Concentration in Environmental Studies

Students Admitted Prior to Autumn 2008
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Course List
Students Admitted Autumn 2008 and Beyond
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Overview

Concentration Coordinator: Jim Gawel

The Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences with a concentration in Environmental Studies offers students a strong background in environmental science, complemented by a range of non-science courses.

Starting with a core of courses in the earth and life sciences, it branches out to examine legal, economic, literary, historical and philosophical perspectives on the environment. The focus is inherently interdisciplinary and addresses both global and local issues. Collectively, environmental studies courses explore how scientific information gets translated by political and cultural arenas into social, ethical, legal and technological responses to environmental problems.

Career Options

Students with the B.A. degree can go on to pursue careers in education, policy and other fields that mesh natural and social sciences and humanities.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students who complete this degree will:

• Demonstrate a basic scientific literacy tied to core content in scientific disciplines vital to understanding environmental issues. [Consistent with LEAP objective targeting “Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical and Natural World”]
• Exhibit advanced capabilities for interpreting and communicating information related to environmental issues in written and oral forms appropriate to both scientific and non-technical audiences. [Consistent with LEAP objective targeting “Intellectual and Practical Skills”]
• Cultivate skills critical to interpreting scientific concepts for public understanding, including familiarity with the scientific method, information literacy, statistical data analysis, hypothesis formulation and conceptual modeling, research project design and working collaboratively. [Consistent with LEAP objective targeting “Intellectual and Practical Skills”]
• Be conversant in the theoretical and applied concepts in the humanities and social sciences, and the interdisciplinary connections between these subjects and the natural sciences, in order to understand and solve environmental issues. [Consistent with LEAP objective targeting “Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical and Natural World”]
• Recognize the interconnectedness and interdependence of political, economic, and social complexities inherent in environmental problem solving, and demonstrate the ability to apply this interdisciplinary training to environmental problems of local, regional, national, or global significance. [Consistent with LEAP objectives targeting “Integrative Learning”]
• Understand the role of individuals and participate in the creation of solutions for environmental problems. [Consistent with LEAP objectives targeting “Personal and Social Responsibility”]
• Participate in engaged inquiry as a means of connecting classroom learning to real-world environmental problem solving and establishing the skills needed for life-long learning. [Consistent with LEAP objectives targeting “Personal and Social Responsibility” and “Integrative Learning”]

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