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School of Environmental Sustainability
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Minors

The School of Environmental Sustainability offers three minors: 

  • Environmental Action & Leadership
  • Environmental Science
  • Food Systems and Sustainable Agriculture

Environmental Action & Leadership Minor

The Environmental Action & Leadership Minor provides knowledge of and insight into environmental issues, and develops skills in communication, group management and leadership to facilitate action toward solving environmental problems and the development of sustainable practices in society.

Requirements and Courses

Requirements: 7 courses (21–22 credit hours)*; at least 3 courses must be ENVS
*A maximum of 3 courses can count toward this minor and an SES major.

Scientific Background (2 courses)

All ENVS 200-level courses, except ENVS 2xx, and 284 have ENVS 101 or ENVS 137 as pre-req.; ENVS 280 also has ENVS 237 as a pre-req.)

  • ANTH 104 (The Human Ecological Footprint)
  • ENVS 207 (Plants & Civilization)
  • ENVS 218 (Biodiversity & Biogeography)
  • ENVS 223 (Introduction to Soils)
  • ENVS 224 (Climate & Climate Change)
  • ENVS 226 (Science & Conservation of Freshwater Ecosystems)
  • ENVS 227r (Ecology of the Mediterranean Sea)
  • ENVS 237 (Foundations of Environmental Science II)
  • ENVS 267 (Bird Conservation & Ecology)
  • ENVS 280 (Principles of Ecology)
  • ENVS 281c (Environmental Sustainability & Science in China)
  • ENVS 281v (Humans and the Environment in Contemporary Vietnam)
  • ENVS 283 (Environmental Sustainability)
  • ENVS 288 (Applied Integrative Data Analysis)
  • ENVS 340 (Natural History of Belize)
  • ENVS 369 (Field Ornithology)
Ethics & Society (1 course)
  • COMM 227 (Social Justice & Communication)
  • ENGL 288 (Nature in Literature)
  • ENVS 284 (Environmental Justice)
  • HIST 292 (Environmental History)
  • PHIL 287 (Environmental Ethics)
  • PSYC 275a (Social Psychology)
  • PSYC 277 (Environmental Psychology)
  • SOCL 234 (Cities, Suburbs & Beyond)
  • SOCL 261 (Social Movements & Social Change)
  • SOCL 272 (Environmental Sociology) [moved from PLA]
  • SOCL 276 (Sociology & the Politics of Food)
  • THEO 184 (Moral Problems: Ecology Crisis)
  • THEO 344 (Theology & Ecology)
Policy, Leadership & Action (3 courses)
  • COMM 268 (Persuasion)
  • COMM 306 (Environmental Advocacy)
  • ECON 328b (Environmental Economics)
  • ENVS 310 (Environmental Law)
  • ENVS 363 (Introduction to Sustainable Business)
  • ENVS 383 (Human Dimensions of Conservation)
  • MGMT 201 (Managing People & Organizations)
  • MGMT 320c (Leading & Managing Teams)
  • PLSC 354 (Global Environmental Politics)
  • PLSC 392 (Environmental Politics)
Application (1 course)
  • ENVS 350a (STEP: Water)
  • ENVS 350f (STEP: Food Systems)
  • ENVS 380 (Introduction to GIS)
  • ENVS 391 (Independent Environ. Research)
  • ENVS 395 (Environmental Internship)

Pre-requisites: a. PSYC 101; b. ECON 201; c. MGMT 201

Environmental Science Minor

The Environmental Science Minor provides a base in the science, social & political issues, and methods relevant to understanding environmental issues and working to solve environmental problems.

Requirements and Courses

Requirements: 7 courses (21–22 credit hours)*; at least 3 courses must be ENVS
*A maximum of 3 courses can count toward this minor and an SES major.

Environmental/Ecological Science (4 courses)

All ENVS 200-level courses, except ENVS 284 have ENVS 101 or ENVS 137 as pre-req.

  • ANTH 104 (The Human Ecological Footprint)
  • ENVS 207 (Plants & Civilization)
  • ENVS 218 (Biodiversity & Biogeography)
  • ENVS 223 (Introduction to Soils)
  • ENVS 224 (Climate & Climate Change)
  • ENVS 226 (Science & Conservation of Freshwater Ecosystems)
  • ENVS 227r (Ecology of the Mediterranean Sea)
  • ENVS 237 (Foundations of Environmental Science II)
  • ENVS 267 (Bird Conservation & Ecology)
  • ENVS 273 (Energy & the Environment)
  • ENVS 280a (Principles of Ecology) or BIOL 265 [Ecology]
  • ENVS 281c (Environmental Sustainability & Science in China)
  • ENVS 281v (Humans and the Environment in Contemporary Vietnam)
  • ENVS 283 (Environmental Sustainability)
  • ENVS 319c (Winter Ecology)
  • ENVS 340 (Natural History of Belize)
  • ENVS 345c (Conservation & Sustainability in Neotropical Ecosystems)
  • ENVS 369 (Field Ornithology)
Policy, Business & Society (1 course)
  • ECON 328b (Environmental Economics)
  • ENVS 284 (Environmental Justice)
  • ENVS 310 (Environmental Law)
  • ENVS 363 (Introduction to Sustainable Business)
  • ENVS 383 (Human Dimensions of Conservation)
  • HIST 292 (Environmental History)
  • PLSC 354 (Global Environmental Politics)
  • PLSC 392 (Environmental Politics)
  • SOCL 272 (Environmental Sociology)
  • SOCL 276 (Sociology & the Politics of Food)
Methods & Application (2 courses)
  • ENVS 288 (Applied Interdisciplinary Data Analysis)
  • ENVS 350a (STEP: Water)
  • ENVS 350f (STEP: Food Systems)
  • ENVS 391 (Independent Environ. Research)
  • ENVS 380 (Introduction to GIS)
  • ENVS 395 (Environmental Internship)
  • SOCL 301e (Statistics for Social Research)
  • STAT 303f (SAS Programming & Appl. Statistics)
  • STAT 307h (Statistical Design & Analysis of Experiments)
  • STAT 310g (Categorical Data Analysis)
  • STAT/BIOL 335i (Intro. to Biostatistics)

Pre-requisites: a. ENVS 237; b. ECON 201; c. ENVS 280 or BIOL 265 [or instructor permission]; e. SOCL 206; f. STAT 103, 203 or 335; g. BIOL 355 or STAT 203; h. STAT 203 or 355; i. BIOL 102 & MATH 132 or 162.

Appropriate substitutions from other departments may be allowed with approval of the Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Studies.

Food Systems and Sustainable Agriculture Minor

The Food Systems and Sustainable Agriculture minor answers the growing call to evaluate and redesign our food and farming systems. This program prepares students to develop innovative, sustainable food production and distribution approaches that protect the environment and improve access to healthy food. Students learn in the classroom and through hands-on projects in the community, developing the skills to make a difference for people and the natural world.

Requirements: 7 courses (21 hours); A maximum of 3 courses can count toward this minor and any other SES major.  If a student with an SES major is pursuing more than one minor housed in SES, classes taken for one minor cannot overlap with those taken for the second. For students majoring in a non-SES degree pursuing two minors housed in SES may share a maximum of two courses between minors.

Requirements and Courses

Food Systems Courses:Select five (5) of the following courses:
  • ENVS 207 Plants and Civilization
  • ENVS 223 Soil Ecology
  • ENVS 230 Feeding the Planet: Global Perspectives on Sustainability, Culture and Food
  • ENVS 325 Sustainable Agriculture
  • ENVS 326 Agroecosystems
  • ENVS 327 Food Systems Analysis
  • ENVS 350F Solutions to Environmental Problems: Food Systems
  • FONU 110 Culinary Explorations
  • FONU 215 Fundamentals of Nutrition
  • FONU 225 Food as Culture
  • ANTH 281 Evolution of the Human Diet

Social Change CourseChoose one (1) of the following:
  • ENVS 284 Environmental Justice
  • ENVS 310 Introduction to Environmental Law & Policy
  • ENVS 311 Natural Resources and Land Use Law & Policy
  • SOCL 261 Social Movements & Social Change
  • COMM 237 Small Group Communication
  • COMM 277 Organizational Communication
  • COMM 306 Environmental Communication & Advocacy
  • PSYC 277 Environmental Psychology

Application CourseChoose one (1) of the following:
  • ENVS 350F Solutions to Environmental Problems: Food Systems
  • ENVS 391 Environmental Research (Food/Agriculture courses only, requires faculty mentor)
  • ENVS 395 Environmental Internship 1 (Food/Agriculture courses only)

An environmentally-focused minor in Sustainability Management is offered through Loyola’s Quinlan School of Business.