Technology and the Environment Minor
An Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Minor at the University of Virginia.
General Description
The increasing prevalence of technology has affected the environment in complex and often unforeseen ways. Society is now demanding that all disciplines of engineering be environmentally aware. Furthermore, those that use and distribute technology need to appreciate its far-ranging impacts. For a more sophisticated understanding of the relationships between technology and the environment, engineers and managers require inter-disciplinary expertise.
The Technology and the Environment (TE) minor addresses these concerns with an interdisciplinary course of studies. A corner stone of the TE minor is basic knowledge of technologies that directly impact environmental systems. This technological foundation will allow students to build a more sophisticated understanding of how technology and the environment are inter-related. According to the interests of a student, courses from the areas of environmental planning and policy, history of the environment and technology, and management may be selected to complete the TE minor. Thus, students from across the university may participate in the Technology and the Environment minor. Students interested in completing the minor should contact the minor coordinator Teresa Culver (TBC4E@VIRGINIA.EDU, 924-6375).
Minor Curriculum
The minor will be composed of six courses. No more than two of these courses may be from a student’s own department. Thus, a student will be required to add breadth to their program through the completion of at least 4-courses outside of their major department.
All students are required to complete at least two courses in the environmental technology area, including one lower-level course (1000- or 2000-level) and at least one higher-level course (3000-level or higher). Each student must then choose an emphasis, by completing three courses, in one of three areas: Environmental Planning and Policy, Technology, the Environment, and Society or Management and Economics. The sixth course may be selected from any of the four areas listed below. A student may petition the minor supervisory committee to include courses not specifically listed below.