Introduction to the Program
The Hiram College Environmental Studies Program provides students with an array of exciting features and distinctive learning opportunities. The program emphasizes the importance of exploring personal interest in nature and environmental issues through challenging courses from multiple disciplines, hands on learning, real world work experience, and interactions with exceptional faculty. It is offered through both the Traditional and Weekend Colleges.
The Mission of the Hiram College Environmental Studies (EVST) Program is to offer opportunities for students to become informed and responsible citizens of the world by gaining enough breadth and expertise to critically evaluate issues that concern local and global human impacts on our natural environment, and subsequently on ourselves. More specifically, the Program encourages students to develop individualized interdisciplinary perspectives and emphasizes problem solving approaches to understanding the dynamic and complex balance between human activities and the integrity of the environment that supports us.
The course of study is strongly interdisciplinary in its nature and requires students to assimilate sometimes opposing perspectives and information from widely different domains of human endeavor, and to integrate these into an attitude of constructive environmental advocacy and problem solving collaboration. A Major or Minor in Environmental Studies at Hiram College provides excellent preparation for entering the workforce or continuing studies in graduate school, Past graduates have entered a wide range of careers that include pollution control, agricultural economics, public health, resource recovery, environmental assessment and planning, community development, environmental education, public lands management, parks and recreation, environmental consulting, wildlife management, natural resource management, and public policy The Program allows students to choose from either a Major or Minor in Environmental Studies as described in the graduation requirements.
The Environmental Studies Program is administered and primarily taught by the Environmental Studies faculty (Michael Benedict, Martin Huehner, Sarah Mabey, Stephen Zabor). A broad spectrum of contributing faculty provides further courses, perspectives, and secondary advisors from many different disciplines represented by Art, Biology, Chemistry, Communications, Economics, Education, History, Philosophy, and others.