The Environmental Science Program offers a minor concentration to non-science majors interested in the science aspects of environmental issues. The goals of the minor are:

• To give non-science majors an understanding of the important environmental issues to better prepare them to participate in public discussions and decisions involving environmental issues.
• To give non-science majors an understanding of environmental resource and human impact issues that could be helpful to them in their careers.

Expectations
The expectations for ESP minors include:

• They will be able to explain the science underpinnings for some of the important environmental issues currently facing us, including: global climate change and stratospheric ozone depletion; aquatic pollution and eutrophication; and habitat loss and species extinctions.
• They will understand many of the complexities of these issues and be aware of the traded-offs in addressing them.
• They will be aware of the stresses and effects of humans on the natural environment.
• They will understand some of the additional environmental stresses cities have on the environment and the health of city dwellers, and how they are being addressed.
• They will be to communicate their increased understanding of environmental issues with their friends, neighbors and colleagues.

Requirements
To qualify for an environmental science minor, the student will need to take five environmental science courses. This should include the ENV 102 course, one of the 300-level courses, and three other classes chosen from the courses below. In addition to the ENV 102, the chosen classes should include at least one with a laboratory.

ENV 102 - Introduction to Environmental Science (includes lab)
ENV 115 - Environmental Geology (includes lab)
ENV 116 - Geology of the Environment
ENV 200 - Cities and the Environment
ENV 202 - Resources, Population and the Environment
ENV 220 - Soil Science
ENV 224 - Environment of the Chicago River (includes lab)
ENV 250 - Applied Ecology
ENV 270 - Tropical Biology and Conservation (Foreign Study).
ENV 322 - Ecosystem Ecology (includes lab)
ENV 340 - Issues in Urban Forestry
ENV 342 - Natural History of Forests
ENV 350 - Environmental Impact Analysis (ESP Capstone course)

In addition, students could be interested in the one-credit seminar course, ENV 294, where the important environmental concepts and the history of their development are discussed. Depending on the background and skills of the minor candidate, other environmental science courses could be substituted for those listed above. These could include:

ENV 216 - Earth Systems Science
ENV 217 - Human Impacts on the Environment
ENV 320 - Conservation Biology
BIO 215 - Ecology
BIO 225 - Aquatic Biology