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Environmental Studies

Environmental Studies Minor Requirements

The primary goal of the Environmental Studies Minor at Baldwin-Wallace College is to provide students with an interdisciplinary perspective of the relationship between humans and their environment. The minor combines coursework and practical experience. Students explore connections among the natural sciences, the social sciences and the humanities as they investigate the context in which environmental problems emerge. Completion of the minor should heighten the students' ability to contribute to the creation of sustainable human societies. The minor is especially recommended for students interested in pursuing careers or graduate work in environmentally related fields.

All students must earn a minimum of 18 semester hours distributed among the following requirements to complete the minor:

  • Completion of Humans and the Earth, preferably in the freshman year--Three credits     For a course description, see ECN 150 under Economics or BIO 150 under Biology.
  • Completion of a capstone experience. This may consist of a senior seminar or an internship. Either option would be worth three credit hours.

    The seminar would allow students to do in-depth research on a particular environmental problem. Presumably the research would culminate in a written report. Seminars would be organized by faculty with specific environmental interests.

    Internships would allow students to gain practical work experience with an organization or business that regularly deals with environmental issues. Each internship must be approved by the Environmental Minor Committee and must involve a minimum of one semester's work equivalent to the work involved in a three credit hour course. Methods for evaluating the internship must be established through collaboration of the student, the Environmental Minor Committee, and the organization/business that provides the internship.
  • A student wishing to declare an Environmental Studies Minor must meet with the director of the Environment Studies Minor, preferably no later than the end of the student's sophomore year to develop a plan for completing the minor's requirements. If the student intends to complete an internship, the plan should include a timetable for submitting an internship proposal to the Environmental Studies Committee and then carrying out the work for the internship.
  • Additional Coursework requirements-- In addition to the requirements described above, each student will be expected to complete a minimum of six credits of coursework in the natural sciences and six credits of coursework in the social sciences/humanities/business. The student must choose from among the following courses to satisfy these coursework requirements:

Natural Sciences

BIO

111L

Field Biology

4 credits

BIO

210I

Tropical Ecology

4 credits

BIO

313

Ecology

4 credits*

BIO

334

Invertebrate Natural History

4 credits*

+CHM

200I

Science

3-4 credits

GEO

111L

The Dynamic Earth

4 credits

GEO

121IL

Physical Geography

4 credits

PHY

102

Energy and the Future

3 credits


Social Sciences/Humanities

ECN

358

Environmental Economics

3 credits*

ECN

362I

Economics of Developing Countries

3 credits*

PHL

205

Environmental Ethics

3 credits*

POL

205

Environmental Politics

3 credits

SOC

181I

Cultural Anthropology

3 credits

BUS

250

Green Business

3 credits


(* = Prerequisite)

+Topic must be approved by Environmental Studies Committee