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Environmental Science Minor

Program Codes: ZENVS
Minor

Introduction
Environmental science operates at the intersection between humans and the natural world. It is a complex field that requires students to understand how physical, chemical and biological phenomena on varying scales interact with human systems and the structures and challenges imposed by governmental policies, economics, and social problems. The success of an environmental professional at addressing environmental problems requires an interdisciplinary perspective and knowledge about how to sensitively select and use the right tools to assess and address problems.

Mercyhurst’s Environmental Science program has been designed as a natural science-focused program offering students opportunities to specialize in either biology or geology field studies, and including a slate of liberal arts courses that prepares students for a broad range of possible careers in environmental consulting, sustainability leadership, conservation and restoration science, green energy and environmental education. Coursework includes deep upperlevel disciplinary and interdisciplinary coursework to provide students with diverse hands-on technical skills and practical experience within the respective environmental science geology and biology curricula.

The program is complementary to the university’s existing majors in Biology and Geology, which provided a foundation for the development of Environmental Science. Special facilities available to students in this program include two major natural areas owned by the University within the Pennsylvania Lake Erie watershed: the Jean B. and J. Douglas James Ecological & Wildlife Preserve and the Mary Jo and Ed Maier Field Station.

Mercyhurst is a full member and active participant in the Regional Science Consortium, a collaborative, non-profit organization which focuses on and coordinates educational and research projects for Lake Erie and the upper Ohio River Basin, offering college courses and research opportunities to students from more than a dozen regional colleges and universities at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center. Consortium facilities available to Mercyhurst biology students include well-equipped research and teaching laboratories, classrooms, greenhouse, natural history collections, sampling equipment and research vessels.

Mission Statement
The primary mission of the Mercyhurst University Environmental Science Program is to educate students in physical, biological and social sciences, making them reflectively aware of the natural environment in which they live, equipped to serve as globally responsible stewards of the Earth and its resources, and prepared to advance successful solutions to address environmental issues. Central keys to advance this mission are a commitment to immersing students in a broad exposure to the diverse perspectives that are necessary to address complex environmental problems, combined with deep experiential disciplinary learning through rigorous field-centered class and laboratory activities, practical hands-on field experiences, collaborative faculty-student research, and travel-learning experiences that will take students beyond the boundaries of our local environments.

Required Courses

ECOL&EVOL BIO OF ORGANISMS
Course Code:
BIO 146
Course Group(s):
ANALYTICAL, ANTHROPOLOGY/ARCHAEOLOGY COGNATE ELECTIVES
Active Term:
All Terms
/ All Years
Course Description:
Introduction to the ecology and evolutionary biology of organisms, including population growth, species interactions, ecosystem cycles, mechanisms of evolution, speciation, the diversity of life on Earth, and an introduction to population and Mendelian genetics.
Credit:
3
Instruction methods:
Lecture
Total hours: 45
Corequisites:

BIO 147

x
BIO 146
ECOL&EVOL BIO OF ORGANISMS
3
ECOL&EVOL BIO OF ORG LAB
Course Code:
BIO 147
Course Group(s):
ANALYTICAL, ANTHROPOLOGY/ARCHAEOLOGY COGNATE ELECTIVES
Active Term:
All Terms
/ All Years
Course Description:

A laboratory course that elucidates concepts taught in BIO 146 from a largely experimental perspective.

Credit:
1
Instruction methods:
Lab
Total hours: 15
Corequisites:

BIO 146

x
BIO 147
ECOL&EVOL BIO OF ORG LAB
1
INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
Course Code:
ENVS 105
Active Term:
Spring Term
/ All Years
Course Description:
An interdisciplinary course that examines local, national and global environmental problems from diverse perspectives. The concept of environmental sustainability is emphasized to illustrate its utility to frame individual and societal actions for advancing a more environmentally just and healthy world in the twenty-first century. The social, political and economic forces that complicate the resolution of environmental problems are highlighted, as are historical events and the centuries-old heritage of American environmental literature.
Credit:
3
Instruction methods:
Lecture
Total hours: 45
x
ENVS 105
INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
3
DYNAMIC EARTH
Course Code:
GEOL 100
Course Group(s):
ANTHROPOLOGY/ARCHAEOLOGY COGNATE ELECTIVES
Active Term:
All Terms
/ All Years
Course Description:

Students are introduced to the basic materials of the Earth and the processes that shape them/it. The course covers plate tectonics (including volcanic activity and earthquakes) as well as surface-related processes of weathering and erosion, glaciation, and ground and surface water. Students are engaged in active discussion and hands-on exercises during the course of the semester.

Credit:
3
Instruction methods:
Lecture
Total hours: 22.5
Corequisites:

GEOL_102

x
GEOL 100
DYNAMIC EARTH
3
DYNAMIC EARTH LAB
Course Code:
GEOL 102
Course Group(s):
ANTHROPOLOGY/ARCHAEOLOGY COGNATE ELECTIVES
Active Term:
All Terms
/ All Years
Course Description:

A hands-on approach to further exploring and understanding topics covered in GEOL 100.

Credit:
1
Instruction methods:
Lab
Total hours: 7.5
Corequisites:

GEOL_100

x
GEOL 102
DYNAMIC EARTH LAB
1
Additional Requirements

Three additional environmental theme courses that are 200 level or higher approved by the minor advisor. (9-12 credits)

Two of the additional 200 level courses must be science courses (e.g., BIO, GEO, PUBH, or SCI)

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