Biology, Society, and Environment B.A.
Program description
The Biology, Society, and Environment program (BSE), housed in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Society, is a multidisciplinary biology program in the College of Liberal Arts (CLA). The BSE major is built on the idea that problems of biology, health, and the environment emerge at the intersection of natural and human systems. To understand these problems and their solutions, and to build skill sets to address them, requires that students have experience in the biological and natural sciences as well as in the social sciences and humanities.
The BSE degree provides a flexible curriculum that allows students to focus the degree to fit their personal, intellectual and professional goals. The BSE degree can prepare students for a wide variety of careers including laboratory science, environmental testing, health and environmental policy, public health, science education, and science communication, as well as a variety of academic and professional graduate programs.
The BSE major is an excellent choice for students interested in pursuing work in the health professions. Students can design their BSE major to provide the foundational science coursework necessary for their choice of M.D., D.D.S., Pharm.D., R.N., O.T., P.T. and PA programs. Medical programs are increasingly looking for students who have an education that includes social sciences and the humanities. BSE includes courses that help students understand the relationship of a diverse society to our medical system and provides students with the opportunity to think about health not just as an attribute of the biology of the body, but also as a complicated outcome of how different bodies relate to economic, cultural, and social systems.
Course work in BSE offers students the opportunity to study scientific practices and social and environmental problems. Just as importantly, students have the opportunity to:
Develop critical thinking skills and creative approaches to understanding such practices and problems using an array of conceptual and theoretical frameworks,
Consider the ethical issues inherent to both practices and problems and, of course, solutions,
Enhance their ability to communicate, particularly through writing,
Work as a team member to bridge disciplinary and institutional divisions,
Develop language skills to help them better engage with their own diverse communities or to open up opportunities for international work.
Research is a regular part of the BSE curriculum, and students are encouraged to work with the BSE adviser to find opportunities to work directly with faculty on their research or to find a faculty member to supervise a research project developed by the student. Independent research can provide students with excellent experience that helps them pursue their career goals.
Navigating the Catalog:
There are a huge number of courses that count for the BSE major. It can be tricky to understand what is available. To see what is available semester by semester, students should look at the BSE course guide published each semester by the BSE advising office. Students can find the course guide on our webpage at z.umn.edu/BSEcourse
The BSE degree provides a flexible curriculum that allows students to focus the degree to fit their personal, intellectual and professional goals. The BSE degree can prepare students for a wide variety of careers including laboratory science, environmental testing, health and environmental policy, public health, science education, and science communication, as well as a variety of academic and professional graduate programs.
The BSE major is an excellent choice for students interested in pursuing work in the health professions. Students can design their BSE major to provide the foundational science coursework necessary for their choice of M.D., D.D.S., Pharm.D., R.N., O.T., P.T. and PA programs. Medical programs are increasingly looking for students who have an education that includes social sciences and the humanities. BSE includes courses that help students understand the relationship of a diverse society to our medical system and provides students with the opportunity to think about health not just as an attribute of the biology of the body, but also as a complicated outcome of how different bodies relate to economic, cultural, and social systems.
Course work in BSE offers students the opportunity to study scientific practices and social and environmental problems. Just as importantly, students have the opportunity to:
Develop critical thinking skills and creative approaches to understanding such practices and problems using an array of conceptual and theoretical frameworks,
Consider the ethical issues inherent to both practices and problems and, of course, solutions,
Enhance their ability to communicate, particularly through writing,
Work as a team member to bridge disciplinary and institutional divisions,
Develop language skills to help them better engage with their own diverse communities or to open up opportunities for international work.
Research is a regular part of the BSE curriculum, and students are encouraged to work with the BSE adviser to find opportunities to work directly with faculty on their research or to find a faculty member to supervise a research project developed by the student. Independent research can provide students with excellent experience that helps them pursue their career goals.
Navigating the Catalog:
There are a huge number of courses that count for the BSE major. It can be tricky to understand what is available. To see what is available semester by semester, students should look at the BSE course guide published each semester by the BSE advising office. Students can find the course guide on our webpage at z.umn.edu/BSEcourse