Center for the Environment
The Center for the Environment Director and Deans advise Environmental Studies Minors (ESMs).
This Website posts personal and other essays written by ESMs.
The Environmental Studies Minor (ESM) Program is an interdisciplinary one designed to enable undergraduates, who are majoring in any discipline, to focus on environmental issues as well as their major subjects. The ESM requires seven courses related to our environment that complement a student’s major area of studies. One of the courses may count toward a student’s major requirements. (Updated 2 November 2009)
All ESMs must take the following four courses or their equivalents. If you need to take an equivalent, please discuss it with the Director, Professor Barrows.
1. STIA-102 Introduction to Environmental Science
2. GOVT-354 Environmental Politics
3. BIOL-104 Introductory Biology II (ecology, evolution, and behavior)
4. Capstone Experience. You should complete your capstone pro Capstone Experience in your senior year, and may work on it before and during your senior year. Your Capstone Experience may take one of three forms: (1) The Environmental Seminar which is STIA 408 or 414, (2) a special environmental project undertaken with a selected professor(s) within an appropriate course, or (3) such a project undertaken outside a course. Options 2 and 3 may be an extensive library-research project alone or an appropriate hands-on experience combined with library research. You should develop a detailed, written. mutually-agreed-upon contract of understanding with your project advisor(s) before you start your project. The contract should include the parts listed in Table 1. Both your sponsoring professor(s) and the Director of the CFE must officially approve your contract. You may undertake option 2 for no credit or you may add it to a course for credit by signing up for 1 additional credit with permission of the course’s instructor. The course should directly relate to your Capstone Experience, and your Capstone advisor should be the course's instructor. (Update for this paragraph: 22 July 2009)
Table 1. Capstone Experience. Outline of Parts of Contract of Understanding.
I. Project title
II. Goal(s)
III. Background information including a discussion of the overall value of your project
IV. Method
V. Expected results
VI. References
VII. Time table and deadline
VIII. Signatures
A. Your signature
B. Your advisor(s) signature(s)
C. Director of the Center for the Environment signature
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There are different models for completing the ESM depending on a student’s background and needs. The models include the following. Hybrids of these models may be appropriate for some students.
Model 1
This model is for a science major who desires to earn an ESM with a science-policy emphasis.
Requirements: Courses 1–4 (list above); 3 courses from ECON-475; STIA-305, 310, 311, 370. 375, 407, 412, 416, 425, 445, 458, 490; others to be announced.
Model 2
This model is for a non-science major who desires to earn an ESM with a science-policy emphasis.
Requirements: Courses 1–4 (list above); 1 course from BIOL-005, 007, 008, 016, 251, 280, 355, 365, 375, 380, 403; CHEM-020; others to be announced; 2 courses from ECON-475; STIA-305, 310, 311, 370. 375, 407, 412, 416, 425, 445, 458, 490; others to be announced.
Model 3
This model is for a Chemistry Major who desires to earn an ESM emphasizing environmental science.
Requirements: Courses 1–4 (list above); 3 courses from BIOL-005, 007, 008, 016, 251, 280, 355, 365, 375, 380, 403; others to be announced.
Model 4
This model is for a Computer Science, Mathematics, or Physics Major who desires to earn an ESM emphasizing environmental science.
Requirements: Courses 1–4 (list above); 3 courses from BIOL-005, 007, 008, 016, 251, 280, 355, 365, 375, 380, 403; CHEM-020; others to be announced.
Model 5
This model is for a Biology Major who desires to earn an ESM emphasizing environmental science.
Requirements: Courses 1–4 (list above); 3 courses from BIOL-251, 280, 355, 365, 375, 380, 403, and others to be announced as part of his or her requirements for the B.S. in biology; and 3 appropriate courses related to our environment which are outside the Department of Biology, many of which are listed below.
For your information here is a list of course numbers and names. You can find more information about them via GU Explore. There may be new courses that are not yet on this list.
BIOL-005 Shall the Microbes Inherit the Earth?*
BIOL-007 Ecology of the Oceans*
BIOL-008 Ecology and the Environment*
BIOL-016 Forest Ecology (non-science majors course)*
BIOL-251 Evolutionary Processes**
BIOL-268 Global Climate Change Ecology**
BIOL-280 Ecology**
BIOL-355 Forest Ecology (Biology Majors course)**
BIOL-361 Science & Society: Global Challenges
BIOL-365 Conservation Biology**
BIOL-375 Plant-Animal Interactions**
BIOL-380 Ecology**
BIOL-403 Marine Biology**
CHEM-020 Environmental Chemistry***
ECON-475 Environmental Economics
ENG-227 Eco-Narrative
GOVT-331 Politics of Natural Resources
HIST-382 Nature's Nation: Environment in Modern America
HIST-429 Chinese Environmental History
STIA-305 Science, Technology, and the Global Arena
STIA-310 Environmental Archaeology
STIA-311 Environmental Geomorphology
STIA-353 Energy and Stability
STIA-370 Oceans
STIA-375 Environment and Security
STIA-379 Energy and Environment in China
STIA-395 Biotechnology and Security
STIA-407 Sustenance Agriculture
STIA-408 Environmental Restoration and Reconstruction
STIA-412 Climate Science and Policy
STIA-414 Water in the Environment
STIA-416 Science, Technology, and the Future
STIA-425 Biosecurity and Agricultural Security
STIA-445 Politics and International Health
STIA 453 Energy & Security in the Middle East
STIA-458 The Future of World Energy
STIA-490 Survey of Population Problems
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*Not open to Biology Majors.
**Please check with the course instructor about this course’s prerequisites for you as an Environmental Studies Minor.
***Not open to Chemistry Majors.