The minor in Society and Environmental Issues aims to introduce students to the diverse human dimensions surrounding environmental issues, specifically the role of individuals, communities, and political institutions in developing and maintaining long-term environmental quality in the face of increasing human demands on resources and the environment. Students will develop a basic understanding of both human and natural systems through the required core coursework, as well as have the opportunity to select courses that deepen their understanding in a particular human dimension of interest.
In general, the minor is meant to be broadly applicable to those students interested in gaining specific knowledge and experience about humans and environmental problems in order to increase their marketability in a world where the interaction between humans and the environment is being recognized as increasingly important. The minor is useful for students majoring in the humanities and traditional social science disciplines across the University (e.g., psychology, sociology, communications, etc.) who may also be interested in studying specific environmental issues and gaining a greater understanding of how human systems play a role in creating and remediating environmental problems. This minor is also useful for those students majoring in disciplines closely associated with the biological and physical sciences (e.g., geology, chemistry, etc) to add an understanding of the interplay between the environment and human systems to the in-depth understanding of natural systems and processes gained from their own major.
