Mar 29, 2024  
2021-2022 Springfield College Catalog 
    
2021-2022 Springfield College Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Environmental Science


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Program Information


The goal of the Environmental Science (ENVS) Program is to cultivate student’s knowledge of environmental issues and provide students with refined understanding of these issues at the local, regional, and global levels. Through the approved curriculum and co-curricular activities (e.g., research and outreach), students will learn how human activity impacts the environment and will obtain the critical thinking and problem solving skills necessary to productively contribute to solutions. The program will increase the student’s technical competence in addressing environmental issues, their origins, ramifications, and resolutions. At Springfield College, ENVS is interdisciplinary and designed to promote the leadership necessary for the stewardship of both  natural and built environments.


The B.S. in Environmental Science will provide students with the necessary quantitative, technological, and scientific abilities to engage in the many processes that are necessary to confront the challenges citizens, businesses, governments, and non-governmental organizations, among others, face in light of rapidly changing modern global environmental issues. The B.S. will equip students with the analytical tools for understanding pressing environmental issues and engaging in concerns related to the natural and social world. The program offers a multidisciplinary curriculum with interdisciplinary learning tools, incorporating natural sciences, social sciences and humanities, to ensure the graduates will gain a holistic understanding of complex environmental concerns in their natural, social, and ethical implications.

Program standards for the ENVS major include, but are not limited to:

  • A grade of C- or better in all courses required for the major, including selectives

To view a major program sequence to assist with course planning, click here.

Degree Information


Degree: Bachelor of Science (B.S.) with a major in Environmental Science

(120 credit hours) Requirements are subject to change.

Contact Information


For more information about the Environmental Science major, contact Dr. Justin Compton of the Biology/Chemistry Department at (413) 748-3288 or the Admissions Office at (800) 343-1257.

Curricular Requirements


I. Core Curriculum (40 credits)


This Core Curriculum is faithful to the Springfield College mission and further strengthens the Humanics philosophy of educating students in spirit, mind, and body. It is a cornerstone of a Springfield College education. Regardless of one’s major, it provides a strong, developmental, and holistic foundation for leaders in service to humanity. Upon completion, all graduates will be prepared to learn, lead, and serve in diverse, multicultural, and global contexts as well as in any career path they may choose. They will have the knowledge, habits of the mind, skills, and abilities to face unexpected situations and challenges, the values and attitudes for self-motivation and a vision of service that stems from hope, optimism and making a difference, as well as the self-determination to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle.

View the Core Curriculum Requirements (40 credits)  section for a complete list of the domains and courses therein.

II. Major Requirements


A. Required Courses (62 credits)


The core requirements will help the student to understand scientific process and the natural sciences, understand how this process generates knowledge, and be able to apply the results of scientific research to problems and questions as they relate to what is broadly called the environment. In addition, students will develop a familiarity with the drivers of human actions regarding social-ecological systems and learn to systematically analyze environmental problems and critically assess the ways in which public policies may help to address these problems.

B. Selective Courses (Select 3 courses, 10-12 credits)


Select 3 additional courses (with labs if applicable) from the selectives listed below (total 10-12 credits):

Electives (to complete a minimum of 120 credits)


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