Undergraduate Minor
The College of Arts and Sciences administers an interdisciplinary program leading to a Master of Science degree in Environmental Sciences. The mission of the Environmental Sciences Program is to cultivate students' perspectives of environmental issues and provide students with refined knowledge of environmental issues at the local, regional, and global scale.
The Program now offers a Minor in Environmental Sciences. The Minor will increase students' technical competence in addressing and analyzing environmental issues, their origins, ramifications, and resolutions. The Environmental Sciences Program at SIUE is designed to enhance and promote multidisciplinary education while providing students with career opportunities in a wide area of interests.
Faculty from several departments in the College of Arts and Sciences provide mentoring, direction, and instruction. Practicing professionals also lend their expertise to the program. A close relationship is maintained with industries and environmental agencies so that both students and faculty members can incorporate real-world issues in their studies.
Requirements
Students must apply for and be accepted into the Minor program in Environmental Sciences. The deadline for Fall and Spring admission is April 15 and October 15, respectively. Minimum requirements for admission are a cumulative GPA of 2.5. Instructions and a link to the application form are at the bottom of the page. To satisfy the Minor requirements, students must take and complete the following courses while maintaining a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5: Topics of Environmental Health and Toxicology (ENSC125, 2 credits); Applied Research Methods (ENSC 210, 3 credits); Principles of Environmental Sciences (ENSC 220, 3 credits); Principles of Environmental Sciences Lab (ENSC 220L, 1 credit); Environmental Health and Waste Management (ENSC 330, 3 credits); Ecosystem Management and Sustainability (ENSC 340, 3 credits); and Environmental Law (ENSC 402, 3 credits). These 17 units of courses are administered through the Environmental Sciences Program.
"Environmental science helped me to understand many different issues within my field that I would not have had a grasp of without the minor. The variety of subjects in my Environmental Science classes was at first surprising, but I quickly realized the breath of the environment's impact on nearly every field of study. The faculty and staff are incredible and made my experience all the more memorable."
Alyx Mark, Minor in Environmental Sciences, Class of 2008
Course Descriptions
(Note: You do not have to be in the Minor to take these courses)
Topics of Environmental Health and Toxicology (ENSC 125, 2 credits): Naturally occurring and anthropogenic toxicants can cause adverse environmental impacts. Provides the fundamental information concerning the effects of environmental toxicants on living organisms. Spring
Applied Research Methods (ENSC 210, 3 credits): Research methods for analysis of urban and regional land use, transportation, and environmental problems. Survey research and other data collection techniques; demographic analysis; basic forecasting, air quality, and transportation models. Collection, interpretation, and critical evaluation of data. Spring
Principles of Environmental Sciences (ENSC 220, 3 credits): Applications of biological, ecological, physical and chemical principles, and systems approaches to policy analysis of air, soil, and water environments, land use, energy supplies and technology, and other resources. Spring, Fall
Principles of Environmental Sciences Lab (ENSC 220L, 1 credit): Laboratory exercises to introduce system analysis of air, soil and water environments; land use; energy supplies; and other resources using biological, ecological, physical, and chemical principles. Spring, Fall
Environmental Health and Waste Management (ENSC 330, 3 credits): Sources and management of hazardous waste, sewage and solids. Effects of waste on human health and the environment. Spring
Ecosystem Management and Sustainability (ENSC 340, 3 credits): Management of natural resources, emphasizing sustainable ecosystems. Examine ecosystem functions, and the science and management of ecosystems synthesis. Fall
Environmental Law (ENSC 402, 3 credits): Introduction to some of the principle issues in environmental law and the judicial interpretation of some important environmental statues. Federal and regional legislation concerning air and water pollution, pesticide use, food and feed additives, consumer protection, and occupational exposure to toxic substances; roles of Federal regulatory agencies; alternatives to governmental control. Basic models of ethical reasoning and criteria of distributive justice applied to selected topics in environmental law. Fall
Application Information
The Minor application form can be downloaded here. Fill out the form and forward it to the Program Office by mail (Campus Box 1099, 3315 Science Building) or email it to the secretary Tami Wright (twrigab@siue.edu).
