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Updated 2021-2022 Undergraduate Catalog

Goal Area 10: People and the Environment

GOAL AREA 10: PEOPLE AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Requirements

    One course
    Three credits

Goals

To improve students' understanding of today's complex environmental challenges. Students will examine the interrelatedness of human society and the natural environment. Knowledge of both bio-physical principles and socio-cultural systems is the foundation for integrative and critical thinking about environmental issues.
Critical Thinking

The practice of critical thinking skills associated with environmental awareness, including ability to gather and apply factual information, recognition and articulation of the value assumptions made by ourselves and others, consciousness of possible bias in factual information.
Student Competencies

Students will be able to:

  • explain the basic structure and function of various natural ecosystems and of human adaptive strategies within those systems.
  • discern patterns and interrelationships of bio-physical and socio-cultural systems.
  • describe the basic institutional arrangements (social, legal, political, economic, religious) that are evolving to deal with environmental and natural resource challenges.
  • evaluate critically environmental and natural resource issues in light of understandings about interrelationships, ecosystems, and institutions.
  • propose and assess alternative solutions to environmental problems.
  • articulate and defend the actions they would take on various environmental issues.

COMPLETE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS:

     OPTION A: Complete one of the following courses.

         BIOL 2925 People of the Environment: Biological Perspectives (3 credits)
         CHEM 2925 People of the Environment: Chemistry Perspective (3 credits)
         ECON 2925 People of the Environment: Economic Perspective (3 credits)
         *ED 2925 People of the Environment: Education Perspective (3 credits)
         ENGL 2925 People of the Environment: American Nature Writers Perspective (3 credits)
         ENGL 2926 People of the Environment: Writing and Nature Perspective (3 credits)
         ENVR 2925 People of the Environment: Global Pollution Perspective (3 credits)
         GEOG 2925 People of the Environment: Geography Perspective (3 credits)
         GEOL 1110 Physical Geology (4 credits)
         GEOL 2925 People of the Environment: Earth Science Perspective (3 credits)
         *HLTH 2925 People of the Environment: A Health Perspective (3 credits)
         HST 2925 People of the Environment: Environment and History (3 credits)
         MASC 2925 People of the Environment: Mass Media Perspectives (3 credits)
         *PHED 2925 People of the Environment: Outdoor Ethics/Recreational Activity Perspective (3 credits)
         PHIL 2925 People of the Environment: Environmental Ethics Perspective (3 credits)
         POL 2925 People of the Environment: Political Science Perspective (3 credits)
         SCI 2925 People of the Environment: Science Perspective (3 credits)
         SOC2925
         SPCM2925
         OTHERS:
         All-University course numbers 1958 and 2958 are available to any department for use as study-travel   courses, subject to approval, and will satisfy this goal area (also requires approval by the People and the Environment director).

OPTION B: Complete one Companion Course and the one credit Sustainability course.

     Companion Courses: Complete one of the following:

         BIOL 1120 General Biology: Evolution And Ecology (3 credits)
         ENVR 2000 Introduction to Environmental Science (3 credits)
         Other courses may be approved, see the course schedule for additional details.

     Sustainability Course: Complete the one credit Sustainability course, see the course schedule for
     additional details.

     One course
     One credit


   

    *This course will satisfy Liberal Education at BSU, but does not qualify for inclusion in the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum as currently interpreted by MnSCU, and may not be accepted as a Liberal Education course at other MnSCU institutions or the University of Minnesota.