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Minor in Sustainability {19-20}

Minor in Sustainability

Description
The sustainability minor is an excellent addition to any major. It has an interdisciplinary focus with the shared goal of understanding, preserving and promoting a healthy planet. MSUM is one of only a few universities in the country to approach sustainability across the curriculum. The Sustainability Minor consists of 24-25 credits.

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Explore the concept of sustainability within the context of socio-environmental systems. (Nature of Sustainability, SUST 200)
  • Evaluate how humans impact the surface of the earth and the biosphere, and the consequential effects on ecosystem services. (Physical Geology, GEOS 115, Water, Land and People, GEOS 117, or Exploring Biology, BIOL 370)
  • Examine the relationships between civilization, society and energy use and look at possible steps to a sustainable energy and environmental future. (Energy and the Environment, PSCI 378)
  • Identify issues faced by developing countries in the conflict between rapid economic development and the threat of environmental degradation. (Big City, Big Impact, ENGL 407)
  • Describe how class, gender, race, ethnicity, nation status, and other identities intersect with relationships within environmental justice and activism. (Gender, Justice, and the Environment, WS 330)
  • Examine the motivations behind humans' decisions to modify ecosystems throughout the world, and the effects that environmental change has had on the peoples and ecosystems throughout human history. (Environmental History, HIST 379)
  • Interpret any environmental issue within a systems thinking framework. (Systems Thinking, SUST 421)
  • Articulate the ethical responsibilities humans have for the non-human world and for future human generations.  (Environmental Dilemmas, SUST 432)

Core Requirements ( 21 credits )

ENGL 407 Big City, Big Impact (3)
HIST 379 Environmental History (3)
PSCI 378 Energy and Environment (3)
SUST 200 Nature of Sustainability (3)
SUST 421 Systems Thinking (3)
SUST 432 Environmental Dilemmas (3)
WS 330 Gender, Justice and the Environment (3)

Electives ( 3-4 credits )

Take one course from the list of electives.

GEOS 115/GEOS 115L Physical Geology (4)
GEOS 117/GEOS 117L Water, Land, and People (4)
BIOL 370 Exploring Biology (3)