Major in Environmental Science
Environmental science is a broad interdisciplinary field working to understand the interactions among physical, chemical, biological, and human factors. A comprehensive understanding of the how the environment functions and the influence of human actions has the potential for improved conservation, sustainable use, and restoration of natural resources. Concerns of environmental degradation are ever more pressing in the 21st century and have led to a growing demand for specialists in this field as well as programs to train these specialists. The joint major in environmental science allows students the flexibility to study a broader range of subfields incorporating the interdisciplinary approaches required.
Tracks
The two tracks to be offered in Environmental Science are: 1) the Environmental Biology Track which emphasizes both laboratory and field component as well as broad interdisciplinary alternatives and 2) the Environmental Chemistry Track which emphasizes an analytical laboratory approach to environmental problems.
Required and prerequisite courses common to both tracks:
| Course Name | Number | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 9 Courses | ||
| Environmental Ethics | PHIL-139 | 4.00 | Lecture |
| Environmental Forum | ENVI-200 | 2.00 | Lecture |
| Intro to Environmental Science | BIOL-104 | 4.00 | Lecture |
| General Biology | BIOL-113 | 4.00 | Lecture |
| Intro. Chemistry: Inorganic | CHEM-111 | 4.00 | Lecture |
| Intro. Chemistry: Organic | CHEM-112 | 4.00 | Lecture |
| Principles of Chemistry | CHEM-113 | 4.00 | Lecture |
| Organic Chem I | CHEM-114 | 4.00 | Lecture |
| Introductory Statistics | MATH-118 | 4.00 | Lecture |
Environmental Science Joint Major Tracks
Environmental Biology Track
The Environmental Biology Track emphasizes a broad interdisciplinary approach to studying the environment and solving environmental problems. Based on a solid core of scientific fundamentals, the major requires students, with the guidance and approval of their Environmental Biology advisor, to define and design a particular curriculum of study that can be explored through a set of interdisciplinary electives available at Simmons College.
Core courses ground the student in the process of scientific enquiry and provide them with the scientific depth expected by most graduate programs in environmental science, ecology, natural resource management, and other related fields. The common thread in such interdisciplinary graduate programs is an interest in well-rounded students that demonstrate a proficiency in both science and social sciences. As a result standard acceptance requirements generally include some combination of a chemistry course, a statistics course, a background in biology, as well as a course in microeconomics and experience in non-science disciplines.
Track electives are not restricted to courses that explicitly cover environmental topics but are courses that provide the student with the necessary tools to assess, analyze, and become fluent in a particular environmental science subfield of study. Subfields may logically call for otherwise disparate combinations of electives. For example a student interested in the ES of genetically modified foods would have an interest in taking genetics (BIOL 336) as a science elective and globalization (SOCI 267) as an arts and humanities elective. While another student interested in forest conservation would benefit from combining plant biology (BIOL 340) with American Art (ART 245) recognizing that artistic depictions of nature ranging from the Hudson River School to Ansel Adams have been central in the formation of a national conservation ethic. The strength of this major is its high level of flexibility. The student and advisor have the ability to design a program of study that can accommodate the many potential subfields of interest inherent in the broad interdisciplinary field while at the same time remain academically rigorous and scientifically grounded.
A large part of contemporary environmental work is situated in diverse field locations ranging from terrestrial to aquatic. As a result, this track emphasizes both field based and laboratory work.
Required Courses (18 credits):
- BIOL 104 Introduction to Environmental Science
- BIOL 245 Principles of Ecology
- BIOL 322 Seminar in Evolutionary Biology
- ECON 100 Principles of Microeconomics (M5)
- ENVI 201 Environmental Forum (2 credits)
- PHIL 139 Environmental Ethics
Interdisciplinary Elective Courses (24 credits): (With approval of concentration advisor)
- At least THREE elective courses from the Science course list
- At least TWO elective courses from the Arts and Humanities course list
Prerequisite Courses (16 credits):
| Course Name | Number | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 6 Courses | ||
| General Biology | BIOL-113 | 4.00 | Lecture |
| Intro. Chemistry: Inorganic | CHEM-111 | 4.00 | Lecture |
| Intro. Chemistry: Organic | CHEM-112 | 4.00 | Lecture |
| Principles of Chemistry | CHEM-113 | 4.00 | Lecture |
| Organic Chem I | CHEM-114 | 4.00 | Lecture |
| Introductory Statistics | MATH-118 | 4.00 | Lecture |
Students who wish to take courses that are not offered at Simmons College in order to fulfill the requirements towards the major (e.g. relevant courses in environmental issues, oceanography, geography, geology, civil engineering, architecture and landscaping etc.) must obtain approval from concentration adviser.
Students are strongly encouraged to study abroad or participate in hands-on field courses and research internships to gain skills necessary for career development.
The core requirements fulfill Mode 3, 4 5 and 6.
Suggested Electives for Environmental Biology Track
In consultation with and with approval of the Environmental Biology concentration adviser, the student selects a total of six electives in addition to the required and prerequisite course requirements. With approval of the concentration advisor courses not included on this list can be selected as electives if consistent with the student's subfield concentration.
At least THREE elective courses from the Science course list: (ONE MUST BE 300 LEVEL)
- BIOL 218 Principles of Zoology
- BIOL 221 Microbiology or other relevant microbiology courses
- BIOL 222 Animal Physiology
- BIOL 333 Marine Biology
- BIOL 336 Genetics
- BIOL 340 Plant Biology
- BIOL 344 Environmental and Public Health in Costa Rica (Field study travel)
- BIOL 344 Ecosystems of the West (Field study travel)
- BIOL 345 Tropical Marine Biology (Field study travel)
- CHEM 226 Quantitative Analysis
- CHEM 227 Energy and Global Warming
- CHEM344 Toxicology
- HON308 Modeling Climate Change
- SURV 150 Overview of Surveying Technology (Wentworth) - GIS skills
- MATH 120 Calculus I
- MATH 218 Biostatistics
- MATH 238 Applied Statistical Models
- NUTR 150 International Nutrition Issues
- PHYS 110 Introduction to Physics I
- PHYS 111 Introduction to Physics II
At least TWO elective courses from the Arts and Humanities course list:
- ART 245 American Art
- ECON 239 Government Regulation of Industry
- ECON 247 Environmental Economics
- HIST 205 Global Environmental History
- MGMT 224 Socially-Minded Leadership
- POLS 101 Introduction to American Politics
- POLS 102 Introduction to International Politics
- POLS 217 American Public Policy
- POLS 220 International Organization and Law
- SOCI 241 Health Illness and Society
- SOCI 245 International Health
- SOCI 267 Globalization
Environmental Chemistry Track
The track in Environmental Chemistry will allow Simmons students interested in laboratory-based approaches to environmental problems to pursue those interests. Simmons ES majors with a chemistry focus historically have found good jobs in laboratory settings, and employment growth in this area is projected to be strong according to the U.S. Department of Labor (http://online.onetcenter.org/link/summary/19-2041.00).
Required Courses (32 credits):
- BIOL104 Introduction to Environmental Science or BIOL245 Ecology
- CHEM114 Organic Chemistry I
- CHEM226 Quantitative Analysis
- CHEM223 or CHEM345 Biochemistry
- CHEM227 or CHEM331 Energy & Global Warming or Thermodynamics
- CHEM390 Chemistry Seminar (2 credits)
- ENVI201 Environmental Forum I (2 credits)
- MATH118 or MATH238 Statistics
- PHIL139 Environmental Ethics
Choose Two of the Following Courses (8 credits):
- CHEM225 Organic Chemistry II
- CHEM341 Advanced Analytical Chemistry or CHEM344 Toxicology
- CHEM344 Toxicology
- HON308 Modeling Climate Change
Prerequisite Courses (24 credits):
- BIOL113 General Biology
- CHEM113 or CHEM111 Principles of Chemistry
- MATH120 Calculus I
- MATH121 Calculus II
- PHYS112 Fundamentals of Physics I
- PHYS113 Fundamentals of Physics II
