Environmental Science and Policy Major, B.A.

Program Director: Eric Kindahl

Students in this program complete a common core of courses in environmental studies, the natural sciences, the social sciences and mathematics. These courses also fulfill the Hood College Core Curriculum requirements for a foundations course in mathematics/computation; for the scientific thought courses in the Methods of Inquiry section; and for a course in social and behavioral analysis in the Methods of Inquiry section.

Majors concentrate in one of four fields: coastal and watershed studies, environmental biology, environmental chemistry or environmental policy. Students draw on this training in an interdisciplinary problem-solving senior seminar. In addition, majors are guided toward internships and other work experiences that complement their academic work. Recent internship sites have included the National Aquarium in Baltimore, the Nature Conservancy, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the National Park Service and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

This hands-on major is designed to take advantage of Hood’s proximity to terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats, to government research facilities and to federal policy-making agencies in Washington, D.C. Students in the ENSP program are encouraged to take part in Hood College’s Coastal Studies Semester, directed by Drew Ferrier.


Requirements for the Major

Required Courses

BIOL 201Evolution and Ecology

4.0

BIOL 202Physiology of Plants & Animals

4.0

CHEM 101General Chemistry I

4.0

CHEM 102General Chemistry II

4.0

ECON 205Principles of Macroeconomics

3.0

ECPS 414/ECPS 514Environmental Policy

3.0

ENSP 101Environmental Problems

3.0

ENSP 102Environmental Science Laboratory

1.0

ENSP 470Seminar:Environmental Impact Analysis

3.0

PSCI 203Introduction to U.S. Politics

3.0

or

PSCI 210Comparative Politics

3.0

or

PSCI 215International Relations

3.0

Coastal and Watershed Studies Concentration

Requires participation in the Coastal Studies Semester
ENSP 103Intro to Geographic Information Systems

4.0

ENSP 210Coastal Oceanography

4.0

ENSP 212Coastal Community Ecology

4.0

ENSP 300Environmental Geoscience

4.0

ENSP 307/HON 307The Chesapeake Bay:Human Impact on a Natural System

3.0

ENSP 400Watershed Hydrology

3.0

MATH 112Applied Statistics

3.0

12 credits of electives from the following:

BIOL 309Aquatic Ecology

4.0

BIOL 331Microbiology

4.0

BIOL 345-349Field Ecology & Natural History

3.0

BIOL 451/ENV 551Plant Ecology

3.0

CHEM 401/CHEM 501Environmental Chemistry

3.0

ENSP 403/ENV 503Pollution Biology

3.0

ENSP 407/ENV 507Natural Resource Management

3.0

ENSP 411/ENV 511Conservation Biology

3.0

Total Credit Hours:26.0

Environmental Biology Concentration

BIOL 203Introduction to Cell Biology & Genetics

4.0

CHEM 209Organic Chemistry I

4.0

ENSP 403/ENV 503Pollution Biology

3.0

ENSP 407/ENV 507Natural Resource Management

3.0

MATH 112Applied Statistics

3.0

Total Credit Hours:25.0

8 credits of electives from the following:

BIOL 309Aquatic Ecology

4.0

BIOL 316Genetics

4.0

BIOL 331Microbiology

4.0

BIOL 336Vertebrate Zoology

4.0

BIOL 337Invertebrate Zoology

4.0

BIOL 338Advanced Ecology

4.0

BIOL 344Ornithology

4.0

BIOL 345-349Field Ecology & Natural History

3.0

BIOL 451/ENV 551Plant Ecology

3.0

CHEM 401/CHEM 501Environmental Chemistry

3.0

ENSP 210Coastal Oceanography

4.0

ENSP 212Coastal Community Ecology

4.0

ENSP 307/HON 307The Chesapeake Bay:Human Impact on a Natural System

3.0

ENSP 411/ENV 511Conservation Biology

3.0

Total Credit Hours:8.0

Environmental Chemistry Concentration

CHEM 209Organic Chemistry I

4.0

CHEM 210Organic Chemistry II

4.0

CHEM 215Quantitative Analysis

4.0

CHEM 324Instrumental Methods of Analysis

4.0

CHEM 401/CHEM 501Environmental Chemistry

3.0

MATH 201Calculus I

4.0

Total Credit Hours:23.0

Recommended courses:

CHEM 431/PHYS 431Quantum Mechanics

3.0

ENSP 403/ENV 503Pollution Biology

3.0

MATH 202Calculus II

4.0

Environmental Policy Concentration

ECON 206Principles of Microeconomics

3.0

ECON 310Environmental Economics

3.0

MATH 112Applied Statistics

3.0

 

PSCI 203Introduction to U.S. Politics

3.0

or

PSCI 210Comparative Politics

3.0

or

PSCI 215International Relations

3.0

Total Credit Hours:9.0

PSCI 203, PSCI 210, PSCI 215: if not taken as part of the requirement for the major

12 credits of electives from the following:

ECON 306Microeconomic Analysis

3.0

ECON 317Economics of Development

3.0

ECON 324International Trade

3.0

ENSP 399Internship

3.0 - 15.0

 

PSCI 203Introduction to U.S. Politics

3.0

or

PSCI 210Comparative Politics

3.0

or

PSCI 215International Relations

3.0

 

PSCI 317Urban Politics

3.0

PSCI 320The American Presidency

3.0

PSCI 323Politics of the Developing World

3.0

Total Credit Hours:12.0

PSCI 203, PSCI 210, PSCI 215: if not taken as part of the requirement for the major

Students should consult their advisers for elective courses that may strengthen the major and concentration. In addition to the courses listed in the basic curriculum and in the environmental biology, chemistry and policy concentrations, some courses are available through the environmental biology program of the Graduate School. These courses may be taken by environmental science majors who meet the qualifications set for the individual courses.