Environmental Health Policy Minor ~ Degree Requirements

Credits Required

Total credits in the minor:

  • 13 for CHHS students
  • 15 for ESTP students
  • 20 for students in other CSUMB majors
Prerequisites

None

Outcomes, Courses and Assessment

You may add the Environmental Health Policy minor to your course of study at any time during your undergraduate studies at CSUMB. However, if you think you are interested in the EHP minor, you should contact one of the program faculty as early as possible, so that you can integrate the minor requirements into your Individual Learning Plan (ILP).

The following CHHS and ESTP Learning Outcomes (LO) represent the knowledge, skills and abilities you are expected to master to successfully complete the minor degree and demonstrate your competence. You must achieve each of the Learning Outcomes designated below by successfully completing the listed courses.

Learning Outcomes (LOs)

CHHS LOs

Knowledge of Health and Human Services ~ Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental principles and issues common to the major fields of health and human services including community health, social welfare and public policy; and demonstrate competence in the selected areas of concentration

Professional Development ~ Demonstrate ability to apply the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for growth and development as an entry-level professional by producing evidence of increasing self-awareness and self-correcting behaviors

Public Policy Analysis ~ Demonstrate ability to critically analyze public policy issues and begin to master the skills necessary to identify and define public policy problems, analyze existing policies, develop alternatives to current policy and recommend alternatives

ESTP LOs

Policy Competency ~ Students must understand and accurately communicate state, federal and local political structures and processes and their relationships, as well as landmark environmental laws and regulations.

Systems Approach to Environmental Decision Making ~ Students must be able to apply general systems theory, systems modeling, stakeholder analysis, cost/benefit analysis or other interdisciplinary analysis tools to evaluate the equitability and the effectiveness of alternative environmental decisions, policies or actions.

Courses

Requirements for this minor provide students with significant breadth and appropriate depth of knowledge and skills in environmental politics and economics, environmental health issues, public health assessment and education, and policy analysis. The curriculum includes a field placement and CHHS and ENVS course work-specific class requirements are listed below:

Pathway #1: CHHS majors

Complete all of the following:

ENVS 384S - Environmental Justice & Environmental Policy - Service Learning
ENVS 309 - Science and Policy of Global Change
ENVS 387 - Water Resources Assessment, Law & Policy

Pathway #2: ESTP majors

Complete all of the following:

PH 320 - Introduction to Community Health
CHHS 396S - Field Practice Seminar - Service Learning
PH 420 - Advanced Community Health
CHHS 450 - Health & Social Policy Analysis

Pathway #3: All other majors

Complete all of the following:

PH 320 - Introduction to Community Health
CHHS 396S - Field Practice Seminar - Service Learning
CHHS 450 - Health & Social Policy AnalysisENVS 384S - Environmental Justice & Environmental Policy - Service Learning
...and one of the following:
ENVS 309 - Science & Policy of Global Change
OR
ENVS 387 - Water Resources Assessment, Law & Policy

Field Practice Requirement

For the EHP minor, you will complete a prescribed course of fieldwork (hours vary depending on your major). Your CHHS or ESTP faculty advisor will approve the agencies involved based on:

  1. The opportunities they present for you to work on environmental health policy issues of importance
  2. The agency's ability to meet the minimum requirements for providing mentorship and organizational support