Environmental Science Department Learning Goals

Knowledge
Students:

  • Understand fundamental ecological concepts such as cycles, systems, ecosystems, food webs, biodiversity, trophic levels, energy flow in ecosystems, sustainability, etc.
  • Have a basic knowledge of environmental issues such as resource consumption, water use, energy, climate change, species population trends, the tradeoffs between human development and the environment, etc.
  • Have advanced knowledge in an area of their choice (ex. GIS, Wildlife Conservation, etc.)
  • Have a basic understanding of the relationships between developing and developed countries and their effects on the environment and each other

Skills
Students will:

  • Be able to read, create, and interpret tables and graphs
  • Be able to collect environmental data (both through direct measurement and through literature research)
  • Be able to carry out data analysis using Excel, SPSS, GIS, and/or other software
  • Understand the interactions of citizens, businesses, NGO’s, and government to form environmental laws, regulations, and policies
  • Be able to read, evaluate, and write effective, professional-level environmental reports
  • Be able to speak about environmental issues using appropriate aids such as MS PowerPoint


Dispositions
Students:

  • Reflect on the his/her personal environmental values as contrasted to those of others
  • Reflect on his/her “lot in life,” and how he/she fits in compared to people in developing countries and others in developed countries.