Minor in Environmental Studies
Environmental Studies has revised its minors
Starting with fall 2023, the requirements for the Environmental Studies minor have changed—see below. Students who declared the minor before fall 2023 can continue with their original program, or they can switch to the new one. Also, the Biological Conservation and Water Sciences minors will no longer be offered - though students currently enrolled in these programs may continue in them (no courses are being deleted).
The revised Environmental Studies minor follows the approach taken by our major, but is designed to work easily alongside traditional majors offered across OU. The minor will enhance any major, by cultivating students' broad academic skills.
The revised minor is 16 credit hours, and includes these courses:
- The Cornerstone class familiarizes students with the range of environmental work done at OU.
- It also prepares them to do an independent research project by
o giving them guidance on framing a suitable topic,
o identifying an appropriate faculty supervisor,
o developing a preliminary bibliography and a workable research plan, and
o applying for funding.
- Students’ research projects are typically carried out the semester after the Cornerstone, under the supervision of a faculty member in any department, including the student's major.
- Minors are encouraged to work on projects that support their growth within their own major.
- Along with the Cornerstone, minors take one hour of Learning Community, a class designed to foster their appreciation for interdisciplinary collaboration.
- In the Learning Community, students have on-going interactions with other minors and also Environmental Studies majors, in classroom discussions and in service projects.
- Students in the Learning Community also focus on career development by working with OU’s Career Center and other campus resources.
- Minors also take two Interdisciplinary electives, which are ENST courses that span 2 or more disciplines.
- A list of approved courses can be found by searching this table.
- Minors take one additional elective from a category (Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, Humanities, Applied Disciplines) different from their major.
- This elective can be from any department at OU; approved courses are listed on this table.
For further information, including about switching from the old to the revised Environmental Studies minor, please contact the Director of Environmental Studies.
Pre-Fall 2023 minors:
- Environmental Studies: checksheet (pdf), approved courses
- Water Sciences: checksheet (pdf), approved courses (pdf)
- Biological Conservation: checksheet (pdf), approved courses (pdf).
