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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:

  1. to analyze core issues and topics of the natural environment and how those have changed through time;
  2. to explore the interdisciplinary relationship among the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences with regard to the study of the environment;
  3. to engage in independent critical research of the natural environment in its relationship to humanity.

Examples of Outcome Assessments

  1. 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.
  2. 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 3180Ethics and the Environment3
BIOL 1080Conservation Biology3
or GEOG 1125 Resources, Society, and Environment
Select Humanities/Social Sciences Option or Natural Sciences Option (see below)12
Total Hours18
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 3800Environmental Economics3
ECON 3850Sustainability: An Economic Perspective3
ENGL 3300Special Studies in Literature (where appropriate) 13
ENGL 4300Special Topics in Literature (where appropriate) 13
GEOG 3510Urban Community Planning3
HIST 4295Environmental History3
PHIL 3200Philosophy of Science3
PHIL/REL 3540Ecology and World Religions3
PHIL 3640Environmental Philosophy3
PHIL 4120Ethics and Public Policy3
PHIL 4220Ethics and Public Administration3
POLS 4450Comparative Environmental Politics and Policy3
SOCI 4800Issues in Sociological Practice (Environmental Sociology) 13
Total Hours39

Natural Sciences Option

(3 courses from the list of Natural Sciences courses and 1 course from the Humanities/Social Sciences courses)

BIOL 1080Conservation Biology3
BIOL 3100Microbiology 14
BIOL 3250Ecology and Evolution 14
BIOL 3600Local Flora 14
BIOL 4020Topics in Conservation Biology 12-4
BIOL 4700Limnology 14
BIOL/GEOG 3810Introduction to Biogeography 13
BIOL 3960Wildlife Biology 14
CHEM 1010Introductory Chemistry for Environmental Studies4
CHEM 3320Environmental Chemistry 13
GEOG 1110Our Hazardous Environment3
GEOG 1112KIntroduction to Weather and Climate4
GEOG 1125Resources, Society, and Environment3
GEOG 3020Global Climate Change 13
GEOG 3050Computer Cartography and Image Analysis3
GEOG 3051Introduction to Geographic Information Systems 33
GEOG 3100Regional Planning and Environmental Management 33
GEOG/GEOL 3210Introduction to Hydrology 14
1

Course prerequisite(s) required

2

Prerequisites are any two Area D lab courses

3

Consent of instructor required