At which campus can I study this program?
Program Description
This Environmental and Renewable Resource Economics minor introduces students to how fundamental economic principles can be used to explain and seek solutions for problems related to the degradation of the environment and unsustainable use of natural resources. This program complements majors that provide a natural science-based approach to environmental issues and provides social-science majors interested in the environment with additional tools for the analysis of social decision-making, and policy objectives. A grade of C or better is required for all courses in the minor.
What is Environmental and Renewable Resource Economics?
The Environmental and Renewable Resource Economics minor applies fundamental economic principles to issues related to natural resources and the environment. These include issues associated with the degradation of the environment, climate change, and unsustainable use of natural resources, such as water, land, flora and fauna, and energy sources. Much attention is given to using economic principles to develop and analyze policy alternatives for addressing these issues.
You Might Like This Program If...
- You are passionate about the environment, natural resources, or sustainability.
- You would like to complement your major(s) with problem-oriented economic skills that help you better understand the environment.
- You want a solid foundation for going to graduate school.
Program Requirements
| Requirement | Credits |
|---|---|
| Requirements for the Minor | 18 |
Requirements for the Minor
A grade of C or better is required for all courses in the minor, as specified by Senate Policy 59-10. In addition, at least six credits of the minor must be unique from the prescribed courses required by a student's major(s).
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Prescribed Courses | ||
| Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better | ||
| CED 201 | Introductory Environmental and Resource Economics | 3 |
| CED 429 | Natural Resource Economics | 3 |
| ECON 302 | Intermediate Microeconomic Analysis  | 3 |
| Additional Courses | ||
| Additional Courses: Require a grade of C or better | ||
| Select 9 credits from the following: | 9 | |
| Intermediate Environmental & Resource Economics (Honors) | ||
or ECON 428 | Environmental Economics | |
| Economic Analysis of Environmental and Resource Policies | ||
| International Development, Renewable Resources, and the Environment | ||
| Legal Aspects of Resource Management | ||
| Sustainable Water Management: Economics and Policy | ||
300- or 400-level internship or independent study (3 credit max) | ||
Academic Advising
The objectives of the university's academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.
Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee's unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.
READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY
University Park
Timothy W. Kelsey, Ph.D.
Professor of Agricultural Economics; Program Coordinator for Community, Environment, and Development Major; Co-Director for Center for Economic and Community Development
105A Armsby Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-865-9542
tkelsey@psu.edu
Contact
University Park
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS, SOCIOLOGY, AND EDUCATION
201 Armsby Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-865-0467
erre@psu.edu
https://agsci.psu.edu/academics/undergraduate/minors/environmental-and-renewable-resource-economics