benefits and costs of environmental preservation and the contribution that the economics discipline makes toward the solution of environmental problems. Selected current problems are integrated throughout the course.

Prerequisite(s): Grade of "C-" or better in ECON 054 Microeconomic Principles or permission of the instructor.

HIST 161 Environmental History (3 hours)

A study of environmental history focusing primarily on the United States and including Canada and Mexico as they involve border environmental conflicts. Emphasis will be placed on environmental philosophy, ethnic minorities, power and politics, regionalism, industrialism, gender, and literature. Course format will be lecture, class discussions based on assigned readings from assigned texts, as well as supplemental sources, reports, videos, and field trips.

Prerequisite(s): HIST 001 United States History to 1877 or HIST 002 United States Society and Culture since 1877, or permission of the instructor.

SOC 215 Environmental Sociology and Social Impact Assessment (3 hours)

This course will identify and explore problems that arise specifically because of the impacts of human beings on the environment, and impacts of the environment on human activity. The course will focus especially on social impact as a method systemically identifying the effects of both development and decline of communities as a consequence of changes in resource exploitation.

Prerequisite(s): SOC 003 Introduction to Sociology or SOC 115 Population, Resources, and Environment.

(Normally offered alternate years.)

ANTHR 050 Introduction to Anthropology (3 hours)

An introduction to human biological evolution, prehistoric cultural development and nature, and linguistics.

ANTHR 151 Cultural Anthropology (3 hours)

This course reviews the origin and development of culture in preliterate human societies. It focuses on the major social institutions of family, economics, political organization, and religion.

(Normally offered each semester.)

PHYS 054 Energy and the Global Environment (3 hours)

A course covering some of the most critical problems facing the world today - those relating to the production, distribution, and use of energy. Text material may be supplemented with films, video tapes, and guest speakers.

Three lectures per week.

(Normally offered each spring semester.)

Course Catalogs

Minor:

Environmental Studies

Departments/Programs: