Courses

Environmental criminology refers to the study of those crimes and harms affecting the natural environment, the planet, and the associated impacts on human and non-human life. It includes not just violations of the law, but also individual and institutional, socially-accepted activities, behaviors, and practices. This course is intended to introduce students to the development of environmental criminology, the causes and consequences of environmental crimes, and responses to these consequences.

Learn about the value of nature and animals by exploring, applying, and evaluating central concepts in environmental philosophy.

The geochemistry of the earth's lithosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere and the human modifications to these systems that cause environmental problems. Special topics include acid rain, greenhouse effect, toxic trace elements, landfills, energy usage and radon.

The interaction between human activity and geologic processes. Included are natural hazards such as earthquakes, landslides, volcanoes, and flooding, human induced problems such as groundwater pollution, erosion and the exploitation of natural resources including rivers, shorelines, petroleum, and ores. Emphasis is placed on the understanding of underlying natural processes and the prediction and mitigation of problems.

A study of American understanding of ecology, wilderness, resource usage, conservation, agriculture, technology, and natural hazards from colonial times to the present.

An introduction to the legal and regulatory aspects of environmental law, its history and sources, its reliance on scientific principles as well as its relationship to business management.

Trains students in the protocols required for certification to participate in the Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment GLOBE program. GEOL 1123L - Environmental Observations Laboratory (0 Lecture Hours 2 Lab Hours 1 Credit Hours) Laboratory exercises to supplement lectures of GEOL 1123.

Environmental Policy will emphasize the national and state policy making process, focusing on the dynamics of pluralist change, policy implementation and current environmental status.

This course is an interdisciplinary course integrating principles from biology, chemistry, ecology, geology, and nonscience disciplines as related to the interactions of humans and their environment. Issues of local, regional, and global concern will be used to help students explain scientific concepts and analyze practical solutions to complex environmental problems.

This course will focus on the key principles of environmental science, paying special attention to environmental systems and human interactions with these systems. The aim of the course is to give the student a solid, scientifically based understanding of the earth's current environment and how to analyze, assess, and begin to address human populations' impact on this environment.