2025-2026 Academic Catalog

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Blue Planet (BLPL) Minor

Required Foundational Course
GEOG/WATR 2004Water, Environment, and Society (Pathway 3)3
Subtotal3
Specialization Options
Choose one specialization (Water and Society or Science of Water) (9 credits)9
Water and Society Specialization
AAEC 1005
Economics of the Food and Fiber System (Pathway 3)
or ECON 2005
 Principles of Economics
FREC/WATR/AAEC 4464
Water Resources Policy and Economics (Pathway 3 and Pathway 7)
FREC/LAR/NR 2554
Leadership for Global Sustainability (Pathway 3 or Pathway 2)
or HIST 3144
 American Environmental History
OR
Science of Water Specialization
FREC/WATR 3104
Principles of Watershed Hydrology
MATH 1025
Elementary Calculus (Pathway 5f)
or MATH 1225
 Calculus of a Single Variable
MATH 1026
Elementary Calculus (Pathway 5f)
or MATH 1226
 Calculus of a Single Variable
Subtotal9
Required Capstone Course
ALS/WATR 4614Watershed Assessment, Management, and Policy2
REQUIRED NATURAL SCIENCES RESTRICTED ELECTIVE3
Choose ONE course from the following list:
ENSC 1015
Foundations of Environmental Science
ENSC 1016
Foundations of Environmental Science
FREC 2004
Forest Ecosystems
FREC 2114
Ecology of Appalachian Forests
GEOG 1524
Introduction to Earths Climate
GEOS 1004
Earth Science: Our Past, Present, and Future
GEOS 1024
Earth Resources, Society, and Environment
GEOS 1064
Climate History: Past, Present, and Future
LAR 1254
Environment and Natural Systems
REQUIRED RESTRICTED ELECTIVE3
Choose ONE course from the following list:
AAEC 3314
Environmental Law
BSE 4394
Water Supply and Sanitation in Developing Countries
ENGL 3534
Literature and the Environment
FIW 2114
Principles of Fish and Wildlife Conservation
FREC 3044
Environmental Data Science
FREC/IS/PSCI 4174
Climate Change and the International Policy Framework
FREC 4354
Forest Soil and Watershed Management
GEOG 2114
Introduction to Coastal Regions
GEOG/GEOS 3104
Environmental Justice, Resources and Development
GEOG/GEOS 4134
Interdisciplinary Issues and Ethics in Water Resources
GEOG/NR 1115
Seeking Sustainability
GEOS 3034
Oceanography
UAP 4374
Land Use and Environment: Planning and Policy
Total Credits20

Graduation Requirements

Completion of 20 Credit Hours Required for Minor

Notes:

  1. All courses for the Blue Planet minor must be taken A/F and be completed with a minimum in-minor GPA of 2.0. Any course taken to fulfill the Blue Planet minor will count towards the minor GPA.
  2. No more than 50% of the graded course credits required for the Blue Planet minor may be double-counted by a student in the Water: Resources, Policy, and Management major.
  3. A minimum of 6 hours of 3000/4000 level courses are required for the minor
  4. Courses may have prerequisites, corequisites, or other registration restrictions.  Please consult the Course Catalog, or Advising for more information

Key to Pathways Learning Core Outcomes:

1f = Foundational Discourse

1a = Advanced/Applied Discourse

2 = Critical Thinking in the Humanities

3 = Reasoning in the Social Sciences

4 = Reasoning in the Natural Sciences

5f = Foundational Quantitative and Computational Thinking

5a = Advances/Applied Quantitative and Computational Thinking

6 = Critique and Practice in Design and the Arts

7 = Critical Analysis of Equity and Identity in the United States