At which campus can I study this program?
Program Description
The interdisciplinary minor in Environmental Studies gives students a broad-based introduction to the natural environment and human interactions with it. Students gain awareness and understanding of environmental issues from the perspectives of several disciplines in:
- relevant natural sciences (ecology, biology, geology, and/or environmental chemistry, for instance),
- the social sciences (environmental economics and/or public policy), and
- the arts and humanities (environmental history, ethics, and/or literature).
Core courses in environmental studies, emphasizing applied and experiential learning, serve to integrate and synthesize knowledge from the natural sciences, social sciences, and arts and humanities. The goal of the program is "ecological literacy." Students completing the minor gain sufficient awareness and understanding of environmental issues to put environmental problems in a variety of contexts and to apply pertinent skills and knowledge (from studies in both their major and the minor) in addressing those problems. The minor helps prepare students for employment in the private sector or with government agencies and environmental advocacy groups, or for postgraduate study in environmental science, public policy, the humanities, or law.
What is Environmental Studies?
Environmental Studies provides a broadly-based liberal arts background for the study of environmental issues, blending the principles of the natural sciences with the intellectual traditions of the humanities and the social sciences. Emphasis is placed on experiential learning, ecological literacy, and problem-solving with a goal towards purposeful action.
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 | ||
| ENVST 100 | 3 | |
| Additional Courses | ||
| Additional Courses: Require a grade of C or better | ||
| ENVST 200 | Research Methods in Environmental Studies | 3 |
| or ENVST 400W | Senior Seminar in Environmental Studies | |
| Select 3 credits of the following: | 3 | |
Biology: Basic Concepts and Biodiversity  | ||
| Biology: Populations and Communities | ||
| Environmental Chemistry | ||
| Environmental Chemistry Laboratory | ||
| Public Finance and Fiscal Policy | ||
| Literature and the Natural World | ||
| Planet Earth | ||
| Landforms of the World | ||
| American Environmental History | ||
| Seminar in Environmental Ethics | ||
| Introduction to Biostatistics | ||
| Supporting Courses and Related Areas | ||
| Supporting Courses and Related Areas: Require a grade of C or better | ||
| Select 9 credits (at least 6 credits at the 400-level) in consultation with an academic adviser, 3 credits in each area listed below: 1 | 9 | |
| a. Natural Sciences | ||
| Biology: Function and Development of Organisms | ||
| Invertebrate Zoology | ||
| Evolution | ||
| Ecology of Lakes and Streams | ||
| Physiological Ecology | ||
BIOL 450 | ||
| Special Topics in Environmental Studies | ||
| Forest Ecology | ||
| Conservation Biology | ||
| Introduction to Environmental Geology | ||
| Geomorphology | ||
| Mammalogy | ||
| b. Social Sciences | ||
| Biocultural Evolution | ||
| Indigenous North America | ||
| Hunters and Gatherers | ||
ANTH 456 | ||
| Special Topics in Environmental Studies | ||
GEOG 423Y | ||
| Human Use of Environment | ||
| Government and the Economy | ||
| Policy Making and Evaluation | ||
| Wilderness, Technology, and Society | ||
| c. Arts and Humanities 2 | ||
| Mapping Identity, Difference, and Place | ||
| Advanced Fiction Writing | ||
| Advanced Nonfiction Writing | ||
| Science Writing | ||
| Advanced Expository Writing | ||
| The American Renaissance | ||
| Special Topics in Environmental Studies | ||
HIST/STS 151 | ||
| The Darwinian Revolution | ||
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
Altoona
Lisa A. Emili
Associate Professor of Physical Geography and Environmental Studies
Hawthorn Building 221
3000 Ivyside Park
Altoona, PA 16601
814-949-5627
lae18@psu.edu
Contact
Altoona
DIVISION OF MATHEMATICS AND NATURAL SCIENCES
Hawthorn Building 221, 3000 Ivyside Park
Altoona, PA 16601
814-949-5627
lae18@psu.edu
https://altoona.psu.edu/academics/bachelors-degrees/environmental-studies