Environmental Studies

The Environmental Studies Major is a broad-based course of study dealing with the environment and environmental issues, emphasizing an interdisciplinary approach within the context of the liberal arts. Students majoring in environmental studies must complete a second major in a traditional course of study. There are no restrictions on the choice of the second major. However, those students desiring a career in an environmentally related field, or who intend on pursuing graduate work in environmental studies, are strongly encouraged to take additional laboratory courses in the natural sciences, especially chemistry. A successful career in the environmental field will require that the student have a thorough background in laboratory science, social science, statistics, computing, and have strong communication skills. 

The Environmental Studies Major & Minor

John Krygier (Department of Geology and Geography) is the Environmental Studies chair and advisor.

The successful completion of both the environmental studies major and a second major requires forethought and planning. Accordingly, students are strongly encouraged to declare their major by March 15 of their sophomore year. Students interested in majoring in environmental studies are urged to meet with Dr. Krygier, at their earliest opportunity.

Environmental Studies Major:

Required courses:

• BOMI/ZOOL 122: Organisms and Their Environment
• BOMI 233: Ecology and the Human Future (not required if BOMI 344, 355, BOMI/ZOOL 255, ZOOL 345, 347, 349 or 353 are satisfactorily completed)
• CHEM 230: Environmental Chemistry (not required if CHEM 110 and 111 are satisfactorily completed)
• ECON 366: Environmental and Natural Resource Economics or GEOG 360: Environmental Geography Seminar
• GEOG 347: Environmental Alteration
• PHIL 250: Environmental Ethics
• SOAN 367: Human Ecology

One semester of statistics (MATH 105, MATH 230, or PSYC 210) or two semesters of calculus (MATH 110 and MATH 111).

One unit of independent study in an environmental area supervised by a member of the OWU faculty. The topic must be approved by the Director of Environmental Studies.

Four electives from the following:

• BOMI 252: Biodiversity of Flowering Plants
• BOMI 337: Adaptive Biology of Plants
• BOMI 344: Plant Communities and Ecosystems
• BOMI 355: Plant Responses to Global Change
• BOMI/ZOOL 255: Tropical Biology
• CHEM 110: General Chemistry I
  
• CHEM 111: General Chemistry II
  
• CHEM 270: Analytical Chemistry
• ECON 110: Principles of Economics
• ECON 353: Economic Development
• ECON 370: Economic Systems
• ENG 312: Writing for the Sciences
• GEOG 111: Physical Geography
• GEOG 235: Energy Resources
• GEOG 345: Economic Geography
• GEOG 370: The World's Cities
• GEOG 375: Weather and Climate
• GEOL 110: Physical and Environmental Geology
• GEOL 270: Economic Geology
• GEOL 275: Hydrogeology
• GEOL 280: Volcanology
• SOAN 291: Perspectives on Africa
• SOAN 292: Cultures of the Pacific
• SOAN 352: Urban Society
• SOAN 354: Demography
• URB 250: Human Values and the Urban Process
• ZOOL 341: Ornithology
• ZOOL 345: Marine Biology
• ZOOL 347: Population & Community Ecology
• ZOOL 349: Island Biology
• ZOOL 353: Conservation Biology

Environmental Studies Minor:

Required courses:

• BOMI/ZOOL 122: Organisms and Their Environment
• BOMI 233: Ecology and the Human Future
• CHEM 230: Environmental Chemistry
• GEOG 347: Environmental Alteration
• SOAN 367: Human Ecology

Same course substitutions apply as for Major.