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Introduction
The Environmental Studies program at Stockton provides an undergraduate educational experience based on the following:
• a multidisciplinary approach to the study of environmental phenomena
• close work between the full time faculty and students in courses and in independent research
• fieldwork in dealing with the environment stressing real world experience
• the latest technology as components of the students’ learning experience
• internships with government agencies, private consulting firms, natural resource industries and environmental organizations as a practical approach to learning about the field.
The Environmental Studies program offers the Bachelor of Science and the Bachelor of Arts degrees in Environmental Studies. The curriculum prepares students to deal with the complex environmental problems that confront society by providing a broad, basic understanding of how physical, biological and human components of the environment interact. Students also achieve a deeper understanding of at least one of several, specific areas, or tracks, within environmental studies. These include:
1. Ecology, Forestry, and Wildlife Management.
2. Water and Soil Resources.
3. Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Global Positioning System (GPS), Remote Sensing and Analysis of Spatial Information.
4. Pollution Remediation, Environmental Policy and Regulation Risk Assessment.
5. Environmental Chemistry, Waste Management, Toxicology
6. Environmental Education—Primary Education in Science, Secondary Education in Biology, and Environmental Education for centers or parks.
Students can concentrate any of these tracks, they can do work in several or they can combine a major in Environmental Studies with another discipline. For example, students interested in environmental pollution can specialize in that area. Students who have broader interests can select courses in Soils and Water Resources. Information, Analysis, and Ecology. Those interesting in teaching elementary or middle school science can combine this program with appropriate courses in Education and Psychology to meet current standards for teaching. Likewise, students can combine a major in Environmental Studies with course work in Criminology, Political Science, or Public Health to prepare themselves for careers dealing with environmental crime, environmental law, or environmental health. One of the hallmark features of this program is flexibility.
The program strongly emphasizes fieldwork in traditional areas, but students can also obtain training in more modern applications including Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning (GPS). These involve using computers to generate maps and manipulate geographic data and obtain data using satellite technology. Both have wide applications in many fields not limited to environmental studies.
The Environmental Studies program stresses independent study projects and internships. These encourage students to develop initiative and professionalism while providing practical experience that enhances students’ understanding of local communities, the region and the world.
Program Organization
The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree prepares students for scientific and technical careers. This degree requires 80 credits in program and cognate courses and 48 credits in general education. Students who want to design a college career that more strongly emphasizes their major should also consider this degree. Likewise, those students interested in graduate school are advised to complete a B.S.
The Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Environmental Studies is offered to students whose interests center on law or criminal justice, communications, public school teaching and environmental education, political science and public administration, and other fields in which a study of the environment is combined with work in areas outside of science and mathematics. These students take 64 credits in program and cognate courses, and 64 credits in general education.
Program courses are any courses with an ENVL acronym. Environmental Studies courses are numbered as follows: 1000 level is introductory, 2000 level is intermediate, 3000 and 4000 levels are advanced.
Cognate courses include those in geology, biology, math, chemistry, marine science, physics and computer sciences. Cognate courses might also include courses outside of science and mathematics such as those in economics if these are recommended as appropriate by the student’s preceptor.
General education courses are those in General Studies as well as courses outside of the sciences and mathematics that are unrelated to the student’s major. Examples of the general education courses would include courses in history, philosophy, art, literature and foreign languages.
Students may also create a curriculum tailored to their own special needs (e.g. environment and the arts or environment and business) by developing a liberal studies B.A., or LIBA. Please see LIBA requirements elsewhere in this Bulletin.
The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) and Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degrees require a standard core of 24 credits of Environmental Studies courses at the introductory and intermediate level. In their senior year, students take an advanced level independent study or internship for four additional credits.
Core ENVL courses required for both the B.S. and B.A. degrees.
All students are required to complete the core ENVL courses with a minimum grade of C. To graduate, students must also have a minimum GPA of 2.0 in program and cognate courses.
ENVL Core Credits
ENVL 1100 Intro. to
Environmental Studies 4
ENVL 2100/2105 Physical Geography
plus lab 5
ENVL 2200/2205 Ecological Principles
plus lab 5
ENVL 2300/2305 Environmental Issues
plus lab 5
ENVL 2400 Statistics and
Computers 4
ENVL 4600 ENVL Seminar 1
(Students are encouraged to take ENVL 4600 in their freshman year. They may take it more than once.)
plus one of the following:
ENVL 4800/ Senior Project
ENVL 4900/ Senior Internship 4
ENVL Core Credits 28
Compared to students earning a B.A. degree, students earning a B.S must take 16 more program and cognate credits, and they must take more courses in chemistry and mathematics.
Note: Any program requirements may be substituted if prior, written ENVL program approval is obtained. Students must consult their preceptor and program coordinator before making any substitution.
Students are strongly urged to complete the lower level cognate courses, including the mathematics requirement prior to taking upper-level course in Environmental Studies. It is particularly important to take the mathematics sequence in rapid succession.
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES B.S. DEGREE
SAMPLE FOUR-YEAR COURSE SEQUENCE
G = General Studies Course
ASD = General studies course or course at some distance from ENVL Program.
TERM
Year Fall Spring
FRESHMAN ENVL 1100 ENVL 2100/2105
BIOL 1100/1105 CHEM 2110/2115
G/ASD MATH 1100
G/ASD G/ASD
ENVL 4600
SOPHOMORE ENVL 2200/2205 ENVL 2300/2305
MATH 2215, or equivalent GEOL or PHYS
CHEM 2120/2125 ENVL 2400
G/ASD G/ASD
JUNIOR ENVL/cognate ENVL/cognate
ENVL 3000 + ENVL 3000 +
G/ASD G/ASD
G/ASD G/ASD
ENVL 3600 (Prep. for Research)
SENIOR ENVL 3000 + ENVL 4800/4900
ENVL 3000 + ENVL/cognate
ENVL/cognate G/ASD
G/ASD G/ASD
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES B.A. DEGREE
SAMPLE FOUR-YEAR COURSE SEQUENCE
G = General Studies Course
ASD = General studies course or course at some distance from ENVL Program.
TERM
Year Fall Spring
FRESHMAN ENVL 1100 ENVL 2100/05
BIOL 1100/1105 CHEM
G/ASD MATH 1100
G/ASD G/ASD
ENVL 4600
SOPHOMORE ENVL 2200/2205 ENVL 2300/2305
GEOL 2100 or PHYS or ECON ENVL 2400
G/ASD G/ASD
G/ASD G/ASD
JUNIOR ENVL 3000 + ENVL 3000 +
ENVL/cognate G/ASD
G/ASD G/ASD
G/ASD ENVL 3600 (Prep. for Research)
SENIOR ENVL 3000 + ENVL 4800/4900
G/ASD ENVL/cognate
G/ASD G/ASD
G/ASD G/ASD
Admission to the Program
The program is open to any student admitted to Richard Stockton College. High school course work in the sciences and mathematics is recommended. Students transferring to Stockton in the junior year (64 credits) should consult with a program preceptor as soon as possible to determine whether credits beyond the 128-credit minimum are necessary to earn a B.S. degree. This is less likely if prospective transfers have taken college biology, chemistry and math courses. Students seeking a nontraditional degree or a second bachelor’s degree are also encouraged to apply although it will not be possible to obtain the regular degree by taking courses only in the evenings.
Graduation Requirements
B.S. REQUIREMENTS
ENVL Core (see above) 28
BIOL 1100/1105 Organisms
and Evolution 5
CHEM 2110/2115 Chemistry I 5
CHEM 2120/2125 or CHEM 2140/2145 5
GEOL 2101/2105 or PHYS 2110/2115 5
MATH 1100 Precalculus 4
(If they are qualified, students may go directly into Calculus I, or its substitute.)
MATH 2215 Calculus I, or an appropriate substitute (with prior Program approval, a suitable math, computational science, advanced statistics, computer modeling, or other computational course) 4-5
Four (4) upper level ENVL courses (i.e., courses numbered 3000 or above) 16
Additional Program Cognate Credits
as needed xx
Total Credits Toward Major 80
General Studies
and general education courses 48
Minimum Required for Graduation 128
B.A. REQUIREMENTS
ENVL core (see above) 28
BIOL 1100/1105 Organisms and Evolution 5
CHEM 2110/2115 5
MATH 1100, Precalculus (Calc. I, or substitute) 4-5
GEOL 2101/2105, PHYS 2110.2115, or ECON 1200 or 1400 4-5
Three (3) upper level ENVL courses (courses numbered 3000 or above) 12
Additional Program Cognate Credits as needed xx
Total Credits Toward Major 64
General Studies and general education courses 64
Minimum Required for Graduation 128
MINOR IN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
A minor consists of 24 credits with at least two courses at the upper level (3000 or above). Each student selects a coherent sequence of courses appropriate to his or her academic interests. The courses will be selected in consultation with an ENVL faculty member and must be approved in advance by the ENVL program. See the program coordinator for further information and the minor approval form.
To earn a minor in Environmental Studies, each student must earn a G.P.A. averaging at least 2.0 in program and cognate courses and must pass any ENVL core courses with a minimum grade of C.
Graduation with Distinction
A degree with distinction in Environmental Studies will be awarded by the program faculty to students who meet college criteria and whose course work and senior project or internship are of outstanding quality. The student’s program must reflect breadth of background in fundamentals and advanced course work in at least one area. The student’s senior project or internship and upper-level course work must be presented in the Environmental Studies Seminar (ENVL 4600) and will be evaluated for evidence of initiative, ability to integrate ideas, and ability to apply critical intellectual skills to specific problems.
Career Opportunities
Recent surveys indicated that the majority of our Environmental Studies graduates establish careers related to their major. They work in state, federal and local governmental agencies; in schools, colleges and universities; in engineering, consulting, and resource management and exploration companies; and in a wide array of industries. Some work for non-governmental or non-profit organizations. ENVL students have been successful at some of the nation’s leading graduate schools and some have gone on to complete doctoral degrees. Other students have begun successful businesses in environmental consulting while others have risen to prominence in governmental and nongovernmental agencies.
Special Opportunities
The Environmental Studies program is located on a college campus of 1600 acres most of which are part of an environmental reserve. The program is housed in the Arts and Sciences Building. Its facilities include:
• soils, hydrology, ecology and environmental chemistry laboratories
• biological and geological collections
• environmental field monitoring stations
• a groundwater monitoring well field
• greenhouse and arboretum
• geographic information systems (GIS) containing 20 workstations and a microcomputer
laboratory.
In addition, the College is a leader in alternative energy research. It is heated and cooled with a closed loop, geothermal system containing more than 400 wells. This is the world’s second largest system. The College also has photovoltaic facilities and an operational fuel cell on campus.
The College supports a vigorous field program that provides experience with field techniques in regular course work as well as special courses that have included summer field trips to the Rocky Mountains, Iceland, Newfoundland and other parts of the world.
PREPARATION FOR GRADUATE EDUCATION
Some graduates attend graduate school immediately upon finishing their undergraduate degree and often are supported by teaching and research assistantships. Others attend graduate school while working or after a period of work experience.
Graduate school can increase students’ professional options, salary, and opportunities for creative work. Students interested in graduate school are advised to talk to their preceptors early in their college careers. Graduate programs are highly variable and often have different requirements. These commonly include a semester or two of calculus, two semesters of physics, chemistry beyond what the ENVL program routinely advises, and additional courses in biology or geology.
CAREER CONCENTRATIONS AND AREAS OF INTERDISCIPLINARY INTEGRATION
The Environmental Studies program offers special career and interdisciplinary concentrations for students who want more specialization above the level of our tracks. These concentrations lead to specialized career goals or preparation for graduate school.
1. The Hydrogeology Concentration combines work in water resources with that in geology with the aim of preparing students for the description of “hydrogeologist” in state and federal governments. Contact the Environmental Studies and Geology program.
2. The Geographic Information Systems Concentration is useful for ENVL majors as well as non-majors. Students are trained in using this powerful computer application to manipulate spatial geographic information. A certificate in Geographic Information Systems is offered (http://loki.stockton.edu/~wwwgis). Students may also contact the Environmental Studies program for more information.
3. The Environmental Chemistry Concentration prepares students to work in the field of environmental contamination and remediation for both governmental agencies and private firms. Students use the methods of chemistry and toxicology, working on the fate and persistence of environmental pollutants in soils, groundwater and atmospheric systems. For additional information, students may contact the Environmental Studies program.
4. The Environmental Education Concentration is designed to provide students who are interested in Environmental Studies and a career in Elementary Education with a background sufficient to permit them to meet the requirements of New Jersey’s core curriculum standards in science. For those students who are interested in teaching at the high school level and who wish a background in the environment, Environmental Studies can provide a program of study that will enable students to teach high school biology.
5. The Concentration in Environmental Crime is for students interested in doing work in criminal justice and environmental studies. It includes a sequence of five offerings drawn from the criminal justice and environmental studies curricula. Specific CRIM courses such as CRIM 3650 (Environmental Crime) will be accepted as cognate courses by the ENVL program. Please see the Environmental Crime description in the Criminal Justice program in this Bulletin for details. Contact the Criminal Justice program or a preceptor.
Information about the Program
Environmental Studies and Geology Program Coordinator
The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey
PO Box 195
Pomona, NJ 08240-0195
Phone: (609) 652-4546
Dean of Enrollment Management
The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey
PO Box 195
Pomona, NJ 08240-0195
Phone: (609) 652-4261
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