Environmental Studies Minor

Recognizing Our Responsibility

Whether the issue is global climate change, tropical deforestation or invasive plant species in your backyard, public concern over environmental issues is on the rise. With this understanding comes the need for informed and educated individuals to play key leadership roles in finding solutions to these and many other environmental problems. Xavier University recognizes its responsibility in training the next generation of environmental professionals and is proud to offer an interdisciplinary environmental studies minor.

About the Minor

The environmental studies minor is a 16-hour interdisciplinary program compatible with any major. It offers students an integrated overview of environmental and natural resource fields and is directed to those students who are interested in working in environmentally related fields as well as those who are merely interested in environmental issues.

Environmental solutions are not bound to a single discipline, thus the minor is interdisciplinary as well, encompassing courses from a wide range of departments. The program explores the scientific fundamentals of environmental issues, potential economic and political solutions, as well as environmental perspectives from other disciplines. The minor is suitable for both science and non-science majors.

Green Jobs

Major corporations such as Procter & Gamble, Starbucks, Wal-Mart and Intel recognize the importance of becoming more sustainable and are increasingly dedicating resources to greening their operations at every level.

Procter & Gamble is pursuing a program to reduce its carbon footprint 40 percent by 2012.

Intel now leads the nation among EPA Green Power Partners as the top buyer with a purchase of 1.3 billion kilowatt-hours per year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The movement toward a greener economy naturally means environmentally related employment opportunities in the government, non-profit organizations, consulting firms and industry will increase. Clean Technologies, for example, is one of the fastest growing sectors in the U.S. and many anticipate growth in this area to accelerate in the near future.