Environmental Justice Minor

Fall 2024 Announcement: The EJ minor underwent substantial revisions that will be in effect beginning Fall 2024. In making these revisions, we aimed to improve students’ ability to complete the minor in a timely fashion and to allow for flexibility to take relevant courses across campus. If you enrolled in the minor prior to Fall 2024, you can continue to follow the curriculum at time of declaration.

To learn more about the EJ minor requirements, check out the 2024/2025 WWU catalogue

Interested in applying?: Applicants should submit the following to Kate Darby at darbyk@wwu.edu: a WWU transcript, a WWU transfer equivalency report (if applicable), and a 500-word essay explaining how the minor would enhance the applicant’s experiences at WWU. Applications are due by October 15 and May 15. Because enrollment space may be limited, we recommend applying during fall quarter.

AY2425 Environmental Justice Curriculum (19 credits)

Required Courses (11 credits):

ENVS 303: Introduction to Environmental Studies I, 5 credits: Offered Fall 2024 and Winter 2025
ENVS 467: Power, Privilege, and the Environment, 4 credits: Offered Fall 2024 and Winter 2025 (ENVS 303 is a prerequisite)
ENVS 499D: Readings in Environmental Justice, 1 credit (must be taken twice): Offered Fall 2024, Winter 2025, and Spring 2025

Additional Elective Courses (8 credits, minimum): Work with your Environmental Justice minor faculty advisor to select additional environmental justice-related courses to bring your total minor credits to a minimum of 19. Pre-approved courses are listed below.

Pre-approved Elective Courses for AY24/25:Please note that the courses listed here may have prerequisites or other enrollment restrictions that cannot be waived for students in the EJ minor. It’s always a good idea to reach out to faculty and ask which of these restrictions can be waived. This is not an exhaustive list. If you see another class that would help you complete the minor, just reach out to Kate Darby for approval. If you are an ENVS major, we will generally not allow overlap with these elective courses and your required ENVS classes.

Fall 2024

ANTH 476: Borderlands (5 credits)
C/AM 368 OR FAIR 368: Decolonizing across Medicine Line (4 credits)
COMM 365: Nonviolent Social Change (5 credits)
DISA 330: Critical Disability Studies (5 credits)
ENVS 115: Hope and Agency for a Climate-Altered World (3 credits)
ENVS 450: Science in the Policy Process (4 credits)
ESCI 404: Indigenous Resource Management (5 credits)
ESJ 411: Education and Social Justice (4 credits)
FAIR 336N: Food, Environment, and Power (5 credits)
SALI 201: Introduction to the Salish Sea (4 credits)
SALI 202: Introduction to the Salish Sea, lab (1 credit)
SOC 386 Environmental Sociology (5 credits)
UEPP 475: Comm Dev & Partic Methods (3 credits)

Winter 2025

DISA 330: Critical Disability Studies (5 credits)
ENRG 334 OR ENVS 344: Comm Solutions Climate Change (4 credits)
ENRG 345: Energy in the Global South (5 credits)
ENVS 437: Env Justice Puerto Rico (5 credits, field-based)
ENVS 450: Science in the Policy Process (4 credits)
ESCI 453: Science and Management of Contaminated Sites (4 credits)
SALI 390: Topics in Salish Sea Studies (4 credits)
SOC 341: Sociology of Social Movements (5 credits)
SOC 348: Global Health (5 credits)
SOC 374 OR ENVS 376: Env Inequality and Justice (5 credits)
UEPP 314: Food security, policy, pract (2 credits)
UEPP 375: Indigenous Placemaking (4 credits)

Spring 2025

ANTH 454: Participatory Action Research (5 credits)
ANTH 462: Critical Issues in Indigenous NW Studies (5 credits)
C/AM 441 OR ENVS 441: Society, Space, and Natural Resources (4 credits)
C/AM 305: Transboundary Water Governance (5 credits)
DISA 330: Critical Disability Studies (5 credits)
ENVS 465: Disaster Risk Reduction (4 credits)
ESCI 454 OR ENVS 417: Science Mgt & Outreach Contam Sites (4 credits)
FAIR 334T: Outback Farm and Food Justice (5 credits)
SALI 201: Introduction to the Salish Sea (4 credits)
SALI 202: Introduction to the Salish Sea, lab (1 credit)
SOC 372: Animals, People, and Nature (5 credits)
UEPP 415: Planning Studio Food Security (3 credits)
UEPP 443: Social Justice and the City (4 credits)
WGSS 363: Feminist Food Justice (5 credits)

Contact Prof. Kate Darby for more information about the minor (darbyk@wwu.edu)