Graduation requirements

Environmental Studies Major

This highly interdisciplinary major program permits students to develop and exercise their individual initiative and motivation in environmental issues. In addition to a variety of specific skills, the EVST curriculum is designed to encourage students to become independent learners. Although an interdisciplinary synthesis is critical to graduates working in environmental fields, the Hiram EVST Major is strengthened by requiring each student to develop an individualized area of concentration, consisting of 4 - 6 courses. This specialty area can consist of a mixture of current Hiram course offerings, courses transferred in from other institutions (i.e. a specialized summer course), and student - designed independent studies courses. To further augment each student’s experience, an internship experience with an off - campus organization, or a senior research project is required and is developed jointly by the student and his or her EVST advisor. Internships have varied greatly in their scope over the years, and have ranged from public policy work to wildlife rehabilitation; some have turned into full time employment after the student intern graduates. The capstone course is the Senior Seminar, in which each student researches, evaluates, and presents and environmental issues of her or his choice. The required Correlative courses provide students with important quantitative, thinking, and communication skills that are essential in environmental careers, and have been identified as priorities by employers and graduate programs. These courses assure that every Hiram EVST graduate has good communication skills, is familiar with computers, and knows how to evaluate data. Students majoring in environmental studies should begin by taking EVST 225 and other core and correlative requirements. Internships typically are done in the summer between the junior and senior year and senior research and senior seminar should be completed in the senior year. Click Here for Major Coursework Details

Environmental Studies Minor

The Environmental Studies Minor allows a student to obtain an environmental perspective which can meaningfully enhance his or her major in a specific discipline. Students of any major may elect to participate in the Environmental Studies Minor and those interested in this program should contact a member of the Environmental Board as early as possible, preferably during the freshman year, for further information and to discuss a plan of study. Students minoring in environmental studies should begin by taking EVST 150 and other core and correlative requirements. Internships typically are done in the summer between the junior and senior year. Click Here for Minor Coursework Details



Courses required for the EVST Major

Required core courses : (usual best choice is underlined)

**EVST Majors MUST have an EVST advisor**

I. Entry Level Course:

    INTD 225: Humans and the Environment  

II. Three sciences:

    1. An Ecology course: BIOL 241, Principles of Ecology or BIOL 341, General Ecology, or BIOL 342, Marine Ecology
    2. A Chemistry Course: CHEM 101, An Environmental Perspective or CHEM 115 or  both CHEM 120 and 121     
    3. A Geology Course:  GEOL 209, Environmental Geology or GEOL 101, Physical  Geology or GEOL102, Field Geology

III. Two Economics Courses:

    ECON 201, Principles of Microeconomics
     ECON 338, Environmental Policy (201 prerequisite) or Public Policy Making, POLSCI 314 or INTD 304

IV. A Humanities course that deals with the environment:

    Choose from among: Philosophy 271, Environmental Ethics or   History 240,  Environmental History or An Ethics course approved by the EVST Faculty

V. The Following Advanced Environmental Studies (EVST) Courses:

    Environmental Studies 385, Junior Seminar: Area of Concentration
    Environmental Studies 480, Senior Seminar
     Environmental Studies 340, Environmental Legislation or Political Science 314 or INTD 304, Public Policy Making  (cannot be used here if used above for Econ 338)
    Environmental Studies 498, (Internship) OR 481 (Senior Research)

VI. Correlative Courses :     

A course that deals with evaluation of numerical data: MATH 108, Statistics or MATH 131, Methods in Decision Making
    
TWO courses from among the following (others may be approved) in Writing or Communication, as established by student and advisor:   Writing 240, 311, 312  or  314; Communication 101, 220, 221, 230

VII. Area of Concentration

    Four to Six Courses as approved by your EVST advisor and the EVST Faculty


GUIDELINES FOR DEVELOPING AN AREA OF CONCENTRATION (AOC) WITHIN THE ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES MAJOR AT HIRAM COLLEGE


Each EVST student, together with his or her EVST advisor, is required to develop a coherent and environmentally meaningful area of concentration. It does not necessarily have to come from a single discipline, but it certainly can. Examples of discipline oriented areas of specialization are listed below, and a list of interdisciplinary or multidisciplinary specializations is also provided. The examples on these lists are not exhaustive, however, and it is expected that some students may develop other unique areas. Sometimes specific key courses required for the AOC can be transferred in from other institutions.

Discipline- Based Areas

Art     
Biology        
Chemistry    
Communications    
Economics
Education
History        
Management        
Philosophy
Political Science        
Religion
Sociology    
Writing
Environmental Education*
Photography

 Interdisciplinary Areas

Conservation/ Wildlife
Marine Conservation
Urban/Regional Land Use
Environmental Philosophy/Ethics
Culture and Environment
Sustainable Development
Resource Management
Regional Planning
Environmental Monitoring/Assessment
Bioregional Studies
Environmental Political Processes
Environmental Law
Environmental Art
General Science
Gender Studies
Environmental Communication
   


Some areas of concentration may involve a secondary advisor in addition to your EVST advisor since not all disciplines are covered by the EVST Faculty. It is expected that students will undertake internship, senior research, and senior seminar components that are appropriately focused to their AOCs. Discipline based areas of concentration will involve meeting certain departmental prerequisites when they exist.

* Note: The Environmental Education AOC has prescribed courses: Education 231, Human growth and development and learning theory (3 hrs.), Education 236, Multiage school experience and lab (2hrs.); EVST 285, Nature Interpretation (3 hrs.); an Environmental Education Design independent project, and participation in the Hiram College Field Station Outreach Education Program.

General Schedule For The EVST Major And For Developing An Area Of Concentration


Freshman Year:

Establish an EVST advisor (REQUIRED) (Huehner, Sturtevant, Zabor); explore possibilities for your AOC; take EVST core requirement courses.

Sophomore Year:    

Fall: develop ideas about your AOC with the help of your EVST advisor; continue taking core courses as well as courses for your AOC.
                                   
Spring: identify your probable AOC

Junior Year:            

Fall term of the Junior year, each EVST major is required to take EVST 385, a seminar class devoted to developing each students’ AOC. This class uses a group process approach to guide students to:

                a) finalize the process of exploration and development of  an AOC,
                b) formulate a succinct and accurate written proposal of the area of concentration,
                c) present their AOC by  PowerPoint in a public forum.

 Spring: continue taking courses; plan internship/senior research.

Summer after Junior Year:

Complete Internship/senior research

Senior Year:            

Fall: With the help of the EVST advisor, students develop and make a  public PowerPoint internship presentation. Begin thinking about life after Hiram College – graduate school, job, etc.

Spring:  Senior Seminar class and public PowerPoint presentation. Work on graduate school or job applications.

Courses required for the EVST Minor are: (usual best choice underlined)

I. Entry Level Course:

    INTD 225: Humans and the Environment 

II. Three sciences:

    1. An Ecology course: BIOL 241, Principles of Ecology or BIOL 341, General Ecology, or BIOL 342, Marine Ecology
    2. A Chemistry Course: CHEM 101, An Environmental Perspective or CHEM 115 or  both CHEM 120 and 121     
    3. A Geology Course:  GEOL 209, Environmental Geology or GEOL 101, Physical  Geology or GEOL102, Field Geology

III. Two Economics Courses:

    ECON 201, Principles of Microeconomics
     ECON 338, Environmental Policy (201 prerequisite) or Public Policy Making, POLSCI 314 or INTD 304

IV. A Humanities course that deals with the environment:

    Choose from among: Philosophy 271, Environmental Ethics or   History 240,  Environmental History or An Ethics course approved by the EVST Faculty

V. One from among:

Environmental Studies 340 (Environmental Legislation), Political Science/Economics 314
(Public Policy - Making) , ID 304 (Public Policy - Making), Political  Science 205 (World
Geography), SOAN/MGMT 251 (Demography)

VI. Senior Research or Internship:

        Environmental Studies 481 or 498  

Additional Information