Environmental Science & Studies
Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics
Washington College, located between the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic beaches, is in a unique location to study the interactions of humans and the environment. Washington College students can use the Chesapeake Bay region—its farms and waterways, its history and culture, its people and their environmental concerns—as a learning laboratory. The Chester River, a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, is at Washington College’s back door. Students can study the river by using the flow through system at Semans-Griswold Hall to bring the river into the lab or by going out on the Research Vessel Callinectes. In addition, the River and Field Campus (RAFC) allows access to wetlands, forests, grasslands, agricultural areas, and the college’s Chester River Field Research Station and Foreman’s Branch Bird Observatory.
Students can pursue an Environmental Science major (B.S.) or an Environmental Studies major (B.A.), or an Environmental Studies minor. Both majors are interdisciplinary, preparing students to critically analyze and investigate potential solutions to local, regional, and global environmental issues, whether it is the revival of a depleted fishery, the impact of toxins, land use management in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, loss of biodiversity, or climate change. The Environmental Science major focuses on interdisciplinary scientific study of interactions of humans and the environment. While the Environmental Studies major is broader in perspective; using courses in the humanities and the social sciences, as well as the natural sciences.
Advanced Placement credit for ENV 101 Intro to Environmental Studies with Lab/ENV 102 Intro to Environmental Studies Lab is allowed, with a score of 5 or higher, on the Environmental Science AP exam.
The Department also offers the Earth and Planetary Science minor, which provides students with a broad understanding of processes that formed and modified the Earth and other planets in the solar system. The curriculum introduces a wide range of topics, from surface phenomena such as weather and climate, to the Earth’s internal composition and dynamics.
Social Science Distribution Requirements
Students who elect to use Environmental Science and Studies to fulfill their Social Science distribution requirement with only one course from this department can choose to take ENV 117 Intro Env & Natural Resource Economics. If students want to fulfill their Social Science distribution requirement with two paired courses, they may take ECN 111 Principles of Macroeconomics or ECN 112 Principles of Microeconomics and ENV 117 Intro Env & Natural Resource Economics as two courses from Economics (see the Economics Major).
Research and Internships
Experiential learning is at the heart of the curriculum for the environmental science or studies major. Although not required for the major, internships and research opportunities help students directly apply the insight, theory, and research methodology they learn in class. The College sponsors 8-10 week summer research projects in the fields of biology, chemistry, computer science, environmental science, environmental studies, psychology, and physics. Internships and research projects outside of the natural sciences are also encouraged. Students of environmental studies and science frequently participate in internship and hands-on learning opportunities through the Center for Environment and Society (CES). In addition, many environmental science and studies students have completed internships with many organizations, such as the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in Annapolis, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science in Cambridge and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Summer Field Courses
The Department of Environmental Science and Studies regularly leads summer courses abroad. The Bermuda Environment (ENV 221 The Bermuda Environment) is based at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences in St. George’s. In field trips, lectures, and labs, students study the ecology and history of the island, exploring cave systems, coral reefs and much more. Environmental Studies in Ecuador, jointly run with the Universidad de San Francisco de Quito, takes participants through a variety of ecosystems, from the Pacific coast and highlands to the rain forests of the Amazon, and to the Galapagos Islands. These trips allow students to relate their coursework to new parts of the world, to meet professionals and students from other countries, and to see a wide variety of ecosystems and related social systems.