Skip to main content
Integrated Program in the Environment

Minor in Environmental and Sustainability Studies

Students on Summer 2023, Fall 2023, or Spring 2024 requirements ENSUSTMIN

Requirements

The minor requires at least 18 credit hours, including the requirements listed below.
  1. Introduction to Sustainability Studies. One (1) course:
    • ANTH-E 101 Sustainability and Society
    • EAS-E 116 Our Planet and Its Future
    • GEOG-G 185 Environmental Change: The End of the World as We Know It?
    • GEOG-G 208 Environment and Society
    • SPEA-E 183 Environment and People
  2. Human-Environment Systems. One (1) course:
    • ANTH-B 343 Evolution of Human Ecological Footprint
    • ANTH-E 318 Nature/Culture: Global Perspectives in Environmental Anthropology
    • ANTH-E 418 Globalization and Consumer Culture
    • ANTH-E 444 People and Protected Areas: Theories of Conservation
    • COLL-C 104 Critical Approaches to the Social and Historical Studies (Approved topics: "LANGUAGE HOTSPOTS AND BIODIVERSITY" (TPC 29))
    • GEOG-G 315 Environmental Conservation
    • GEOG-G 341 Ecological Restoration: Science, Politics, and Ethics
    • GEOG-G 343 Perspectives on Environmental Decisions
    • GEOG-G 368 Water in the Midwest
    • GEOG-G 444 Climate Change Impacts
    • GEOG-G 448 Capitalism and Nature
    • GEOG-G 449 Political Ecology
    • GEOG-G 453 Water and Society
    • GEOG-G 478 Global Change, Food, and Farming Systems
    • HIST-J 400 Seminar in History (Approved topics: "ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY" (TPC 151))
    • HIST-W 215 Natural Disasters in World Environmental History
    • HIST-W 215 Natural Disasters in World Environmental History
    • INTL-I 302 Advanced Topics in Global Health and Environment (Approved topics: "ARCTIC ENCOUNTERS: ANIMALS, PEOPLE AND SHIPS" (TPC 7))
    • POLS-Y 313 Environmental Policy
    • SOAD-D 303 Green Building Concepts and Technologies
    • SPEA-E 332 Introduction to Applied Ecology
    • SPEA-E 457 Introduction to Conservation Biology
    • SPEA-V 413 Food Systems and Community Resilience
    • SPEA-V 424 Environmental Law, Justice, and Politics
    • SPH-O 305 Integrated Resource Management
    • SPH-O 360 Human Health and Natural Environments
    • SPH-V 422 Issues in Global Environmental Health: Investigations and Interventions
  3. Focal Area. One (1) of the following:
    1. Sustainable Food Systems.
      • Core Courses. Two (2) courses:
        • ANTH-E 421 Food and Culture
        • GEOG-G 369 The Geography of Food
        • GEOG-G 469 Food and Global Poverty
        • GEOG-G 478 Global Change, Food, and Farming Systems
        • SPEA-E 417 Fundamentals of Sustainable Agriculture
        • SPEA-V 413 Food Systems and Community Resilience
      • Elective Courses. Two (2) additional courses:
        • ANTH-E 366 Commodities and Culture
        • ANTH-E 421 Food and Culture
        • GEOG-G 218 Edible Education
        • GEOG-G 352 Food and Poverty in America
        • GEOG-G 357 Urban Alternative Agriculture
        • GEOG-G 369 The Geography of Food
        • GEOG-G 469 Food and Global Poverty
        • GEOG-G 478 Global Change, Food, and Farming Systems
        • SPEA-E 400 Topics in Environmental Studies (Approved topics: "PERMACULTURE" (TPC 321))
        • SPEA-E 417 Fundamentals of Sustainable Agriculture
        • SPEA-E 450
        • SPEA-V 413 Food Systems and Community Resilience
        • SPEA-V 450 Contemporary Issues in Public Affairs (Approved topics: "AGRICULTURE, ENVIRONMENT AND GOVERNANCE" (TPC 884))
        • Independent study, readings, research, or practicum in sustainable food systems from any department (3 cr.) with pre-approval of the Program
    2. Sustainable Energy, Resources and Climate. Four (4) courses:
      • Sustainable Energy
        • BUS-L 319 Climate Change Law & Policy
        • INTL-I 300 Topics in International Studies (Approved topics: "INTL ENERGY MRKTS-ENVIRONMENTAL/HEALTH ASPECTS" (TPC 318))
        • PHYS-P 310 Environmental Physics
        • SPEA-E 401 Human Behavior and Energy Consumption
        • SPEA-V 437 Public Transportation
        • SPH-O 305 Integrated Resource Management
        • SPH-O 360 Human Health and Natural Environments
      • Sustainable Resources
        • EAS-E 333 Sedimentation and Tectonics
        • EAS-E 351 Elements of Hydrology
        • GEOG-G 259 Water Security and Sustainability
        • GEOG-G 368 Water in the Midwest
        • GEOG-G 451 Physical Hydrology
        • GEOG-G 453 Water and Society
        • GEOG-G 467 Ecohydrology
        • SPEA-E 416 Fisheries Management
        • SPEA-E 431 Water Supply and Wastewater Treatment
        • SPEA-E 450
        • SPEA-E 451 Air Pollution and Control
        • SPEA-E 452 Solid and Hazardous Waste Management
        • SPEA-E 456 Lake and Watershed Management
        • SPEA-E 460 Wildlife Management
      • Climate Studies
        • EAS-A 315 Climate Engineering
        • EAS-A 340 Physical Meteorology and Climatology
        • EAS-A 476 Climate Change Science
        • EAS-E 227 Earth Climate and History
        • EAS-E 488 Paleoclimatology: A Geological Record of Earth's Climate History
        • GEOG-G 304 Physical Meteorology and Climatology
        • GEOG-G 305 Current Issues in Climate, Land and Environmental Change
        • GEOG-G 405 Ecological Climatology
        • GEOG-G 444 Climate Change Impacts
        • INTL-I 303 Advanced Topics in Global Development (Approved topics: "CLIMATE DISASTER & RESILIENCE" (TPC 6))
        • INTL-I 434 International Climate Governance
        • MSCH-S 452 Communicating Climate Change
      • Policy and Development
        • BUS-G 316 Sustainable Enterprise
        • BUS-L 302
        • EAS-A 476 Climate Change Science
        • EAS-E 430 Environmental and Energy Diplomacy
        • GEOG-G 448 Capitalism and Nature
        • SPEA-E 340 Environmental Economics and Finance
        • SPEA-E 363 Environmental Management
        • SPEA-E 476 Environmental Law and Regulation
        • SPEA-V 450 Contemporary Issues in Public Affairs (Approved topics: "AGRICULTURE, ENVIRONMENT AND GOVERNANCE" (TPC 884))
        • SPH-T 301 Sustainable Tourism
        • Independent study, readings, research, or practicum in sustainable energy, resources and climate from any department with pre-approval from the Program
    3. Environmental Ethics and Justice.
      • Core Courses. Two (2) courses:
        • ANTH-E 318 Nature/Culture: Global Perspectives in Environmental Anthropology
        • ANTH-E 444 People and Protected Areas: Theories of Conservation
        • GEOG-G 341 Ecological Restoration: Science, Politics, and Ethics
        • GEOG-G 449 Political Ecology
        • INTL-I 428 Social Justice and the Environment (Approved topics: "ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE" (TPC 1))
        • SPEA-V 424 Environmental Law, Justice, and Politics
        • SPH-O 313 Wilderness and Protected Lands
        • SPH-O 360 Human Health and Natural Environments
      • Elective Courses. Two (2) additional courses:
        • ANTH-E 318 Nature/Culture: Global Perspectives in Environmental Anthropology
        • ANTH-E 444 People and Protected Areas: Theories of Conservation
        • ENG-L 389 Feminist Literary and Cultural Criticism (program approval required; see academic advisor)
        • ENG-R 348 Environmental Communication
        • GEOG-G 315 Environmental Conservation
        • GEOG-G 341 Ecological Restoration: Science, Politics, and Ethics
        • GEOG-G 448 Capitalism and Nature
        • GEOG-G 461 Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change
        • HPSC-X 340 Scientific Methods: How Science Really Works
        • HPSC-X 342 The Secret Life of Trees: Scientific, Historical, and Psychological Perspectives on Forests
        • INTL-I 202 Global Health and Environment
        • INTL-I 428 Social Justice and the Environment (Approved topics: "ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE" (TPC 1))
        • Independent study, readings, research, or practicum in environmental ethics and justice from any department (3 cr.) with pre-approval of the Program
        • SPH-O 313 Wilderness and Protected Lands
        • SPH-O 360 Human Health and Natural Environments
    4. Biodiversity and Sustainability.
      • Core Courses. Two (2) courses:
        • BIOL-L 307
        • BIOL-L 326 Biodiverse-City. The Art and Science of Green Infrastructure
        • GEOG-G 307 Biogeography: The Distribution of Life
        • GEOG-G 315 Environmental Conservation
        • HPSC-X 342 The Secret Life of Trees: Scientific, Historical, and Psychological Perspectives on Forests
        • SPEA-E 457 Introduction to Conservation Biology
        • SPH-O 310 Ecosystem Management
      • Elective Courses. Two (2) additional courses:
        • ANTH-B 343 Evolution of Human Ecological Footprint
        • ANTH-E 444 People and Protected Areas: Theories of Conservation
        • BIOL-B 300 Vascular Plants
        • BIOL-B 364 Summer Flowering Plants
        • BIOL-L 307
        • BIOL-L 326 Biodiverse-City. The Art and Science of Green Infrastructure
        • BIOL-L 369 Heredity, Evolution, and Society
        • BIOL-L 376 Biology of Birds
        • BIOL-Z 373 Entomology
        • BIOL-Z 374
        • BIOL-Z 406 Vertebrate Zoology
        • BIOL-Z 460 Animal Behavior
        • BIOL-Z 476 Biology of Fishes
        • EAS-E 341 Natural History of Coral Reefs
        • GEOG-G 307 Biogeography: The Distribution of Life
        • GEOG-G 315 Environmental Conservation
        • GEOG-G 341 Ecological Restoration: Science, Politics, and Ethics
        • GEOG-G 451 Physical Hydrology
        • GEOG-G 461 Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change
        • GEOG-G 467 Ecohydrology
        • HPSC-X 342 The Secret Life of Trees: Scientific, Historical, and Psychological Perspectives on Forests
        • SPEA-E 332 Introduction to Applied Ecology
        • SPEA-E 363 Environmental Management
        • SPEA-E 416 Fisheries Management
        • SPEA-E 422 Urban Forest Management
        • SPEA-E 456 Lake and Watershed Management
        • SPEA-E 457 Introduction to Conservation Biology
        • SPEA-E 460 Wildlife Management
        • SPEA-E 476 Environmental Law and Regulation
        • SPEA-E 482 Overseas Topics in Environmental Science
        • SPH-O 310 Ecosystem Management
        • SPH-O 313 Wilderness and Protected Lands
        • SPH-O 360 Human Health and Natural Environments
        • SPH-T 301 Sustainable Tourism
        • Independent study, readings, research, or practicum in biodiversity and sustainability from any department (3 cr.) with pre-approval of the Program
    5. Individualized. 12 credit hours of courses selected in consultation with the Environmental and Sustainability Studies academic advisor and approved by the director of the program.
  4. Minor GPA, Hours, and Minimum Grade Requirements.
    1. Minor GPA. A GPA of at least 2.000 for all courses taken in the minor—including those where a grade lower than C- is earned—is required.
    2. Minor Minimum Grade. Except for the GPA requirement, a grade of C- or higher is required for a course to count toward a requirement in the minor.
    3. Minor Upper Division Credit Hours. At least 9 credit hours in the minor must be completed at the 300–499 level.
    4. Minor Residency. At least 9 credit hours in the minor must be completed in courses taken through the Indiana University Bloomington campus or an IU-administered or IU co-sponsored Overseas Study program.

Minor Area Courses
  • Unless otherwise noted below, the following courses are considered in the academic program and will count toward academic program requirements as appropriate:

    • Any course contained on the course lists for the academic program requirements at the time the course is taken—as well as any other courses that are deemed functionally equivalent—except for those listed only under Addenda Requirements
    • Any course directed to a non-Addenda requirement through an approved exception

This program of study cannot be combined with the following:

  • Bachelor of Arts in Environmental and Sustainability Studies (ENVSUSTBA)

Exceptions to and substitutions for minor requirements may be made with the approval of the unit's Director of Undergraduate Studies, subject to final approval by the College of Arts and Sciences.