College of Liberal Arts, Office of Student Services
(585) 475-2444, libarts@rit.edu
With an emphasis on sustainability and holistic thinking, the environmental studies minor provides students with opportunities for the in-depth analysis of global and regional environmental issues, their causes, and their potential solutions. In particular, a required 500-level seminar serves as a capstone experience, helping students to integrate knowledge from several disciplinary perspectives, including socio-cultural, historical, political, economic, ethical, scientific, and/or technological factors. Having completed the minor, students will possess a high level of environmental literacy, an important component of many professional fields within the sciences, engineering, law, journalism, and public affairs.
Notes about this minor:
- Posting of the minor on the student's academic transcript requires a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the minor.
- Notations may appear in the curriculum chart below outlining pre-requisites, co-requisites, and other curriculum requirements (see footnotes).
| Course | |
|---|---|
| Required Course | |
| STSO-510 | Seminar in Science, Technology, and Society |
| Electives | |
| Choose four of the following:* | |
| STSO-120 | Introduction to Environmental Studies |
| STSO-220 | Environment and Society |
| STSO-321 | Face of the Land |
| STSO-325 | History of Environmental Science |
| STSO-326 | History of Ecology and Environmentalism |
| STSO-330 | Energy and the Environment |
| STSO-421 | Environmental Policy |
| STSO-489 | Special Topics in STS |
| STSO-521 | Biodiversity |
| STSO-522 | Great Lakes |
| STSO-550 | Sustainable Communities |
| PUBL-530 | Energy Policy |
| ECON-420 | Environmental Economics |
| ECON-421 | Natural Resource Economics |
| HIST-345 | Environmental Disasters |
| PHIL-308 | Environmental Philosophy |
| SOCI-320 | Population and Society |
* At least one elective must be at the 300 level or higher.
Quarter Curriculum - For Reference Only
Effective fall 2013, RIT converted its academic calendar from quarters to semesters. The following content has been made available as reference only. Currently matriculated students who began their academic programs in quarters should consult their academic adviser for guidance and course selection.
This minor provides students with opportunities for the in-depth analysis of global and regional environmental issues, their causes, and their potential solutions. The minor features an emphasis on sustainability and holistic thinking. In particular, a required 500-level seminar will serve as a capstone experience, helping students to integrate knowledge from several disciplinary perspectives, including socio-cultural, historical, political, economic, ethical, scientific, and/or technological factors. Having completed the minor, students will possess a high level of environmental literacy, an important component of many professional fields within the sciences, engineering, law, journalism, and public affairs.
Required Course—Choose one of the following†:
0508-570 Environmental Studies Seminar
0508-530 Seminar in Science, Technology, and the Environment
Electives—Choose four of the following:
0507-464 Environmental Disasters in American History
0508-443 Face of the Land
0508-460 Environment and Society
0508-463 Great Lakes I
0508-464 Great Lakes II*
0508-482 Energy and the Environment
0508-483 Environmental Values
0508-484 Environmental Policy
0508-487 Special Topics: Environmental Studies
0508-488 History of Ecology and Environmentalism
0508-489 History of the Environmental Sciences
0508-490 Biodiversity and Society
0508-491 Sustainable Communities
0508-500 Science, Technology, and Society Classics
0508-520 Historical Perspectives on Science and Technology**
0508-540 Science and Technology Policy Seminar††
0509-453 Environmental Philosophy
0510-449 Sustainable Development
0511-481 Environmental Economics‡
0511-484 Natural Resource Economics‡
0515-449 Population and Society§
0521-451 Energy Policy
* Great Lakes I (0508-463) is a prerequisite for this course.
† These courses can be taken only if the student has already taken at least two courses from the electives list. Typically these courses would be the last courses taken in the minor sequence.
‡ Principles of Microeconomics (0511-211) is a prerequisite for these courses.
§ Cultural Anthropology (0510-210), Foundations of Sociology (0515-210), or an equivalent is a prerequisite for this course.
** Prerequisite: any two of the History of Science or Technology courses approved by the department.
†† Prerequisite: 0508-441, 0508-484, or 0521-400