The minor program brings together scholars and students from across the natural and social sciences and the humanities, allowing students and faculty to explore the interactions among earth systems, human societies, and local and global environments. A central goal for all students completing an Environmental Studies Minor is to become adept at approaching environmental issues from multiple disciplinary perspectives, and to be able to work with others across disciplinary boundaries.
Students may complete the Environmental Studies Minor along with any major at Bryn Mawr, Haverford or Swarthmore College. Specific questions about completing the minor with your particular major should be directed to your major advisor and to the Environmental Studies director at your home campus.
The minor consists of six courses, including an introductory course and capstone course and four electives, and the courses may be completed at any of the three campuses (or any combination thereof). To declare the minor, students should contact the Environmental Studies director at their home campus.
The structure of the Tri-Co Environmental Studies Interdisciplinary Minor is as follows:
1. A required introductory course to be taken prior to the senior year. This may be ENVS 101 at Bryn Mawr or Haverford, or the parallel course at Swarthmore College (ENVS 001). Any one of these courses will satisfy the requirement, and students may take no more than one such course for credit toward the minor.
2. Four elective course credits from approved lists of core and cognate courses, including two credits in each of two categories: Natural Sciences, Math and Engineering (A), and Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts (B). No more than one cognate course credit may be used for each category (see approved course lists for more information about cognate courses; cognate courses are designated with an *), and at least one of the courses in category A must have a lab.
3. A senior seminar with culminating work that reflects tangible research design and inquiry, but which might materialize in any number of project forms. Bryn Mawr College and Haverford College’s ENVS 397 courses and Swarthmore College’s ENVS 091 (Environmental Studies Capstone Seminar) satisfy the requirement.
Bryn Mawr College Co-Directors - Don Barber (dbarber@brynmawr.edu) and Victor Donnay (vdonnay@brynmawr.edu)
Haverford College Director - Jonathan Wilson (jwilson@haverford.edu)
Swarthmore College Coordinator - Eric Jensen (ejensen1@swarthmore.edu)