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The information below highlights environmental undergraduate minors at the University of Minnesota. To view a complete list of undergraduate minors, please see the catalogs for each campus.
This minor provides strong, science-based courses emphasizing crop management in the context of sustainable ecosystems. It is highly recommended if you're interested in preparing for the Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) exam or Certified Professional Agronomist (CPAg) programs.
This minor provides students with a strong background in engineering and the basic sciences and their application to the manufacturing of bio-based products. Bio-based products are materials, chemicals and energy derived from renewable resources, including woody materials, agricultural crops and other biomass.
The minor in climatology provides students with the opportunity to broaden their expertise in the area of weather and climate studies. Students who will be working for any industry or agency that depends on understanding weather and climate change will find this minor useful.
The corporate environmental management (CEM) minor is designed to provide students with an opportunity to gain a broad exposure to the strategic, analytical and managerial processes associated with the environmental impact of companies’ and other organizations’ products and processes.
Ecological engineering integrates traditional engineering concepts with ecological principles such as resiliency, adaptation and community dynamics. The ecological engineering minor prepares students to design sustainable systems integrating human activities with the natural environment.
This minor provides students with a strong foundation in entomology while exploring entomological theories and principles. Coursework easily complements studies related to biology, animals, plants, human health and food production.
Environmental design integrates the design, planning and management of the landscape to create outdoor spaces that sustain ecological function; fulfill human aspirations for community development, public health and safety; and are artistically evocative and meaningful.
This minor is offered in cooperation with the Department of Geology and Geophysics.
The Environmental Sciences, Policy and Management minor provides students in programs such as biology, education, journalism, political science and others with the basic understanding to recognize, evaluate and develop solutions to a range of environmental problems.
The fisheries and wildlife minor enables students in programs such as biology, communications, education, forestry, natural resources and environmental studies and others to develop an understanding of the principles and practices of fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology.
This interdisciplinary minor is limited to non-CFANS students who want to learn more about agriculture, food systems, and the environment.
The forest resources minor helps students in natural resources and other areas gain deeper understanding of the scientific foundations of forestry, the management of forest resources, and the importance of forest resources to society.
Geography is an academic and practical field that studies the manner in which human-made places and natural systems interact and change. Geographers study these interactions at all scales: neighborhoods and cities; regions and nations; single or multiple biophysical systems; and even the world as a whole.
Geology is the study of the composition, structure, and history of Earth and of the processes that operate on and within it, with emphasis on the crust, oceans and atmosphere.
Plants provide many practical and recreational benefits to society--whether it is the food we eat, the parks we play in, or the gardens we enjoy admiring. The horticultural science minor is geared toward students who want to learn more about plants and their many, diverse uses in the landscape.
This interdisciplinary minor focuses on how cropping systems and the environment interact with the biology of major pests affecting horticultural and agronomic crops. Students also learn to select and apply efficient, environmentally sound pest management procedures.
Food and agricultural and environmental systems are international in nature. They bridge national borders, cross cultures, and influence regional and global economics. Our international agriculture minor is designed to help give an international perspective to students' studies in agricultural, food, or environmental-related majors.
Students are introduced to the historical development, philosophical assumptions and imaginative expression of the human relationship to nature and are asked to consider implications of issues involving the use of nature.
Plant biologists study all aspects of biology as they pertain to plants or fungi and make important contributions to analyzing and preserving biodiversity worldwide. They work to enhance the nutritional value of crops as well as their resistance to disease, pests and drought while working to reduce the need for pesticides, fertilizer and irrigation.
The recreation resource management curriculum prepares students to plan and manage natural and non-urban recreational land and water, as well as manage the people and organizations that depend on these important resources.
The minor in soil science provides students the opportunity to broaden their area of expertise in soils and meet the course requirements for the state of Minnesota licensure program for soil scientists. Many positions in state or federal agencies and consulting firms require knowledge of soil science.
The sustainability studies minor provides students from across the University with a unique opportunity to address this sustainability challenge. Students will explore the fundamental ecological, social, ethical, political and economic forces that influence the long-term quality and viability of human society and the natural environment.
This minor allows students to study the sustainability of agricultural food systems from an integrated perspective, including coursework, practical experience and community reflection.
The urban and community forestry minor enables students in programs such as education, landscape architecture, horticultural sciences, natural resources and related areas to understand the science and practice underlying the management of urban and community forests.
The water science minor provides the student the opportunity to broaden their expertise in the area of water science. Many positions in governmental agencies and the private sector require expertise in water science.
The University of Minnesota Duluth’s College of Liberal Arts provides a unique interdisciplinary degree in Environmental Studies emphasizing the notion of sustainable development. Students will examine the environmental (resource depletion and pollution), social and economic problems associated with globalization and conventional economic growth, and explore the many emerging solutions for transitioning to a more sustainable future.
The University of Minnesota's Sustainability Studies Minor immerses students in the study of real-world problems from a variety of academic perspectives, incorporating disciplines from across the natural, social and applied sciences.