Analyze and think critically about environmental issues
Local and global societies face an array of environmental problems, from biodiversity loss to climate change to various types of pollution. To tackle these problems, future leaders need to understand the science behind the issues as well as the societal context in which they occur.
The Environmental Sciences and Studies (ESS) program provides students the knowledge and skills to become these future leaders through two major options. The BA in Environmental Studies major exposes students to environmental issues from a variety of disciplinary perspectives, while the BS in Environmental Science major allows students to focus primarily on the natural and physical science aspects of today’s environmental problems. Both majors integrate Franklin’s Academic Travel program, offer opportunities to pursue independent research, incorporate real-world experience, and encourage majors to study abroad. In particular, Franklin’s affiliation with the School for Field Studies (SFS) www.fieldstudies.org allows ESS students to study at one of the SFS sites during a summer or semester and receive major credit. Both major programs prepare students for careers in government, non-profit conservation, consulting, as well as for graduate degree programs.
Majors
Environmental Sciences and Studies
The Environmental Sciences and Studies major gives students an interdisciplinary background and enables them to think critically about, analyze, and understand today's environmental issues. In this major, students receive a broad overview of environmental issues that includes environmental science, the social sciences, and humanities. Students take a core set of fundamental courses and then tailor a set of broad upper-level electives that reflects the students' specific interests.
Environmental Science
The Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science targets students who are fascinated by the science behind the environment and environmental problems. The curriculum, rooted in ecology, combines lower-level coursework in the natural and physical sciences with quantitative, field, and upper-level science courses that help students understand the context of environmental problems and their potential solutions.
Major Requirements (59 Credits)
- Foundation Courses (23 credits)
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- BIO 101 Introduction to Biology: Genetics, Evolution, and Ecology
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An introduction to the biological sciences. Topics include the principles of genetics, evolutionary theory, ecology, and conservation biology. Students enrolling in this course must enroll in the parallel laboratory section BIO 101L.
- BIO 101L Laboratory to Introduction to Biology: Genetics, Evolution, and Ecology
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The laboratory course parallels the topics in BIO 101 and provides lab-based investigations of the material covered in BIO 101. Students must register for both BIO 101 and the lab section concurrently. (This course carries an additional laboratory fee.)
- BIO 102 Introduction to Biology: Cell and Animal Biology
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This course provides students with an introduction to the biological sciences focused on the structure and functioning of animal cells and organs. Topics include basic biochemistry, cell structure and function, cellular respiration, and animal physiology. This course will emphasize human anatomy and physiology as model systems for understanding and contrasting key principles of animal biology. Students enrolling in this course must enroll in the parallel laboratory section BIO 102L.
- BIO 102L Laboratory to Introduction to Biology: Cell and Animal Biology
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The laboratory course parallels the topics in BIO 102 and provides lab-based investigations of the material covered in BIO 102. Students must register for both BIO 102 and the lab section concurrently. (This course carries an additional laboratory fee.)
- CHEM 101 General Chemistry I
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The course examines atomic structure, bonding, stoichiometry and the mole concept, the behavior of gases, liquids and solids, thermochemistry, and intermolecular forces. Students are required to concurrently enroll in the corresponding lab section CHEM 101L. This course is a prerequisite for CHEM 102 and is a pre-health course.
- CHEM 101L Laboratory to General Chemistry I
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The laboratory course parallels the topics in CHEM 101 and provides lab-based investigations of the material covered in CHEM 101. Students must register for both CHEM 101 and the lab section concurrently. (This course carries an additional laboratory fee.)
- CHEM 102 General Chemistry II
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This course examines chemical equilibria and acids and bases, coordination chemistry, oxidation-reduction reactions, electrochemistry, thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, nuclear chemistry, and an overview of organic chemistry. Students are required to concurrently enroll in the corresponding lab section CHEM 102L. This course is a prerequisite for all upper-level chemistry courses and is a pre-health course.
- CHEM 102L Laboratory to General Chemistry II
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The laboratory course parallels the topics in CHEM 102 and provides lab-based investigations of the material covered in CHEM 102. Students must register for both CHEM 102 and the lab section concurrently. (This course carries an additional laboratory fee.)
- ENV 200 Understanding Environmental Issues
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This case study based course serves as the bridge experience for students completing their introductory course requirements for the ESS major or the ENV minor and who are now moving into the upper-level courses (However it is open to all interested students meeting the prerequisite). Through detailed examination of several case studies at the local, regional, and global levels, students synthesize material from introductory level courses to explore the interdisciplinary nature of today’s environmental issues. They examine what different disciplines offer to our understanding of and attempt to solve these issues.
- PHYS 101 Physics for the Health Sciences
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This course will provide students with a comprehensive introduction to key topics in physics. Specifically, the course will be divided in four main sections: basic mechanics (e.g., kinematics, equilibrium, vectors, work and energy, and Newton's laws); vibrations and waves (e.g., sound, harmonic waves, and Doppler effects); electricity (e.g., Ohm's law and electric circuits), and; light and optics (e.g., reflection, refraction and magnification). As part of the pre-health curriculum, this course will also connect concepts to human body structure and functioning.
Students enrolling in this course must enroll in the parallel laboratory section PHYS 101L.
- PHYS 101L Laboratory to Physics for the Health Sciences
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The laboratory course parallels the topics in PHYS 101 and provides lab-based investigations of the material covered in PHYS 101. Students must register for both PHYS 101 and the lab section concurrently (This course carries an additional fee for laboratory supplies).
- Quantitative Skills (9 credits)
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- ENV 250 Quantitative Methods for Environmental Science
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The course exposes students to a range of quantitative methods used in the environmental sciences. It will introduce students to the science of geographic information systems (GIS) and their use in understanding and analyzing environmental issues. Students will gain hands-on experience with GIS software. This course will also examine statistical methods commonly applied in quantitative environmental research. It assumes students already possess a background in statistics and environmental science.
- MAT 182 Statistics For Everybody
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Statistics for Everybody is an introductory course covering essential applied statistical concepts and techniques. It incorporates a well known Social Science statistical portal called the Survey Documentation and Analysis tool throughout the course. The course begins with an understanding of how we conceptualize and operationalize statistical concepts into measurable variables. We then begin to explore data using descriptive statistics and simple data visualizations – learning both how to create and interpret meaningful data visualizations. Next we learn how to compare and contrast different variables and cohorts, exploring similarities through correlation and differences through means testing. Finally, we explore more advanced analysis techniques including developing contingency tables and multiple regression models, examining their outputs (z-scores, p-values) to better understand the notion of statistical significance. Students culminate their learning with a final project, leveraging their own hypotheses and statistical analyses in order to present their own unique findings.
- One of the following:
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- BUS 306 Quantitative Methods and Dynamic Forecasting
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In the first part of this course students learn concepts in inferential statistics, its main principles and algorithms. They learn how to apply sampling distributions in the case of business random variables, how to state and test business hypotheses about population mean or proportion differences, how to calculate ANOVA table components, and how to deploy estimation methods to provide information needed to solve real business problems. In the second part of the course, students learn advanced model building methods, algorithms needed to make and test dynamic multiple regression models and time series (ARMA) models. In addition to teaching and learning methods based on the textbook, problem-based learning (PBL) and interactive engagement (IE) are used. Many internet data bases, EXCEL add-ins and EViews are used to enhance IE based learning. Selected SPSS or STATA examples are also provided.
- MAT 200 Calculus
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The course begins with a review of functions and their graphs, after which students are introduced to the concepts of differentiation and integration. Understanding is reinforced through extensive practical work, with a strong emphasis on applications in economics, statistics and management science.
- MAT 3XX Any 300-level Mathematics course
- Upper-level Courses (15 credits)
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- BIO 301 Conservation Biology
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This course considers the principles of biological diversity and the application of science to its conservation. It covers conservation concepts at the genetic, species, population, community, and landscape level. The course examines the causes behind the current biodiversity crisis and then focuses on modern conservation and restoration efforts. It employs recent case studies around the globe to illustrate course concepts. May include laboratory sessions and field trips.
- BIO 310 Ecology
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This course examines the interactions of organisms with their environment and each other, the dynamics of populations, the structure and functions of ecosystems, the role of biogeochemical cycles, and biodiversity. Required laboratory sessions. BIO 102 and MAT 182 are strongly recommended prior to taking this course.
- ENV 372 Sustainability Science
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This seminar-style course will examine the emergent field of sustainability as well as the science it employs to understand and manage the interactions between human society and the natural world. It will trace the development of our understanding of sustainability and its importance in the contemporary world. It will examine key processes driving global change in areas such as biodiversity, climate, energy use, pollution, population growth, public health, and urbanization, as well as provide an overview of the tools we use to measure sustainability. Lastly, it will explore some of the innovative approaches people are employing to address contemporary problems and effect a transition to a more sustainable society. Students in the course will apply their learning in a project that develops a solution for a particular sustainability problem on campus, locally, or somewhere on the globe.
- Two of the following:
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- CHEM 201 Organic Chemistry I
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This course is an introduction to the chemistry of carbon-based compounds. The course begins with a quick review of foundational concepts from CHEM 101 and CHEM 102, specifically covalent bonding, hybridization, VSEPR theory, polarity and intermolecular forces. It continues with an introduction to the different classes of compounds within organic chemistry and their characteristic physical and chemical properties, with an emphasis on structure and functional groups as well as stereochemistry. The study of the different types of chemical reactions will rely on an understanding of how the electrons in the covalent bonds are rearranged, giving rise to the full understanding of the mechanisms of each reaction. Students enrolling in this course must enroll in the parallel laboratory section CHEM 201L.
- CHEM 202 Organic Chemistry II
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This course builds upon the foundation of CHEM 201 with a focus on the synthesis and identification of organic compounds. The reactions of aromatic compounds, carbonyl containing compounds and the pericyclic reactions will be emphasized. Finally the major biomolecules will be covered in depth as well as an introduction to biochemistry. Students enrolling in this course must enroll in the parallel laboratory section CHEM 202L.
- ENV 210 Natural Disasters, Catastrophes, and the Environment
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As long as humans have walked the planet, they have faced dangers from the environment, such as earthquakes, floods, and volcanoes. Today's technology creates new possibilities for disasters, including climate change, killer smog, and nuclear accidents. Students in this course will study the science behind natural disasters as well as examine society's preparedness for and response to these problems from an interdisciplinary perspective. It will look at both historical and recent events and consider what disasters await us in the future.
- ENV 240 Environment and Health
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Modern human society has generated various biological, chemical, and physical hazards that threaten human health, as well as the quality of the air, water, soils, and ecosystems. This course first presents the origin and characteristics of these hazards. It then evaluates how the hazards affect the environment and human health and the disproportionate nature of these effects. It also explores the strategies and approaches that have been developed to manage risks and mitigate impacts. The course considers these issues in regional and global contexts, with a particular focus on Switzerland and Europe.
Or any 200- or 300-level BIO/CHEM/ENV courses (excluding courses in Practical Field Studies and Skills) or pre-approved courses from study abroad programs (e.g. SFS or SIT).
Please note that CHEM 201 and CHEM 202 must be taken with their respective 1 credit Lab sessions.
- Practical Field Studies and Skills (6 credits)
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Two of the following:
- BIO 210T Alpine Ecosystems
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This course examines the ecology and the management of the European Alps. It introduces students to the natural history and functions of these important ecosystems. It examines how the climate, fauna, flora, and landscapes have interacted and evolved over time. Further, it provides students an overview of threats facing these systems today, such as climate change, human use, and non-native species. It introduces students to research methods used to study mountain environments and impacts of management activities. The travel portion will visit sites in the Central and Western Alps to study natural environments in situ and connect students with local researchers and organizations active in the field. Students will spend significant time outdoors in the field in a variety of weather. Access to some sites will require moderate amounts of hiking in mountainous terrain. Previous coursework in biology or environmental science encouraged.
- ENV 230T Freshwater Conservation
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This course explores various aspects of rivers, freshwater lakes, and groundwater aquifers. It provides an introduction to the distinct ecology of these three freshwater systems, their human uses, different approaches to their conservation, possibilities for restoration of degraded systems, and a look at the role that lakes and rivers play in international relationships. During Academic Travel, the class will visit various freshwater systems and will also practice field data collection techniques. Tentatively, the travel will take place in North-East Italy and Slovenia. This course may also include shorter day-trips to local points of interests.
- ENV 232T Marine System Conservation
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This course examines various aspects of marine and coastal systems. First, it provides an overview of the major physical, chemical and ecological processes that control and shape these systems. Then, it explores how society interacts with marine systems, how human activities alter them, and what these changes could mean for humanity's future. Lastly, the course looks at different protection and conservation approaches. During Academic Travel, students will visit and study coastal and marine ecosystems and will gain hands-on experience in marine medicine (in conjunction with University of Colorado School of Medicine). The Academic Travel component of this course will tentatively take place along the Red Sea coast in Egypt. (Good swimming abilities required.)
This Academic Travel course carries a supplemental fee.
- ENV 280T Managing the New Zealand Environment
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This course examines the management of environmental resources in New Zealand and the discourse of sustainability from the island's perspective. It will focus on the challenge of conserving New Zealand's flora and fauna, as well as New Zealand's aggressive management of the non-native species that have arrived since human settlement. It will examine attempts to restore natural habitats through visits to the several restoration projects, and to Christchurch to study how environmental concerns are being incorporated into the city's recovery from the devastating 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. The course will also scrutinize the effects of tourism on the New Zealand environment and the opportunities that tourism also present. Lastly, the course will explore how the Maori culture influences environmental management in the country. (Previous coursework in environmental studies recommended.)
- ENV 399 Research in Environmental Studies
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The research project is an opportunity for the student to pursue independent research either at Franklin or with an approved external partner. May be used in preparation for ENV 499, the senior research project or thesis.
- ENV 498 Internship in Environmental Studies
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This course provides credit for a professional experience in the environmental field in a public, private, or non-profit organization anywhere in the world. Throughout the internship period, the student should ensure close on-site supervision. Students should follow guidelines laid out in Franklin’s Internship Handbook and the ENV 498 syllabus.
- ENV 499 Senior Research Project in Environmental Studies
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The research project is an opportunity for the student to pursue independent research or a professional project on a topic related to the student's course of study. Depending on the student's career path, the research can be classified either as a research project or a thesis.
Any 200- or 300-level Academic Travel courses in BIO or ENV with a practical field component.
- Capstone Requirement (6 credits)
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- ENV 360 Research Methods in Environmental Sciences
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This course integrates field, laboratory, computing, and statistical methodologies commonly employed in environmental sampling. The course will also emphasize professional presentation and scientific report writing skills. It includes a mandatory weekend field trip, as well as local field trips.
- ENV 497 Senior Capstone
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This course serves as the capstone course for students in the Environmental Sciences and Studies program. Students synthesize the material from the courses in the major and demonstrate their ability to apply knowledge this knowledge to contemporary environmental issues. Junior status required
Note: Prerequisites may be required for courses outside of the major.
3-YEARS BACHELOR OPTION
This major is also offered as a 3-year accelerated bachelor’s degree, designed for students with specific high school academic credentials who are admitted to Franklin with advanced standing credit, equivalent to 30 US credits. This option grants students a jump start on their introductory level University courses. Learn more about the 3-year bachelor’s degree at Franklin or contact the Office of Admission.
| Fall Semester | Spring Semester |
| FYS First Year Seminar |
CHEM 102L Lab to General Chemistry II |
| CHEM 101L Laboratory to General Chemistry I |
BIO 101L Laboratory to Introduction to Biology: Genetics, Evolution, and Ecology |
| MAT 200 Calculus |
MAT 201 Introduction to Statistics |
| TVL (Choose an academic travel class) |
TVL (Choose an academic travel class) |
| Global Responsibility CORE | WTG 150 Academic Writing: Crossing Borders |
| Fall Semester | Spring Semester |
| BIO 102L Laboratory to Introduction to Biology: Cell and Animal Biology |
GEO 101 Introduction to Physical Geography |
| PHYS 101L Laboratory to Physics for the Health Sciences |
ENV 200 Understanding Environmental Issues |
| TVL (Choose an academic travel class) |
Global Responsibility CORE |
| BIO 310W Ecology |
W Writing intensive class |
| Modern Language | Modern Language |
YEAR THREE - SAMPLE CURRICULUM
| Fall Semester | Spring Semester |
| ENV 250 Quantitative Methods for Environmental Science |
ENV 497 W Senior Capstone |
| BIO 301W Conservation Biology |
SCI (Choose a upper level science class) |
| SCI (Choose a upper level science class) |
Global Responsibility CORE |
| Global Responsibility CORE | Elective |
| Elective | Elective |
