Students interested in learning about the impact of tourism can now complete a new interdisciplinary minor in Tourism Studies.

“The idea behind it is to try and broaden the HRTM school and expand the offerings here at DU and get more interdisciplinary degrees,” said senior Tim Healy, Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management senator for Undergraduate Student Government.

The minor, which was   approved over the summer, includes classes in anthropology, biology, English, geography, international studies and HRTM, according to Healy. Students can petition to have a class taken while studying abroad substitute for one of the required classes for the minor.

The minor requires a minimum of 20 hours of study, which equates to about five classes. Students from several different degree programs are eligible to study the minor.

While there are no prerequisites for the minor in general, some specific classes, such as upper-division biology and anthropology classes, do have prerequisites.

Currently, no students have declared the minor, but 10 students are now enrolled in the Anthropology of Tourism class being taught this quarter, according to Robert Mill, HRTM professor. The class is one of the courses that counts toward the minor.

 “They’re anticipating this year, the first year, to have about 10 students [in the minor] and grow to about 30 students,” Healy said.

While there are several different departments involved with the minor, HRTM will be administering the minor and recruiting students. Professors from the other involved departments also will be recruiting students for the minor, according to Healy.

Interested students should contact Mill at rmill@du.edu for more information.