Environmental Studies Interdisciplinary Minor

The Minor

Overview of the Minor

The Environmental Studies minor is offered for undergraduate students who are interested in learning more about the natural environment and the ecology of the planet, as well as gaining an understanding of the relationship of political, social, cultural and economic activities to the environment. The minor is intended to serve as a bridge between scientific knowledge and the other disciplines relevant to the study of environmental issues. Students minoring in Environmental Studies should gain greater insight into the inter-relatedness of events and an appreciation for local, national, and international environmental problems. The minor is designed to provide an interdisciplinary understanding of environmental factors; it is not intended to be a vocational track to equip students for careers in environmental areas.

Requirements

Students must complete a minimum of 19 credit hours of environmental coursework from the three separate categories of courses indicated below. This includes at least 9 semester hours of science and mathematics environmental courses, at least 6 hours of humanities or social science environmental courses, and at least 4 hours of interdisciplinary environmental courses (ENVT courses), including ENVT 200 (Introduction to Environmental Studies, offered every fall) and at least one additional ENVT course (typically the environmental studies seminar, ENVT 395, offered every spring). Special topics courses offered by departments will be approved by the coordinator on a course-by-course basis when they have sufficient (1/3) environmental content. The Coordinator issues a list of approved environmental courses prior to registration for each term (and posts it on this website). Inquiries about courses not on the list should be directed to the Coordinator.

Note: Only one course in the student's major department may be applied to the minor. Only one mathematics course may be chosen. Courses used to satisfy the minor may not be used to satisfy any other minor. At least nine hours in the minor at the 200 level or above must be earned at the College of Charleston.

Advisory Committee

Calvin Blackwell (Economics), Tim Callahan (Geology), John Creed (Political Science), Ned Hettinger (Physics), (Philosophy), Steve Jaume (Geology), Martin Jones (Math), Frank Kinard (Chemistry), Lee LindnerPaul Marino (Biology), Deb McCarthy (Sociology), Susan Morrison (Biology), John Rashford (Anthropology), Carol Toris (Psychology), Reid Wiseman (Biology).

Environmanetal Studies Courses

ENVT 200: Introduction to Environmental Studies (3)
An introduction to interdisciplinary thinking about the relationships between humans and their environments and the practical problems resulting from these relationships. The course considers basic elements in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences that are essential for understanding interactions of humans with the environment.
Prerequisite: sophomore standing

ENVT 350: Independent Study in Environmental Sciences and Studies (1-4)
A directed research project on some dimension of environmental science and studies, approached from an interdisciplinary perspective
-Corequisite or Prerequisite: at least 3 courses in the environmental studies minor
-Enrollment by permission of instructor and coordinator of program

ENVT 352: Special Topics in Environmental Science and Studies (1-4)
An interdisciplinary study of a particular area of environmental concern. Topics will vary. Course may be taken twice for credit, with permission of the coordinator, if topics are substantially different.
-Corequisite or Prerequisite: at least 3 courses in environmental studies minor;
-Prerequisite: if cross-listed with special topics course in another department,the prerequisites of that department will apply

ENVT 395: Environmental Studies Seminar (1)
An interdisciplinary seminar on current environmental issues. May be taken twice with approval of coordinator
- Corequisite or Prerequisite: at least 3 courses in the Environmental Studies Minor

Course Requirements

CATEGORY I: NATURAL SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS ENVT COURSES
At least 9 semester hours (at least 3 courses plus prerequisites) from the following:

BIOL 204 - Man and the Environment (3)
BIOL 209 - Marine Biology, with lab (4)
BIOL 340 - Zoogeography (3)
BIOL 341 - General Ecology, with lab (4)
BIOL 342 - Oceanography, with lab (4)
BIOL 360 - Introduction to Biometry (3)
BIOL 406 - Conservation Biology (3)
BIOL 410 - Applied and Environmental Microbiology, with lab (4)
BIOL 444 - Plant Ecology (4)
BIOL 503 - Special Topics in Ecology (3-4)
CHEM 522 - Environmental Chemistry (3)
CHEM 522L - Environmental Chemistry Lab (1)
CHEM 526 - Introduction to Nuclear & Radiochemistry (1)
CHEM 528 - Nuclear & Radiochemistry (3)
GEOL 103 - Environmental Geology, with lab (4)
GEOL 107 - Introduction to Coastal & Marine Geology (3)
GEOL 207 - Marine Geology, with lab (3)
GEOL 213 - Natural Hazards (3)
GEOL 225 - Geomorphology, with lab (4)
GEOL 312 - Environmental Field Methods, with lab (3)
GEOL 320 - Earth Resources (3)
GEOL 338 - Hydrogeology, with lab (4)
GEOL 449 - Geographical Information Systems, with lab (4)
MATH 250 - Statistical Methods I (3)
MATH 260 - Mathematical Modeling & Public Decision Making (3)
PHYS 105 - Introduction to Meteorology (3)
PHYS 308 - Atmospheric Physics (3)
PHYS 456 - Air Pollution Meteorology (4)
PHYS 457 - Satellite Meteorology (3)
PHYS 458 - Climate Change (4)

CATEGORY 2: SOCIAL SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES ENVT COURSES
At least 6 semester hours (least 2 courses plus prerequisites) from the following:

ANTH 316 - Ecological Anthropology (3)
ANTH 318 - Theories for the Origin of Agriculture (3)
ECON 311 - Environmental Economics (3)
PHIL 150 - Nature, Technology, and Society (3)
PHIL 155 - Environmental Ethics (3)
PHIL 245 - Environmental Philosophy (3)
POLS 307 - Environmental Policy (3)
POLS 364 - International Environmental Politics (3)
PSYC 329 - Environmental Psychology (3)
SOCY 346 - Environmental Sociology (3)
SOCY 352 - Population and Society (3)
SOCY 355 - Science, Technology, and Society (3)
**Special Topics** - Special topics environmental courses recently offered in this area include: Land Use Law, Environmental Justice, Sustainability, Sustainable Development, Environmental Sociology

CATEGORY 3: INTERDISCIPLINARY ENVIRONMENTAL COURSES
At least 4 semester hours. Take ENVT 200 plus at least one additional course from the following:

ENVT 200 - Introduction to Environmental Studies (3) [offered fall term]
ENVT 350 - Independent Study in Environmental Science and Studies (1-4)
ENVT 352 - Special Topics in Environmental Science and Studies (1-4)
ENVT 395 - Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies Seminar (1) [offered spring term]

Other Information

To have the Minor in Environmental Studies recorded on your transcript, complete a Verification of Minor request (available from the Env. Minor bulletin board on the third floor of 88 Wentworth St. across from the minor coordinator's door, Rm. 302, 88 Wentworth). You should complete the Verification of Minor request the semester you plan to complete the minor. Deliver the Verification of Minor request to Dr. Tracy. Burkett in the Sociology and Anthropology office. The Environmental Studies Coordinator, not the Registrar’s Office, evaluates student records for minors.

Please note the College policy concerning the number of minors a student may earn: “Credit may be received for up to two concentrations or minors, and courses used to satisfy the requirements of one may not be applied toward a second.”

You may count only one course in your major toward the Environmental Studies minor, in order to fulfill the interdisciplinary nature of the minor. For example, a Biology major may count only one Biology course toward the Minor and must take the remaining natural science and math environmental courses for this minor from a discipline other than Biology.