Environmental Studies at UNC

The Program

The public is becoming increasingly concerned with issues concerning the environment, and environmental issues have attained increasingly prominent positions on many political agendas. As a result, the need to have informed citizens who can provide rational and objective feedback to legislators, policy makers, and decision-makers at all levels and who can make rational personal choices concerning the environment has become a priority in our society.

The University of Northern Colorado has offered an environmental studies program for over 32 years in response to this need. At present, a minor in environmental studies is available, and the program is expanding. It is hoped that a major will also be available soon. The focus of the major would be to develop educators and communicators with core tools and skills in communication and education with an interdisciplinary perspective, with the ability to create an informed citizenry using those tools and skills, and with the knowledge and critical thinking skills to make rational and informed decisions.

The Minor

The environmental studies minor enhances a student’s ability to help find solutions to the growing environmental problems facing humanity caused by increasing human demands on the finite physical resources of the planet. This focus has two branches: 1) increasing the knowledge base about the natural resource and human components of environmental issues, which includes population growth; pollution of land, air and water; urban and rural land use; food production possibilities; existing and alternative energy technologies; wilderness preservation; and species extinction; 2) developing an understanding of the methods and paradigms of various disciplines from the natural sciences, the social sciences and the humanities and their potential contributions and limitations in the context of environmental problems. Thus, students develop insights and problem-solving skills not as readily available within single disciplines.

The minor is useful for students majoring in disciplines that contribute to the solution of environmental problems. Students acquire a broad perspective of the nature of environmental problems and their possible solutions. The minor facilitates cooperative, interdisciplinary problem-solving in subsequent employment or graduate study.

Employment opportunities are diverse and are shaped by the student’s major. Environmental jobs can be laboratory, people, writing or outdoor oriented. Typical employers include resource development companies, environmental consulting firms, government agencies, educational facilities (public and private, traditional and innovative) and environmental groups. There are also self-employment opportunities.

As an example of the commitment of UNC’s environmental studies students, the members of this year’s senior seminar (capstone course) raised $2000 from the Eastman-Kodak Company to buy recycle bins for use within the university.

Here are the requirements for the minor, as stated in the current Catalog.

Additional useful links....

Admissions Office | Career Services Office
UNC Catalog Online | Schedule of Classes

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