Program Requirements: Environmental Science
Clark environmental science majors may elect to concentrate in one of three areas: Earth Systems Science, Environmental and Conservation Biology, and Environmental Science and Policy.
Students who have clearly developed interests in environmental science when they arrive at Clark may be interested in satisfying some of their perspectives with environmentally relevant perspective courses.
Environmental and Conservation Biology Track
Environmental biologists explore the ways in which organisms evolve and interact with one another and their environments. Levels of exploration can range from molecular evolution and genomics to ecosystem level function. Conservation biology makes up one component of this field, focusing on the biological knowledge necessary to preserve biodiversity. Because the loss of biodiversity has reached crisis proportions, we offer a focused curriculum that enables students to bring appropriate biological tools and knowledge to efforts to develop conservation strategies and policies.
This track is designed to provide this focus and to allow students to design a curriculum that will prepare them for research and teaching in environmental and conservation biology. The environmental and conservation track carries the following requirements. We recommend that students interested in obtaining both a strong background in environmental and conservation biology and policy consider completing this track and then the accelerated B.A./M.A. degree in environmental science and policy.
Environmental Science Core Courses (3)
These courses are intended to provide all students in the environmental science major with a common, general background and vocabulary in environmental science:
BIOL103 Principles of Environmental and Conservation Biology
Either BIOL 101 and 102 or BIOL 100 and 102 count as a substitute for 103.
EN101 Sustainability Science: Environment, Society and Technology
GEOG104 Earth System Science
Chemistry (2)
CHEM101 , 102.1 Introduction to Chemistry I and II
CHEM103 Accelerated Introductory Chemistry may substitute for these two courses
Mathematics and Statistics (2)
These pairs of courses offer students requisite mathematical and statistical skills for the discipline. The second statistics course must be approved by the ECB track advisor.
MATH 120, 121 Calculus I and II or
MATH 120 and either BIOL 106 Quantitative Methods in Biology or GEOG 110 Introduction to Quantitative Methods or
two statistics courses (e.g., GEOG 110 and GEOG 247 Intermediate Quantitative Methods in Geography or BIOL 106 and GEOG 247.)
Biology Core Courses (4)
These courses provide students with the knowledge needed for more advanced study in the field.
BIOL102 Introductory Biology II
BIOL105 Evolution
BIOL118 Genetics
BIOL216 Ecology
Research Course in Biology (1)
These are courses that provide students with intensive research experiences that will enable them to develop the background needed to design and carry out their own research. With prior approval, courses in field programs may also satisfy this requirement.
BIOL201 Ecology of Atlantic Shores
BIOL219 Physiological Ecology of Marine Algae
BIOL224 Ecology of Disease Vectors
BIOL242 Animal Behavior
BIOL254 Molecular Systematics and Evolution
Seminar Course in Biology (1)
Seminar courses provide students with the opportunity to develop the ability to read and evaluate original literature and to develop verbal presentation and discussion skills at the same time they are exploring a new field of biology.
BIOL217 Ecology of Infectious Diseases
BIOL223 Topics in Marine Biology
BIOL243 Seminar in Evolution
BIOL256 Biology of Symbiosis
BIOL258 Conservation Biology
Natural Science Electives (1)
Selection of one or more courses from this list will enable students to broaden their backgrounds in environmental and conservation biology. This is not an exhaustive list. The ES director can approve other courses. Courses listed under research or seminar course option can also fulfill this elective.
BCMB271 Biochemistry I
BIOL110 Introduction to Botanical Diversity
BIOL114 Marine Biology
BIOL116 Forest Ecology
BIOL220 Population Biology
BIOL244 Biological Clocks
BIOL302 Applied Ecology
CHEM131 Organic Chemistry
CHEM142 Environmental Chemistry
EN120 Discovering Environmental Science
EN241 Environmental Toxicology
GEOG102 Understanding Weather
GEOG114 Geomorphology
GEOG115 Introduction to Hydrology
GEOG190 Raster GIS
GEOG200 Land Degradation
GEOG232 Landscape Ecology
GEOG282 Advanced Remote Sensing
GEOG293 Digital Image Processing
PHYS110 Introductory Physics I
Courses in Environment and Society (2)
Selection of courses from this list will provide students with initial insights into the mutual impacts of the biological systems and human activities, as well as the processes entailed in decision making and policy development relative to environmental issues.
ECON157 Economics of Natural Resources and Environment
EN207/IDCE30205 Climate Change, Energy, and Development
GEOG126 Living in the Material World
GEOG180 Earth Transformed
GEOG224 Economy and Environment
GEOG250 Technology and Environmental Assessment
GOVT157 Politics of Environmental Issues in the United States
GOVT276 Environmental Law
PHIL131 Environmental Ethics
Other recommendations: Students interested in Environmental and Conservation Biology, whose interests overlap with those of a biology faculty member, and who meet B.A./M.A. academic requirements, should seriously consider participating in the Accelerated B.A./M.A. Degree Program. This program enables students with career goals that include research to develop a much deeper understanding of the field, and of the skills involved in hypothesis development, data acquisition and analysis, and written and verbal presentation skills.
Earth Systems Science Track
Earth Systems Science examines the structure and function of the parts of the earth—geosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere—and how they interact to create the biosphere (zone of life). It is an integrated science that permits the earth system puzzle to be put together as whole, and is the foundation for a range of science and societal issues including global climate change, thinning of the ozone layer, landscape dynamics, and loss of biotic diversity.
The earth systems science track in the environmental science major emphasizes the structure and function of the terrestrial surface of the earth, including human land use and consequences, and the use of remote sensing and geographical information sciences for problem solving. Students completing the this track are prepared for a large range of professional endeavors and advanced studies involving the geosciences, physical geography, and GIScience. The earth systems science track carries the following requirements:
Environmental Science Core Courses (3)
These courses are intended to provide all students in the environmental science major with a common, general background and vocabulary in environmental science:
BIOL103 Principles of Environmental and Conservation Biology
EN101 Sustainability Science: Environment, Society and Technology
GEOG104 Earth System Science
Basic Skills (2; at least 1 at the 200 level)
These courses develop skills in statistics, modeling and database management.
ECON160 Introduction to Statistical Analysis
GEOG110 Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Geography
GEOG247 Intermediate Quantitative Methods in Geography
GEOG260 Quantitative Modeling
GEOG285 Spatial Database Development
MATH120, 121 Calculus I and II
PSYC105 Quantitative Methods may be accepted at the discretion of the ESS track advisor
Elective Introductory Environmental Systems Science Courses (5; 3 at the 100 level)
These courses include offerings in physical geography, hydrology, weather and climate, global warming, environmental chemistry and biodiversity.
BIOL114 Marine Biology
CHEM142 Environmental Chemistry
GEOG014 Weather, Climate and Landforms
GEOG022 Why Global Warming Matters (when offered as a lecture course and not a first-year seminar)
GEOG101 Introduction to Environmental Geology
GEOG102 Understanding the Weather
GEOG103 The Natural Environment of New England
GEOG114 Intermediate Geomorphology
GEOG115 Introduction to Hydrology and Water Resources
GEOG116 Forest Ecology
Elective Advanced Environmental Systems Science Courses (3; 2 from Geography, 2 must be at the 100/200 level)
These are more narrowly focused, upper division courses in Earth Systems Science.
BIOL201 Ecology of Atlantic Shores
BIOL216 Ecology
BIOL220 Population Biology
BIOL224 Ecology of Disease Vectors
BIOL 258 Conservation Biology
GEOG232 Landscape Ecology
GEOG234 The Geography of Fire
GEOG263 The Climate System and Global Environmental Change
GEOG271 Groundwater Hydrology and Management
GEOG281 Tropical Ecology
Human-Environment Courses (2)
Human interaction with the global environment is addressed here, from economic, political, management, ethical, cultural and legal perspectives.
ECON157 The Economics of Natural Resources and the Environment
EN207 Climate Change, Energy and Development
EN261 Decision Methods for Environmental Management
GEOG126 Living in the Material World: The Political Geography of Resource Development
GEOG136 Gender and Environment
GEOG179 Globalization, Environment and Justice
GEOG180 The Earth Transformed by Human Action
GEOG200 Land Degradation
GEOG211 African Environments and Geographical Implications
GEOG224 Economy and Environment
GEOG226 Who Fears What and Why: Social Theories of Environmental Risks and Hazards/Seminar, Lecture, Discussion
GEOG228 Management of Arid Lands
GEOG237 Feminism, Nature and Culture
GEOG239 Country and Culture
GEOG250 Technology and Environmental Assessment
GEOG277 Gender, Environment and Development
GEOG280 Urban Ecology: Cities as Ecosystems
GEOG284 Environment and Development in the Middle East and North Africa
GOVT276 Environmental Law
MGMT252 Corporate Environmental Management
PHIL131 Environmental Ethics
Skills GIScience (1)
These offerings allow students to develop the knowledge to use Global and Environmental imaging and information systems.
GEOG087 Introduction to Environmental Information Systems
GEOG190 Raster GIS
GEOG282 Advanced Remote Sensing
GEOG293 Digital Image Processing
Research Experience
This can be fulfilled by an appropriate capstone course, an internship, the HERO program (see Clark Web pages), directed research (EN299), or an honors thesis (EN297). The work must be presented as a poster at Academic Spree Day.
Environmental Science and Policy Track
The Environmental Science and Policy undergraduate program prepares students to deal with the complexities of environmental issues in society. The program provides students with an in-depth understanding of how human acticity and technology are impacting the natural environment and provides social science and policy perspective on how these impacts can be minimized. The strong emphasis on the natual sciences ensures students understand the technical as well as the social aspects of the world's most pressing environmental issues.
The environmental science and policy track carries the following requirements:
Environmental Science Core Courses (3)
These courses are intended to provide all students in the environmental science major with a common, general background and vocabulary in environmental science:
BIOL103 Principles of Environmental and Conservation Biology
EN101 Sustainability Science: Environment, Society and Technology
GEOG104 Earth Systems Science
Statistics (1)
These courses provide analytical and statistical expertise necessary for the discipline.
BIOL106 Quantitative Methods in Biology
GEOG110 Introduction to Quantitative Methods
In some cases the ES&P track director may allow substitution with one of the following.
ECON160 Introduction to Statistical Analysis
GOVT107 Research Methods
Disciplinary Introductory Science Courses (3)
These courses provide background in the sciences, including biology, chemistry and physics. Chosen from the following, the courses must draw on at least two different disciplines:
BIOL102 Introductory Biology II
Either BIOL216 Ecology or BIOL105 Evolution
CHEM101 Introductory Chemistry I
CHEM102.1 Introductory Chemistry II
CHEM103 Accelerated Introductory Chemistry
PHYS110 Introductory Physics I
PHYS111 Introductory Physics II
ES&P Required Courses (2)
EN120 Discovering Environmental Science
EN290 Capstone Research
Science Electives (3; at least one at the 200 level)
These courses may be chosen from a wide range of advanced science electives in biology, chemistry, geography and physics. At least one must be at 200-level:
BIOL109 Microbiology
BIOL114 Marine Biology
BIOL118 Genetics
BIOL201 Ecology of Atlantic Shores
BIOL216 Ecology
BIOL217 Ecology of Infectious Diseases
BIOL220 Population Biology
BIOL224 Ecology of Disease Vectors
BIOL258 Conservation Biology
CHEM142 Environmental Chemistry
EN241 Environmental Toxicology
GEOG102 Weather & Climate
GEOG103 Natural Environment of New England
GEOG114 Intermediate Geomorphology
GEOG115 Introduction to Hydrology
GEOG119 Arctic Systems Science
GEOG116 Forest Ecology
GEOG232 Landscape Ecology
Social Science(2)
ECON157 Economics of Natural Resources & the Environment
ECON257 Environment & Natural Resource Economics
EN124 Global Warming
GEOG022 Why Global Warming Matters
GEOG025 Suburban Sprawl under the Microscope
GEOG126 Political Geography of Resource Development
GEOG224 Economy & Environment
GOVT154 Politics of Public Policy in the U.S.
GOVT157 Politics of U.S. Environmental Issues
GOVT213 Policy Analysis
GOVT216 Comparative Environmental Politics
Govt223 Suburban Policy Issues
GOVT281 Politics of Policy Implementation
SOC205 Sociology of the Environment
Students may substitute another course in social science (emphasis on public policy) with approval from track advisor.
ES&P Electives (4, with at least 2 at the 200 level)
EN103 The Sustainable University
EN207 Climate Change, Energy and Development
EN241 Environmental Toxicology
EN242 Sustainable Development Assessment and Planning
EN245 Natural Resource Management
EN255 Global Heatlh: Epidemiological Perspective
EN261 Decision Methods for Environ Management & Policy
EN264 Environmental and Social Epidemiology
EN277 Sustainable Consumption and Production
EN282 Management of Environmental Pollutants
GEOG247 Intermediate Quantitative Methods in Geog
GEOG250 TEchnology & Environmental Assessment
GEOG226 Social Theories of Environ Risks & Hazards
GEOG280 Urban Ecology: Cities as Ecosystems
GEOG284 Environ/ Development in Middle East/Africa
MGMT252 Green Business Management
PHIL131 Environmental Ethics
Honors (optional)
Prospective honors students must apply to the ES director and complete at least two semesters of independent research.
EN297 Honors Directed Research