Skip to main content

Mountain Studies Minor

Mountain Studies is an interdisciplinary field of study focusing on the physical and human dimensions of mountain environments. Coursework in the minor emphasizes biophysical-ecological and mountain-society interactions, including a critical analysis of the processes of change and influence shaping local and regional mountain environments today. The minor in Mountain Studies takes advantage of existing faculty expertise and an array of courses to provide students with a science-based curriculum and global perspective. Students pursuing the minor in mountain studies will develop knowledge and skills appropriate for graduate study and for working with government and non-government agencies and groups. A field-based experience, either domestically or in an international setting, is encouraged.

Minor - Mountain Studies

W.A Franke College of Forestry & Conservation

Degree Specific Credits: 18

Required Cumulative GPA: 2.0

Catalog Year: 2020-21

Note: In addition to completing the requirements for a major in any discipline, students electing the minor in Mountain Studies must have a GPA of 3.0 in their major and complete a minimum of 18 additional credits in this minor. Each student must complete the core course, then complete 15 additional credits that support the student’s academic interests in Mountain Studies. All elective courses must be approved by the program director. The Mountain Studies minor requires at least 6 credits in courses numbered 300 and above. Students can receive credit for special topics courses, relevant experiential learning and internship experiences, and for relevant courses taken at other universities.


Summary

Upper-Division Core Course

3

Mountain Studies Elective Courses

15

Total Hours

18


Upper-Division Core Course

Code

Title

Hours

Complete the following course:

GPHY 338

Mountains and Society

3

Total Hours

3

Minimum Required Grade: C-


Mountain Studies Elective Course

Code

Title

Hours

Complete 15 credits from the following courses:

15

BIOE 342

Field Ecology

BIOE 416

Alpine Ecology

BIOE 439

Stream Ecology

BIOE 440

Conservation Ecology

BIOE 451

Landscape Ecology

BIOE 453

Lake Ecology

BIOE 458

Forest and Fire Ecology

BIOO 335

Rocky Mountain Flora

ENST 401

TEK of Native Peoples

ERTH 303N

Weather and Climate

FORS 330

Forest Ecology

FORS 333

Fire Ecology

GEO 101N

Introduction to Physical Geology

GEO 103N

Introduction to Environmental Geology

GEO 107N

Natural Disasters

GEO 201

Geologic Evolution of North America

GEO 202

The Water Planet

GEO 318

Earth's Changing Climate

GEO 421

Hydrology

GEO 433

Global Tectonics

GEO 460

Process Geomorphology

GEO 488

Snow, Ice and Climate

GPHY 141S

Geography of World Regions

GPHY 241

Montana

GPHY 317

Geomorphology

GPHY 323S

Economic Geography of Rural Areas

GPHY 474

Remote Sensing for Freshwater Ecology

NASX 351

Traditional Ecological Knowledge

NRSM 121S

Environmental Science and Sustainability

NRSM 281

Science of Climate Change

NRSM 311

Field Studies Ecology/Human Communities

NRSM 385

Watershed Hydrology

NRSM 346

Forests & Communities

NRSM 374

Yellowstone Field Course

NRSM 491

Special Topics

PTRM 217S

Parks and Outdoor Recreation Management

PTRM 353

Tourism, Livelihoods and Sustainability in Mountains

PTRM 356

Wilderness Rescue and Survival

PTRM 418

Winter Wilderness Field Studies

PTRM 482

Wilderness & Protected Area Management

Total Hours

15

Minimum Required Grade: C-