Environmental Studies Minor
Azusa, USA
DURATION
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
01 May 2025*
EARLIEST START DATE
Jan 2025
TUITION FEES
Request tuition fees
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning, On-Campus
* priority application deadline for out-of country students (recommended deadline)
Introduction
Earn a Minor in Environmental Studies at Azusa Pacific University
You’ll acquire the tools and experiences necessary for understanding and addressing the unprecedented environmental challenges our world faces. Stand out to employers with a minor relevance across disciplines. You’ll be prepared for earth-keeping careers in education, community advocacy, environmental law, and more. You’ll experience field studies internship opportunities with organizations such as the Nature Conservancy, and engage in political and cultural activism.
Program at a Glance
The School of Humanities and Sciences offers diverse well-rounded degree programs to prepare critical thinkers to make a difference in the world for Christ.
- Program Units: 18-19
- Location: Azusa (Main Campus). International/Off-campus
Gain Hands-on Experience
- Engage with environmentally focused organizations in the Los Angeles area.
- Pursue community, regional, or global internships.
- Participate in field trips and field studies related to learning.
- Foster new perspectives, affections, and personal habits to make a difference in environmental challenges.
Program Details
The environmental studies minor offers a learning environment that equips a rising generation with the intellectual tools and learning experiences needed to understand and address the causes and consequences of the unprecedented environmental challenges facing them. The new perspectives, affections, and personal habits fostered through the program ground the “task of our times”: to repair the damage done to marine and terrestrial ecosystems, and to produce sustainable systems of food, fuel, and shelter.
Distinctive Features
- Interdisciplinary: Synthesis of the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities, including the arts and expressive culture (e.g., music, literature, film). The minor is taken simultaneously with an undergraduate major.
- Experiential Learning and Internship: Field trips; field studies; community, regional, or global internships with community organizations (e.g., public schools) or national environmental organizations (e.g., the Nature Conservancy, the National Audubon Society, the Environmental Defense Fund, SoCal A Rocha, Eden Reforestation Projects); or engagement in political and cultural activism through a broad range of environmentally focused organizations in the Los Angeles area.
Vocational Paths
This minor helps prepare students for earth-keeping careers in education (sustainability studies), sustainability management (public, private), community advocacy (nonprofit), environmental planning and policy development, environmental law, wildlife and game management, the alternative energy sector, forestry, and agriculture.
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
You might think that a private college education is beyond your reach, but there are many financial resources available to help make an Azusa Pacific education a reality. APU students may take advantage of three basic types of financial aid: scholarships and grants, education loans, and student employment.
Scholarships and Grants
Scholarships and grants are considered “gift aid” and do not require repayment. They can come from federal, state, or private sources. Scholarships are typically merit-based, meaning they are awarded depending on demonstrated academic ability or other specific talents.
Scholarships are often available from sources outside of APU. You can search for these scholarships through websites. The Student Services Center is sometimes notified of scholarships available through APU departments or local organizations and can provide information about any available scholarships on request.
Education Loans
Education loans are usually repaid after graduation, may be deferred until after graduate school, and often have very low interest rates.
Military Benefits
Military members—and in some cases their spouses and dependents—qualify for financial assistance covering tuition, housing, and books. Azusa Pacific is a Yellow Ribbon University and Military Friendly School, so you can be confident that you’ll receive the benefits and flexibility you need to complete your education.
Student Employment
On-campus student employment is available for students needing additional income to pay for education-related expenses. APU students also find work off campus in the surrounding community.
Net Price Calculator
We’re committed to helping families understand early in the college search process the value of the APU experience and options for affordable financing of a top-tier Christian university education.
Now that you’re familiar with the financial aid opportunities available to APU students, it’s time to estimate what your true cost may be to attend Azusa Pacific. Remember, estimations are only as accurate as the information you provide.
Curriculum
Requirements
The minor comprises 18-19 units, at least 12 of which must be upper-division coursework.
Foundational/Introductory 2
- GLBL 497 Readings
Science
- BIOL 152 General Biology II
- BIOL 320 Ecology
- BIOL 325 Humans and the Environment
- CHEM 101 Chemistry and Society
- PHYC 112 Science and Technology for Everyday Applications
Social Science
- GLBL 120 Contemporary Global Issues
- GLBL 420 Sustainable Societies
Humanities
- HUM 202 Civic Knowledge and Engagement
- PHIL 366 Environmental Ethics
- WRIT 210 Writing 2: Writing in the Humanities
Economics
- ECON 355 Environmental Economics & ECON 497 and Readings
Capstone or Policy
Choose one of the following:
- GLBL 499 Thesis/Project
- VOC 499 Interdisciplinary Capstone
Program Outcome
Students who successfully complete this program shall be able to:
- Describe the fundamental science (drawn from natural sciences and social sciences) that informs our understanding of current environmental challenges (e.g., anthropogenic climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, etc.) and policy alternatives.
- Demonstrate an experiential understanding of the real-world contexts and ethical principles (drawn from philosophy, theology, and literature) that frame the human relationship and response to the natural world.
- Effectively weigh scientific evidence, moral/ethical argument, and political and economic feasibility in evaluating environmental policies and institutions.
- Integrate and apply perspectives from across the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities to an analysis of complex urban environmental problems.
- Explain the moral and ethical significance of environmental crises through concrete lifestyle changes that accord with the biblical vision of a healed creation.
Career Opportunities
Top Occupations by Income
- Postsecondary Teachers
- Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
- Compliance Officers