2024-2025 Undergraduate & Graduate Catalog
Environmental Science Minor
The environmental science minor reflects the interdisciplinary nature of environmental science, combining expertise in life, earth, and physical science, and coursework in environmental policy and planning that is critical to environmental science decision-making.
Students who wish to minor in environmental science must complete a minimum of 22 credit hours in the program. A major must include at least 30 credits not duplicated in the minor.
Core Courses (10-11 credits)
- BIO 105 - Environmental Science (3 credits) or NRM 150 - Introduction to Natural Resource Conservation (3 credits)
- CHM 109 - Introductory Chemistry (4 credits) or CHM 115 - Principles of Chemistry I (4 credits)
- GEO 100 - Environmental Geology (3 credits) or GEO 111 - Exploring the Earth (4 credits)
Elective Courses (12-16 credits)
Students must take one Tier 1 and one Tier 2 course from two of the four elective category options.
Environmental Life Science Category
Tier 1
- BIO 121 - General Biology II (4 credits)
- BIO 107 - Great Lakes and Other Water Resources (4 credits)
- BIO 109 - Plants in the World (4 credits)
- BIO 215 - Ecology (4 credits)
- NRM 240 - Principles of Climatology (4 credits)
- BIO 319 - Global Agricultural Sustainability (3 credits)
Tier 2
- NRM 281 - Principles of Soil Science (4 credits)
- NRM 308 - Wildlife Ecology (4 credits)
- NRM 330 - Environmental Pollution (3 credits)
- BIO 357 - Environmental Microbiology (4 credits)
- NRM 406 - Renewable Energy Systems: Structure, Policy, and Analysis (3 credits)
- BIO 440 - Limnology (4 credits)
- BIO 451 - Stream Ecology (3 credits)
- BIO 470 - Conservation Biology (3 credits)
Environmental Earth Science Category
Tier 1
- GEO 103 - Oceans (3 credits)
- GEO 105 - Living with the Great Lakes (3 credits)
- GEO 111 - Exploring the Earth (4 credits)
- GEO 112 - Earth History (4 credits)
- GEO 220 - Earth Surface Materials and Systems (4 credits)
- GEO 360 - Earth Resources in Transition: Conventional to Sustainable (3 credits)
Tier 2
- GEO 320 - Geomorphology (4 credits)
- GEO 430 - Oceanography (3 credits)
- GEO 440 - Geohydrology (3 credits)
Environmental Chemistry Category
Tier 1
- CHM 221 - Survey of Analytical Chemistry (4 credits)
- CHM 231 - Introductory Organic Chemistry (4 credits)
Tier 2
- CHM 421 - Green Chemistry for Sustainable Environment (3 credits)
- CHM 427 - Green and Environmental Chemistry Laboratory (3 credits)
Environmental Policy and Planning Category
Tier 1
- GPY 100 - Physical and Environmental Geography (3 credits)
- OSH 414 - Environmental Safety and Health Regulations (3 credits)
- ENS 303 - Introduction to U.S. Environmental Policy (3 credits)
Tier 2