Environmental Studies Minor
Minor Requirements
This is an interdisciplinary program that integrates the natural and physical sciences with the social sciences and humanities to study current environmental problems resulting from human population growth, global climate change, overuse of natural resources, pollution and biodiversity loss. A minimum 18 hours are required, 9 of which must be in the natural and physical sciences, including the listed Honors College courses, and 9 must be from the social sciences and humanities. Both BIOL 1202 (Environmental Biology) and POL SCI 3480 Environmental Politics must be completed as part of the total 18 hours. A total of 12 hours must be taken at or above the 2000 level, with one additional Biology course at or above the 3000 level. At least 9 hours must be taken while in residence at UMSL. A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required.
| Course Number | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ANTHRO 1005 | Introduction to Human Evolution | 4 |
| BIOL 1202 | Environmental Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 1821 | Introductory Biology: Organisms and the Environment (MOTR BIOL 150LEC) | 5 |
| BIOL 2102 | Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 2103 | Ecology Laboratory | 2 |
| BIOL 3202 | Conservation Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 3203 | Conservation Biology Laboratory | 2 |
| BIOL 4102 | Behavioral Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 4270 | Global Climate Change | 3 |
| BIOL 4402 | Ornithology | 3 |
| BIOL 4403 | Ornithology Laboratory | 2 |
| BIOL 4422 | Entomology | 3 |
| BIOL 4423 | Entomology Laboratory | 2 |
| ECON 4160 | Geospatial Analysis in the Social Sciences | 3 |
| ECON 4170 | Fundamentals of Cost-Benefit Analysis | 3 |
| ECON 4550 | Natural Resource Economics | 3 |
| GEOL 1002 | Historical Geology | 3 |
| HONORS 2050 | Inquiries in the Natural Sciences | 3 |
| HONORS 2051 | Inquiries in the Sciences: Laboratory or Field Work | 1 |
| PHIL 2256 | Bioethics | 3 |
| PHIL 2255 | Environmental Ethics | 3 |
| POL SCI 3480 | Environmental Policy | 3 |
Students may substitute the above courses with other courses upon approval by the director of the minor.
Learning Outcomes
Foundational Knowledge
Students obtaining a minor in environmental studies will be able to integrate knowledge from multiple disciplines including natural sciences, physical sciences, social sciences, and economics as they pertain to environmental issues and policies.
Practical skills and problem solving
Students earning a minor in environmental studies will be able to appreciate the biological methods and applications to solving environmental issues while recognizing the cultural and ethical context of environmental issues. Moreover, the minor will be able to reflect on his or her contribution as a citizen and consumer to global environmental issues.