Course Requirements. An honors minor in environmental studies includes an integrated program of five courses plus a capstone seminar. The course requirements are similar to those of the regular Environmental Studies minor. Honors minors take at least one course in a specific discipline in environmental science/technology, at least one course in a specific discipline in environmental social science/humanities, and at least one more from either of these two groups for a minimum of three courses in these two categories. Up to two courses may be chosen from the list of interdisciplinary and adjunct courses. The capstone seminar is taken by all minors in the Spring semester of the senior year, for a total of six courses. These six courses are taken in addition to a regular major, and at least four of these courses must be outside the major.
Additional Requirements. The additional two requirements for the honors minor are detailed below.
(1) The honors preparation will consist of a combination of two-courses that are related in some way that is suitable for a single honors examination. Both of the courses must be outside the major. The two courses may be selected from a single discipline or from two different, but environmentally related, disciplines. It is also possible for one of the courses to be interdisciplinary. Other two-credit options such as a course with an attachment will not be encouraged, and a two-credit thesis will not be allowed. Student performance in the two designated courses must be at a high enough level to merit honors, as judged by the faculty teaching the courses. Also, approval of the student’s honors application should be obtained from these same faculty since they will be expected to specify prospective honors examiners.
(2) The senior honors study will consist of a small paper that explores the connections between the two courses used for the preparation. This paper will be included with background materials submitted to the honors examiner.
(Updated 1/21/2005)