Minors in Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Geology, Sustainability and Urban Studies
Geography | Earth and Environmental Sciences | Geology |SUSTAINABILITY | Urban Studies
To obtain a Minor in Geography, students must complete 22 credit hours offered from the Department of Earth, Environmental and Geographical Sciences. Participating students have flexibility in choosing elective courses that reflect their specific area of interest. The Minor in Geography can be tailored to support a number of majors, such as: architecture, business, computer science, engineering, and political science.
Foundational Courses (11 hours)
- GEOG 1501 Global Geography OR GEOG 1105 Human Geography (3 hours)
- ESCI 1101 Intro to Physical Geography and Lab (4 hours)
- GEOG 1103 Spatial Thinking (4 hours)
Elective Courses (9 hours)
- Any GEOG 2xxx, 3xxx, or 4xxx course (9 hours)
Questions about the Geography Minor? Please contact Dr. Larianne Collins for more information: lcolli36@charlotte.edu
To declare a minor in Geography, click here.
Earth and Environmental Sciences Minor – (22 Credit hours)
To obtain a Minor in Earth and Environmental Sciences, students must complete 22 credit hours offered from the Department of Earth, Environmental and Geographical Sciences and the Department of Biological Sciences. Participating students have flexibility in choosing elective courses that reflect their specific area of interest within the environmental field.
NOTE: If students are majoring in the departments of Geography and Earth Sciences or Biological Sciences, they must take at least 12 credits outside of their major subject area (that is, outside of BIOL, ESCI, GEOG, GEOL, or METR, depending on the student’s major).
Students may not double count major required or elective major courses and the 12 credits of minor elective courses. However, students may double-count up to 10 credits of Foundational Courses toward the minor if taken for both their major and the Earth and Environmental Sciences minor. Students may not double-count courses between this minor and another minor.
Questions about the Earth and Environmental Sciences Minor? Please contact: Dr. Valerie Reynolds vreynol2@charlotte.edu or Terry Shirley, trshirle@charlotte.edu
To declare a minor in Earth and Environmental Sciences, click here.
Below is a an outline of the requirements for an Earth and Environmental Sciences Minor
Foundational Courses (10 hours)
- ESCI 1101 Intro to Physical Geography and Lab (4 hours)
- ESCI 1501 Environment, Society, and Sustainability (3 hours)
- ESCI 2222 – Environmental Science (3 hours)
Elective Courses (12 hours)
To obtain a Minor in Geology, students must complete 20 credit hours of Geology courses offered from the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Geographical Sciences. Students have flexibility in choosing elective courses that reflect their specific area of interest. The minor can be tailored to support a number of majors, such as: engineering, biology, chemistry, or physics.
Note: At most 8 credits can be double-counted between the geology minor and a major in Earth and Environmental Sciences, Environmental Studies, Geography, or Meteorology. Students may not double-count courses between this minor and another minor.
Foundational Courses (8 hours)
- GEOL 1200 and Lab, Intro to Physical Geology (4 hours)
- GEOL 1210 and Lab, Earth History (4 hours)
Elective Courses (12 hours)
- Any GEOL 3xxx, or 4xxx course
- or students may take any combination of the following ESCI courses:
- ESCI 3105 Oceanography (3 hours)
- ESCI 4210 Soil Science (4 hours)
- ESCI 3310 National Parks (3 hours)
The Geology Minor Counts Toward Geology Licensure
For students interested in geology licensure, an additional 10 credits of advanced geology coursework beyond the minor will meet the licensure requirements, preparing students to take the ASBOG® Fundamentals of Geology (FG) exam. Students who pass the ASBOG® FG exam are awarded the Geologist-in-Training (GIT) certification. GIT certification can bolster the resumes of graduates entering the workforce and demonstrate to your potential employer that you are competent, proactive, and on the path to advance to full licensure.Visit the North Carolina Board for Licensing Geologists to learn more.
Which UNC Charlotte courses count toward professional licensure?
Questions about the Geology Minor? Please contact Dr. Valerie Reynolds: vreynol2@charlotte.edu
To declare a minor in Geology, click here.
MINOR IN SUSTAINABILITY: Available Fall 2026!
To obtain a Minor in Sustainability, students must complete 18 credit hours offered from the Departments within the College of Humanities, Environmental and Social Sciences. All students must complete the core minor required courses (6 credits), and an additional 12 credit hours from courses of their choosing across the key competencies in sustainability. Additionally, two-thirds of those 12 credit hours must be completed outside of their home department and/or major.
NOTE: Students may not double count major required or elective major courses and the 12 credits of minor elective courses. Students may however count TWO courses (6 credits) from this Minor Plan of Study towards another major or minor program: ESCI 1501 and GEOG 3170 Foundations of Sustainability. Students may not double-count courses between this minor and another minor.
Why Minor in Sustainability?
Complex problems require complex solutions. At a time when having an interdisciplinary understanding of issues strengthens problem-solving, and collaboration, the sustainability minor is the perfect fit whether you are majoring in engineering, history, architecture, science or health. The minor in sustainability program will introduce you to the importance and the excitement of relationships between social and environmental systems. You will be challenged to think deeply about our world’s most pressing issues, how they impact us and our environment, and how economics and decision-making drive contemporary issues.
- Even more reasons to participate in the minor program:
- Employers are increasingly looking for applicants who understand the value and importance of sustainability and have training or coursework in sustainable approaches.
- You have the opportunity to take courses from across the University, being exposed to a range of epistemologies and methodologies.
- Expand your peer and professional networks across campus
- Be more prepared to understand and address multiple perspectives of an issue upon graduation
Foundational Courses (6 credits)
ESCI 1501: Global Social Science: Environment, Society and Sustainability
GEOG 3170: Foundations of Sustainability (New course coming Fall 2026)
Elective Courses (12 credits)
| Strategic-Thinking & Systems-Thinking: At least 3 credits must come from this course set. | Values-Thinking & Futures-Thinking: At least 3 credits must come from this course set. |
| ANTH 3125 Food and Globalization ESCI 2222 Environmental Science ESCI 3101 Global Environmental Change ESCI 3105 Oceanography ESCI 3205 Water resources ESCI 3190 Biogeography ESCI 4140 Hydrologic Processes ESCI 4146 Business Ecosystem Restoration GEOG 3115 Urban Transportation Problems GEOG 3220 Renewable Energy Regional Energy Markets GEOG 3180 Hazards and Disasters GEOG 4250 Food, Migration, and Place GEOL 3105 Mineral Resources GEOL 3190 and 3190L Environmental Geology HIST 2111 Technology Science Society II: Since Industrial Revolution INTL 3118 Thinking Globally, Reading Deeply: Earth Matters INTL 3125 Food Globalization INTL 3138 Environment and Societies SPAN 3222 Spanish Medical Healthcare LTAM 3154 Latin American Political Economy SOCY 2126 World Population Problems | AFRS 2170 Intro. Health Environmental Issues African World ESCI 3310 National Parks ESCI 4190 Contemporary Environmental Issues GEOG 3106 Sustainable Cities GEOG 3215 Environmental Planning GEOG 3250 World Food Problems GEOG 4200 Environmental Climate In/Justice GEOG 4215 Urban Ecology GEOG 4700 Black Place-Making: Introduction to Black Geographies GRNT 4353 Environments for Aging INTL 2121 Intro. Development Studies INTL 3139 Global Environmental Justice PHIL 3222 Environmental Ethics PHIL 3253 Science, Knowledge, Values PHIL 3254 History Philosophy Biology PSYC 2115: Intro. Self in Context |
NOTE: Students may elect to count up to 3 credits from a field study (inclusive of study abroad opportunities), internship, or independent study related to one of the four competencies and/or sustainability. Students may also select from pre-approved special topics and closed courses. Approval by the Sustainability Minor Coordinator is required.
Questions about the Sustainability Minor? Please contact Dr. Fushcia-Ann Hoover for more information: fushcia.hoover@charlotte.edu
minor in Urban Studies
Spring 2026 Urban Studies Course Offerings can be downloaded below:
To add the Urban Studies Minor, please fill out the Change of Minor Form located on the GES website.
What is the Urban Studies Minor?
The Urban Studies Minor is an 18-credit-hour interdisciplinary program focused on the exploration of cities and urban processes through an array of disciplinary lenses. The program prepares students to better understand the complex challenges presented by urbanization and the rapid pace of change in 21st-century cities. The Urban Studies Minor positions students to be able to effectively address these challenges as both professionals and citizens.
Minor Requirements
A Minor in Urban Studies requires the completion of 18 credit hours. All students in the Minor are required to take Introduction to Urban Studies as a foundational course.
Required Courses (3 credit hours)
URBS 2200/GEOG 2200 – Introduction to Urban Studies (3)
The remaining 15 credit hours may be selected from the following course options:
Elective Courses (15 credit hours)
| AFRS 3280 – Blacks in Urban America (3) *or* HIST 3280 – Blacks in Urban America (3) | GEOG 3205 – City Regions and Systems (3) |
| ANTH 2125 – Urban Anthropology (3) | GEOG 4200 – Environmental Justice, Injustice, and Planning (3) |
| ARCH 4201 – Architectural History I: Prehistory-1750 (3) (permission of instructor required) | GEOG 4209 – Small Town and Community Planning (3) |
| ECON 4150 – Urban and Regional Economics (3) | GEOG 4210 – Urban Planning Methods (3) |
| GEOG 1110 – Introduction to Urban and Regional Planning (3) | GEOG 4215 – Urban Ecology (3 |
| GEOG 2111 – Social Inequality and Planning (3) | GEOG 4220 – Housing Policy and Planning (3) |
| GEOG 2165 – Patterns of World Urbanization (3) | GEOG 4310 – Urban Social Geography (3) |
| GEOG 3100 – Geography of Cities (3) | GEOG 4315 – The Urban Form (3) |
| GEOG 3106 – Sustainable Cities (3) | HIST 3281 – American Cities (3) |
| GEOG 3110 – Urban Political Geography (3) | POLS 3121 – Urban Politics and Policy (3) *or* GEOG 3110 – Urban Political Geography (3) |
| GEOG 3115 – Urban Transportation Problems (3) | SOCY 3325 – Community and Identity (3) |
| GEOG 3200 – Land Use Planning (3) | SOCY 4125 – Urban Sociology (3) |
| GEOG 3210 – Regional Planning (3) | URBS 3050 – Topics in Urban Studies (3) |
Additional Course Options
With prior permission from the Urban Studies Minor Coordinator, students may also select from:
URBS 3801 – Independent Study in Urban Studies (1 to 3)
URBS 4401 – Internship in Urban Studies (3)
Students may also count up to nine (9) credit hours of other courses that have a significant urban focus with the prior permission of the Urban Studies Minor Coordinator (Dr. Katherine Idziorek, kidziorek@charlotte.edu).
Of their total 18 credit hours, students are expected to take no more than 6 credit hours of coursework in any one disciplinary area.
What can the Urban Studies Minor do for you?
- Prepares students for careers in the public, private and non-profit sectors.
A minor in urban studies provides an excellent foundation for students interested in pursuing careers such as architecture, land use or community planning, law, public policy and administration, education, law enforcement, community organizing, transportation, housing and commercial development, real estate, political service, social work, journalism and research. - Broadens students’ range of analytical tools.
Students who minor in urban studies will have the opportunity to explore cities through multiple lenses of analysis. A course in architecture exposes students to an urban design perspective; a course in urban politics engages the student in questions of public policy and public service provision, and courses in geography address issues of urban planning and spatial analysis. Courses in history provide temporal context and historical insight while courses in sociology and anthropology introduce students to the social dynamics and cultural complexity of urban life. - Facilitates exposure to both traditional academic and applied analysis.
Coursework in urban history, sociology and anthropology introduces students to theory development and evaluation while also building skills of critical thinking and analysis. Coursework in architecture, politics and geography additionally emphasizes the ways in which urban practitioners identify and work to solve urban problems and challenges. - Enables students to become both generalists and specialists.
A major in history or anthropology or sociology, for example, provides students with a broad-based social science liberal arts degree, while a minor in urban studies allows further specialization in cities. - Deepens students’ appreciation and understanding of urban problems and promise.
Housing, homelessness, sustainable development, urban design, architecture, transportation, poverty, urban health, crime, local government, architectural history, urban sprawl, race relations, urban history, economic restructuring, urban revitalization, and growth management are examples of issues explored in the courses offered within the Urban Studies Minor. - Prepares students for both professional and civic roles in the improvement of the quality of urban life.
The interdisciplinary focus of the Urban Studies Minor prepares students to better understand, and to be able to effectively address – as both professionals and citizens – the many challenges presented by the rapid pace of urban change in the 21st century.
Questions?
If you have questions, or if you are interested in enrolling in the Urban Studies Minor, please contact Dr. Katherine Idziorek, Urban Studies Minor Director
Email: kidziorek@charlotte.edu
Office: McEniry 311