West Virginia University

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Areas of Emphasis – International Environment

This area of emphasis is intended for students with an interest in environmental issues that are global in scope and how they shape international affairs. Three required courses (nine hours) are designed to introduce students to the complexity of environmental problems and their international implications. These include introductory courses in environmental biology and environmental geoscience, as well as a political science course in international organization and transitional relations (POLS361), both of which encompass global environmental issues. Students in this area also select five (15 hours) analytic courses that include further coursework in environmental issues (natural resources, wildlife management, environmental systems, and forestry) as well as courses in international and comparative economics, development, and politics. This area of emphasis also has students select three cross-cultural courses (9 hours) for the region of the world of primary interest: Europe, East Asia, the Americas, or Africa/Middle East.

Course List

Required courses in environmental issues (9 hours):

Select 15 hours from the analytic courses (at least 2 disciplines):

Select 12 hours from the following cross-cultural courses (at least two disciplines):