The Environmental Studies program focuses on the study of natural systems and our relationship with them as a basis for taking action to support sustainability, at levels ranging from the local to the global. The mission of this program is to deepen the student’s understanding of past and present environmental issues, to develop the student’s understanding of the principles of conservation ecology, to prepare students to develop and and manage environmentally sustainable processes, and to prepare students to shape public opinion and public policy to produce social change in support of sustainable environmental systems.
The interdisciplinary major in environmental studies consists of a required core of ten courses (thirty-four to thirty-six hours) and a concentration of six courses (eighteen to twenty-seven hours). The total number of semester hours that a student must take to complete the environmental studies major depends upon their concentration and the electives they choose. The major offers four concentration options: 1) environmental management; 2) computational environmental analysis; 3) environmental policy and advocacy; and 4) conservation ecology. Students unfamiliar with spreadsheet applications are encouraged to take SCIE 040 (Spreadsheets for Science and Mathematics) as an elective in their first year. All students are strongly encouraged to complete an environmental studies internship.
Required core courses for the environmental studies major (32-34 hrs):
Plus one course from the following (3 or 4 hrs):
Plus two electives from the following list (3 or 4 hrs each):
Students opting to concentrate in computational analysis must complete either BIOL 205 or MATH 107 to satisfy their statistics requirement in the core courses above. In addition, the following six courses (23 hours) are required:
Students opting to concentrate in environmental policy and advocacy will complete a core of three courses in the concentration, plus one concentration elective and two courses in a concentration option of either the domestic grouping or the international grouping.
Concentration Required Core (6 hrs):
Concentration Elective—choose one (3-4 hrs min.):
Independent Study in Environmental Studies (3-4 hrs min.)
Other special topics courses, subject to the approval of the program coordinator (3-4 hrs min.)
Plus two electives from the following list (6-10 hrs min.):
Independent Study in Environmental Studies (3-4 hrs min.)
Other special topics courses, subject to the approval of the program coordinator (3-4 hrs min.)
The environmental studies minor requires the completion of six courses (a minimum of nineteen hours), of which no more than two may come from a single discipline with the exception of environmental studies. This requirement is designed to prevent students from graduating with an environmental studies minor without having any significant exposure to multiple disciplines that are important contributors to environmental studies. At least four of the six courses must be taken at Salem. No more than three courses can count toward both the student’s major and the environmental studies minor.
Required Core Courses for the Environmental Studies Minor (13 hrs):
Plus two additional courses from the following list (6-10 hrs):
Given the diversity of the classes within the minor, it is highly suggested that students give serious thought to what they hope to gain by adding an environmental studies minor to their course of study. With these goals in mind, students can select courses which will provide them the appropriate tools.
The following course groups have been put together to assist with this process, but they are not intended to be an exhaustive list of potential course combinations. Students should consult with their advisor and the director of the environmental studies program to select courses that reflect their post-college goals.
The following courses will provide a background in how to effectively structure, manage, and fund environmental organizations:
This course grouping is intended for those students interested in applied conservation science. These courses will provide students with conservation tools that are useful for various post-college goals including research, on the ground species conservation, and environmental restoration, among others. This grouping of courses is most easily pursued by a student already majoring in the sciences as many of these courses have prerequisites that one would not inevitably take when majoring in a non-scientific discipline.
Students interested in environmental laws and policies will find the following courses to be of great use. These courses teach students about the organizational structures that determine legal jurisdictions, how this information can be used to influence policy, and the consequences of environmental policy at scales ranging from the local to the global. Student interests well served by this grouping include (but are not limited to): working as an environmental lawyer, lobbying for environmental issues on behalf of public or private institutions, and working on global environmental issues (like climate change) within the international arena.
This course is an interdisciplinary exploration of environmental issues and challenges faced by human societies. As an interdisciplinary course, it draws extensively from the natural sciences (ecology, physics, chemistry, and geology), the social sciences (economics, history, government, psychology, and sociology) and the humanities (religion, philosophy, English, and the arts). The course reviews the scientific basis of these challenges and critically examines the social, cultural, political, and ethical issues related to the environment. The concept of environmental sustainability serves as a key organizing concept for this course. (QI, SL)
A study of the geological features and processes that shape the earth’s surface and subsurface and their underlying origins in plate tectonics. In addition to addressing processes such as mineral, magma, and mountain formation, discussions will focus particularly on the effects of geological and climactic factors on our global environment, including earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity, groundwater contamination, coastal and stream erosion, oceanic and atmospheric control of climate patterns, and evolutionary changes in forms and distributions of organisms. (LS)
Independent study under the guidance of a faculty advisor. Open to students with a 2.0 cumulative G.P.A. and permission of the coordinator of the Environmental Studies program. Independent study may take the form of readings, research, conference, project, and/or field experience. Prerequisite: ENVS 100.
This course will introduce students to the basic concepts, tools, and applications of geographic information systems (GIS). Topics include geographic data acquisition, data management, cartography, and methods of geospatial analysis. Through hands-on exercises students will learn how to use GIS software and how these tools can be used to address questions in many fields. Two lectures, one two-hour lab. Prerequisites: ENVS 100; and SCIE 040 or permission of instructor.
An investigation of a topic of importance in environmental studies. The specific course content and methods of study will vary in response to recent developments in the field and current needs of students. The topic will be announced prior to registration for the course. Prerequisites: ENVS 100 or permission of instructor.
Almost 50 percent of the electricity we use in the United States is derived from coal. Coal’s proponents tout increased safety, decreased environmental impacts, jobs, and domestic energy production. Opponents point to accidents and continued environmental and health impacts. This course examines the energetic and economic drivers behind coal use, investigates its social and ecological consequences, and explores the viability of renewable energy sources. One or more overnight trips are a required component of this course. Through these trips, students will directly experience the life cycle of coal from extraction to combustion, interact with individuals holding widely divergent views on the issue, and learn how all of our lives are connected to coal through our collective and individual energy choices.
An opportunity to use the knowledge and skills the student has learned in coursework to solve problems in a real work setting; the apprenticeship aspect of the internship implies that the student has some base of knowledge and will increase her knowledge and skills by direct contact with an experienced, knowledgeable mentor. Open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors with at least a 2.0 cumulative G.P.A.; maximum credit per term is one course; admission by application only. Prerequisite: ENVS 100 or permission of instructor.
Advanced independent study under the guidance of a faculty advisor. Open to junior and senior environmental studies majors with a 3.5 or greater average in the major, subject to the approval of the coordinator of the environmental studies program. Prerequisite: ENVS 100.
Completion of an advanced level investigation of a topic related to environmental studies. Students must focus their project within their major concentration (Computational Analysis, Conservation Biology, Management or Policy and Advocacy). Open to seniors only. Prerequisites: ENVS 120, POLI 105, NFPM 100, BIOL 210 and a statistics course.
Photo by Katie Hall C’14
The interdisciplinary major in environmental studies consists of a required core of ten courses (thirty-four to thirty-six hours) and a concentration of six courses (eighteen to twenty-seven hours). The total number of semester hours that a student must take to complete the environmental studies major depends upon their concentration and the electives they choose. The major offers four concentration options: 1) environmental management; 2) computational environmental analysis; 3) environmental policy and advocacy; and 4) conservation ecology. Students unfamiliar with spreadsheet applications are encouraged to take SCIE 040 (Spreadsheets for Science and Mathematics) as an elective in their first year. All students are strongly encouraged to complete an environmental studies internship.
Required core courses for the environmental studies major (32-34 hrs):
Plus one course from the following (3 or 4 hrs):
Plus two electives from the following list (3 or 4 hrs each):
Students opting to concentrate in computational analysis must complete either BIOL 205 or MATH 107 to satisfy their statistics requirement in the core courses above. In addition, the following six courses (23 hours) are required:
Students opting to concentrate in environmental policy and advocacy will complete a core of three courses in the concentration, plus one concentration elective and two courses in a concentration option of either the domestic grouping or the international grouping.
Concentration Required Core (6 hrs):
Concentration Elective—choose one (3-4 hrs min.):
Independent Study in Environmental Studies (3-4 hrs min.)
Other special topics courses, subject to the approval of the program coordinator (3-4 hrs min.)
Plus two electives from the following list (6-10 hrs min.):
Independent Study in Environmental Studies (3-4 hrs min.)
Other special topics courses, subject to the approval of the program coordinator (3-4 hrs min.)
The environmental studies minor requires the completion of six courses (a minimum of nineteen hours), of which no more than two may come from a single discipline with the exception of environmental studies. This requirement is designed to prevent students from graduating with an environmental studies minor without having any significant exposure to multiple disciplines that are important contributors to environmental studies. At least four of the six courses must be taken at Salem. No more than three courses can count toward both the student’s major and the environmental studies minor.
Required Core Courses for the Environmental Studies Minor (13 hrs):
Plus two additional courses from the following list (6-10 hrs):
Given the diversity of the classes within the minor, it is highly suggested that students give serious thought to what they hope to gain by adding an environmental studies minor to their course of study. With these goals in mind, students can select courses which will provide them the appropriate tools.
The following course groups have been put together to assist with this process, but they are not intended to be an exhaustive list of potential course combinations. Students should consult with their advisor and the director of the environmental studies program to select courses that reflect their post-college goals.
The following courses will provide a background in how to effectively structure, manage, and fund environmental organizations:
This course grouping is intended for those students interested in applied conservation science. These courses will provide students with conservation tools that are useful for various post-college goals including research, on the ground species conservation, and environmental restoration, among others. This grouping of courses is most easily pursued by a student already majoring in the sciences as many of these courses have prerequisites that one would not inevitably take when majoring in a non-scientific discipline.
Students interested in environmental laws and policies will find the following courses to be of great use. These courses teach students about the organizational structures that determine legal jurisdictions, how this information can be used to influence policy, and the consequences of environmental policy at scales ranging from the local to the global. Student interests well served by this grouping include (but are not limited to): working as an environmental lawyer, lobbying for environmental issues on behalf of public or private institutions, and working on global environmental issues (like climate change) within the international arena.
This course is an interdisciplinary exploration of environmental issues and challenges faced by human societies. As an interdisciplinary course, it draws extensively from the natural sciences (ecology, physics, chemistry, and geology), the social sciences (economics, history, government, psychology, and sociology) and the humanities (religion, philosophy, English, and the arts). The course reviews the scientific basis of these challenges and critically examines the social, cultural, political, and ethical issues related to the environment. The concept of environmental sustainability serves as a key organizing concept for this course. (QI, SL)
A study of the geological features and processes that shape the earth’s surface and subsurface and their underlying origins in plate tectonics. In addition to addressing processes such as mineral, magma, and mountain formation, discussions will focus particularly on the effects of geological and climactic factors on our global environment, including earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity, groundwater contamination, coastal and stream erosion, oceanic and atmospheric control of climate patterns, and evolutionary changes in forms and distributions of organisms. (LS)
Independent study under the guidance of a faculty advisor. Open to students with a 2.0 cumulative G.P.A. and permission of the coordinator of the Environmental Studies program. Independent study may take the form of readings, research, conference, project, and/or field experience. Prerequisite: ENVS 100.
This course will introduce students to the basic concepts, tools, and applications of geographic information systems (GIS). Topics include geographic data acquisition, data management, cartography, and methods of geospatial analysis. Through hands-on exercises students will learn how to use GIS software and how these tools can be used to address questions in many fields. Two lectures, one two-hour lab. Prerequisites: ENVS 100; and SCIE 040 or permission of instructor.
An investigation of a topic of importance in environmental studies. The specific course content and methods of study will vary in response to recent developments in the field and current needs of students. The topic will be announced prior to registration for the course. Prerequisites: ENVS 100 or permission of instructor.
Almost 50 percent of the electricity we use in the United States is derived from coal. Coal’s proponents tout increased safety, decreased environmental impacts, jobs, and domestic energy production. Opponents point to accidents and continued environmental and health impacts. This course examines the energetic and economic drivers behind coal use, investigates its social and ecological consequences, and explores the viability of renewable energy sources. One or more overnight trips are a required component of this course. Through these trips, students will directly experience the life cycle of coal from extraction to combustion, interact with individuals holding widely divergent views on the issue, and learn how all of our lives are connected to coal through our collective and individual energy choices.
An opportunity to use the knowledge and skills the student has learned in coursework to solve problems in a real work setting; the apprenticeship aspect of the internship implies that the student has some base of knowledge and will increase her knowledge and skills by direct contact with an experienced, knowledgeable mentor. Open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors with at least a 2.0 cumulative G.P.A.; maximum credit per term is one course; admission by application only. Prerequisite: ENVS 100 or permission of instructor.
Advanced independent study under the guidance of a faculty advisor. Open to junior and senior environmental studies majors with a 3.5 or greater average in the major, subject to the approval of the coordinator of the environmental studies program. Prerequisite: ENVS 100.
Completion of an advanced level investigation of a topic related to environmental studies. Students must focus their project within their major concentration (Computational Analysis, Conservation Biology, Management or Policy and Advocacy). Open to seniors only. Prerequisites: ENVS 120, POLI 105, NFPM 100, BIOL 210 and a statistics course.
Photo by Katie Hall C’14
