curriculum

Curriculum

Jump to:

The environmental challenges we face require creative thinking to solve. Through the Environmental Science program at Hobart and William Smith, you'll blend perspectives from biology, geoscience, and environmental studies to understand the science of environmental problems. In addition to developing a firm grounding in science, our curriculum equips you with the skills to address stakeholder values and effectively engage with policymakers, preparing you to make a meaningful impact on environmental issues.

Curriculum Features

Studying Environmental Science at Hobart and William Smith, our program:

  • Features a scientific understanding of environmental problems integrating ideas from biology, geoscience, and environmental studies.
  • The ability to choose your electives in a variety of programs, including Biology, Chemistry, Data Analytics, Geoscience, Physics and more.
  • The opportunities to conduct research at our nearby natural resources including Coopers Woods, Seneca Lake, the Hanley Preserve and through the Finger Lakes Institute. 
  • Allows for you to study abroad while you progress through the major. 

what you'll learn

Through the Environmental Science program, you'll: 

  • Gain a deep understanding of the forces altering our ecosystems and explore potential solutions. 
  • Acquire skills to design and conduct scientific studies, including hands-on courses in data analysis and geospatial analysis.
  • Effectively communicate science in different formats and different venues.
  • Integrate insights from the social sciences and humanities to address equity, justice, and ethical issues with regards to human-environment interactions.

careers 

After graduating with a degree in Environmental Science, you'll be ready for a career in different fields like:

  • Natural resource management
  • Environmental consulting 
  • Sustainability initiatives 
  • Environmental policy 
 

Courses

course requirements 

Sixteen courses are required to complete the Environmental Science (B.S.) major. 

Seven core courses:

  • BIOL 167 Introductory Biology  
  • BIOL 225 Ecology

One of the following introductory Geoscience courses:

    • GEO 182 Introduction to Meteorology
    • GEO 184 Introduction to Geology
    • GEO 186 Introduction to Hydrogeology
  • ENV 200 Environmental Science 

One of the following social science courses:

    • ENV 201 Community and Urban Resilience
    • ENV 205 Introduction to Environmental Law
    • ENV 237 Environmental Justice in Indian Country 

One of the following humanities courses: 

    • ENV 202 Environmental Humanities
    • ENV 245 Radical Environmentalism  
  • ESCI 400 Capstone Experience 

Two courses in quantitative and spatial reasoning:

One of the following statistics courses:

    • ENV 207 Environmental Statistics
    • BIOL 230 Biostatistics 

One of the following courses in geospatial analysis: 

    • ENV 203 Fundamentals of GIS
    • ENV 281 Remote Sensing 

Five environmental science electives:

Choose two Biology and three Geoscience courses from the following list: 

Biology Electives

BIOL 300 Evolution

BIOL 334 Vertebrate Biology

BIOL 310 Conservation Biology

BIOL 338 Aquatic Biology

BIOL 325 Invasion Ecology

BIOL 339 Global Change Biology

BIOL 328 The Biology of Plants

BIOL 356 Ornithology

 

Geoscience Electives  

GEO 210 Environmental Hydrology

GEO 325 Paleoclimatology

GEO 215 Hydrometeorology

GEO 330 Limnology

GEO 220 Geomorphology

GEO 350 Synoptic-Dynamic Meteorology I

GEO 242 The Earth System

GEO 351 Synoptic-Dynamic Meteorology II

GEO 250 Oceanography

GEO 355 Mesoscale and Severe Weather

GEO 255 Global Climates

GEO 362 Polar Meteorology

GEO 260 Weather Analysis

GEO 365 Environmental Meteorology

GEO 265 Weather Measurements and Computing

GEO 375 Earth History

GEO 280 Environmental Geochemistry

GEO 380 Paleontology

GEO 284 Mineralogy and Petrology

GEO 390 Gondwana

GEO 320 Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks

ATMO 245 Climate Change Science

 

Two supporting science electives:

Options include the following:

  • Any course that counts towards a major in Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Geoscience, Mathematics, Physics
  • Any of the following courses in Environmental Studies:
    • ENV 203 Fundamentals of GIS 
    • ENV 281 Remote Sensing 
    • ENV 282 Energy, Environment and Technology
    • ENV 310 Advanced GIS 
  • Any course that counts towards the minor in Data Analytics

progressing through the major

Students majoring in Environmental Science are advised to take the following courses: 

First Year

  • BIOL 167 Introductory Topics 
  • GEO 182 Introduction to Meteorology OR GEO 184 Introduction to Geology OR GEO 186 Introduction to Hydrogeology
  • ENV 200 Environmental Science
  • ENV 202 Environmental Humanities OR ENV 245 Radical Environmentalism 

Second Year

  • BIOL 225 Ecology
  • ENV 201 Community and Urban Resilience OR ENV 205 Introduction to Environmental Law OR ENV 237 Environmental Justice in Indian Country
  • ENV 207 Environmental Statistics OR BIOL 230 Biostatistics
  • One Geoscience elective

Third Year

  • ENV 203 Fundamentals of GIS OR ENV 281 Remote Sensing 
  • One Biology elective 
  • One Geoscience elective 
  • One supporting elective  

Fourth Year

  • One Biology elective
  • One Geoscience elective 
  • One supporting elective
  • ESCI 400 Environmental Science Capstone 
Environmental Science Course Catalogue