Administered by the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
1202 Ashley Hall
The Environmental Studies Program provides students with perspectives on environmental issues from a wide variety of disciplines, including the humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences. It familiarizes students with core topics related to environmental issues and sustainable solutions. This interdisciplinary minor is for those students who wish to use it as preparation for a career as well as those who wish to better understand environmental issues. Since everything we do involves the environment in one way or another, a minor in Environmental Studies can complement any major at VSU. Moreover, environmental issues are becoming increasingly important in both public and private sectors. Consequently, employers value individuals who understand and are skilled in this area.
Selected Educational Outcomes
Coursework in environmental studies will enable students:
- to analyze core issues and topics of the natural environment and how those have changed through time;
- to explore the interdisciplinary relationship among the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences with regard to the study of the environment;
- to engage in independent critical research of the natural environment in its relationship to humanity.
Examples of Outcome Assessments
- Students will demonstrate knowledge of core issues and topics in environmental studies through formal written work, tests, and projects. The Environmental Studies Committee will sample student work and assess it according to an assessment rubric.
- Students will be able to articulate interdisciplinary relationships in environmental studies through formal written work, tests, and projects. The Environmental Studies Committee will sample student work and assess it according to an assessment rubric.
Requirements for the Minor in Environmental Studies1
| PHIL 3180 | Ethics and the Environment | 3 |
| BIOL 1080 | Conservation Biology | 3 |
| or GEOG 1125 | Resources, Society, and Environment | |
| Select Humanities/Social Sciences Option or Natural Sciences Option (see below) | 12 | |
| Total Hours | 18 | |
| 1 | At least 9 hours must be taken at the 3000 to 4000 level. |
Humanities/Social Sciences Option
(3 courses from the list of Humanities/Social Sciences courses and 1 course from the Natural Sciences courses)
| ECON 3800 | Environmental Economics | 3 |
| ECON 3850 | Sustainability: An Economic Perspective | 3 |
| ENGL 3300 | Special Studies in Literature (where appropriate) 1 | 3 |
| ENGL 4300 | Special Topics in Literature (where appropriate) 1 | 3 |
| GEOG 3510 | Urban Community Planning | 3 |
| HIST 4295 | Environmental History | 3 |
| PHIL 3200 | Philosophy of Science | 3 |
| PHIL/REL 3540 | Ecology and World Religions | 3 |
| PHIL 3640 | Environmental Philosophy | 3 |
| PHIL 4120 | Ethics and Public Policy | 3 |
| PHIL 4220 | Ethics and Public Administration | 3 |
| POLS 4450 | Comparative Environmental Politics and Policy | 3 |
| SOCI 4800 | Issues in Sociological Practice (Environmental Sociology) 1 | 3 |
| SPAN 4900 | Special Topics (Latin America and the Environment) 1 | 3 |
| Total Hours | 42 | |
Natural Sciences Option
(3 courses from the list of Natural Sciences courses and 1 course from the Humanities/Social Sciences courses)
| BIOL 1080 | Conservation Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 3100 | Microbiology 1 | 4 |
| BIOL 3250 | Ecology and Evolution 1 | 4 |
| BIOL 3600 | Local Flora 1 | 4 |
| BIOL 4020 | Topics in Conservation Biology 1 | 2-4 |
| BIOL 4700 | Limnology 1 | 4 |
| BIOL/GEOG 3810 | Introduction to Biogeography 1 | 3 |
| BIOL 3960 | Wildlife Biology 1 | 4 |
| CHEM 1010 | Introductory Chemistry for Environmental Studies | 4 |
| CHEM 3320 | Environmental Chemistry 1 | 3 |
| GEOG 1110 | Our Hazardous Environment | 3 |
| GEOG 1112K | Introduction to Weather and Climate | 4 |
| GEOG 1125 | Resources, Society, and Environment | 3 |
| GEOG 3020 | Global Climate Change 1 | 3 |
| GEOG 3050 | Computer Cartography and Image Analysis | 3 |
| GEOG 3051 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems 3 | 3 |
| GEOG 3100 | Regional Planning and Environmental Management 3 | 3 |
| GEOG/GEOL 3210 | Introduction to Hydrology 1 | 4 |
| 1 | Course prerequisite(s) required |
| 2 | Prerequisites are any two Area D lab courses |
| 3 | Consent of instructor required |
