Institute for the Study of the Environment, Albion College
Student research and service projects
Environmental Sciences curriculum
Environmental Studies Curriculum
Student research and service projects
Environmental Sciences curriculum
Environmental Studies Curriculum
Welcome page
Student research and service projects
Environmental Sciences curriculum
Environmental Studies Curriculum
Welcome page
Student research and service projects
Environmental Sciences curriculum
Environmental Studies Curriculum
Environmental Sciences Curriculum
Environmental science is the study of processes that occur at the earth's surface. It exists at the intersection of the atmosphere, biosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere. As such, it is truly interdisciplinary. A student who plans a career in this field, either as a researcher or a practitioner, must have a solid background in more than one science. A concentration is the ideal way to gain the necessary breadth of scientific background, as well as some practical experience through the internship. The Environmental Sciences Concentration is designed for science majors who plan to work in the environmental field after graduation. It is intended to give them both breadth and depth in sciences other than their major field. Students who complete this concentration will be well-prepared for graduate studies or entry-level jobs working with environmental consulting firms, government agencies, advocacy groups, or analytical laboratories.
To complete the Environmental Science Concentration, a student must:
Complete a major in Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics, Computational Mathematics, Mathematics/Physics, or Physics.
Complete an environmental internship (.5 to 2 units).
Focus in two sciences outside the student's major by taking three units in one and two in another. At least three of these five courses must be above the introductory level, which means that these courses must have prerequisites. Courses are to be selected from the following list and in consultation with the concentration director and the student's major department. It is possible to substitute other upper level science courses, depending on the interests of the student:
Biology:
195 Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity
215 Non Vascular Plants
216 Vascular Plants
225 Invertebrate Zoology
227 Vertebrate Zoology
237 Ecology
332 Microbiology
Chemistry
121 Structure and Equilibrium
123 Inorganic Chemistry: Introduction
200 Chemistry and Social Problems
211, 212 Organic Chemistry
206 Chemical Analysis (.5 unit)
320 Advanced Lab: Instrumentation (.5 unit)
Geology
101 Introductory Geology
202 Ground Water
216 Environmental Geology
307 Geochemistry
389 Geographic Information Systems and
Remote Sensing
And one from the following:
205 Sedimentation & Stratigraphy
208 Geomorphology
306 Glaciers & The Pleistocene
Mathematics and Computer Science
141 Calculus of a Single Variable I
143 Calculus of a Single Variable II
171 Introduction to Computer Science I
173 Introduction to Computer Science II
Physics
115, 116 General Physics
167, 168, Analytical Physics I, II, III
169
242 Introduction to Theoretical Physics
Students may also choose to combine Mathematics/Computer Science with Physics to form one concentration.
Complete one of the following social science or humanities courses:
Anthropology and Sociology 220, Animals and Human Societies
Anthropology and Sociology 250, Population and Environment
Anthropology and Sociology 371, Environmental Anthropology
Economics 273, Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
History 396, Environmental History
Philosophy 206, Contemporary Moral Problems
Political Science 216, Public Policy Analysis
Religion 311, Religion and Ecology
Speech Communication 311, Environmental Communication
Complete one course in statistics from the Mathematics Department.
All students in the Institute are expected to attend a series of seminars each semester. In these, students who completed internships the previous semester will report on them, and other items of general interest, such as graduate schools and careers, will be discussed.