The environmental humanities minor prepares students to understand the cultural, ethical, and aesthetic dimensions of the natural world and environmental challenges. An interdisciplinary field, the environmental humanities combines traditional humanities disciplines like art, history, literature, and philosophy with scientific knowledge to help recognize, analyze, and ultimately solve current issues like pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change.
A minor is earned in conjunction with a bachelor's degree.
To receive a minor (18 - 24 units) at Northern Arizona University, you must complete a planned group of courses from one or more subject matter areas with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0. At least 12 units of the minor must be unique to that minor and not applied to any other minor.
In addition to University Requirements:
Students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Contact your advisor for details.
No more than fifty percent of the units used to satisfy minor requirements may be used to satisfy major requirements.
| Minimum Units for Completion | 18 |
| Major GPA | 2.0 |
| Fieldwork Experience/Internship | Optional |
Purpose Statement
The environmental humanities minor prepares students to understand the cultural, ethical, and aesthetic dimensions of the natural world and environmental challenges. An interdisciplinary field, the environmental humanities combine traditional humanities disciplines such as art, history, literature, and philosophy with scientific knowledge to help recognize, analyze, and ultimately solve current issues like pollution, biodiversity loss, and climate change. These challenges require humanistic knowledge to understand and evaluate the meanings and values that are projected through the natural world.
Students will learn about the social construction of the natural world and the layered realities of environmental history; the history of environmentalism and its relationships to other schools of thought; the relationship between aesthetics, media, and action in environmental arenas. Through these classes, students will become better critical thinkers. They will be able to interpret a wide range of qualitative and quantitative data. They will improve their communication skills across a variety of modalities. They will also develop professional and leadership skills.
The environmental humanities minor is a valuable enhancement for a range of careers. For those in environmentally-oriented careers, such as environmental science, environmental engineering, forestry, public policy, law, and climate science, this minor will provide the tools to reflect on ethical, historical, and cultural issues in their work. These students will be better prepared to think through those complexities and, therefore, able to do their work more thoughtfully and thoroughly. Students aiming towards careers in other fields will likewise benefit from this minor. They will be oriented towards the ethical, historical, and cultural dimensions of pressing environmental issues, and they will be able to use that orientation to help connect their work with these challenges. All students will develop their proficiency in in-demand job skills, including communication, critical thinking, leadership, and equity and inclusion.
Student Learning Outcomes
Take the following 18 units with a grade of "C" or better in each course:
The following courses have additional prerequisites:
Some courses may have prerequisites. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.