GENERAL
INFORMATION
 Emphasis of the Program
The aim of the Environmental Science major is to give students a solid foundation in the
natural sciences (including mathematics) and social sciences that pertain to environmental
issues and problems. The program is interdisciplinary, requiring students to take courses in
at least eight different departments. Several of the courses (Hydrogeology, Environmental
Economics, Environmental Politics) were designed specifically for the program. Other course
work includes classes such as Ecology, Calculus, Statistics, Analytical Chemistry, Population,
and Argumentation. Additionally, all participants in the program are required to complete an
independent research project.
Although not all students choosing
to major in Environmental Science are necessarily interested in pursuing scientific careers,
all should have a firm foundation in the sciences that pertain to environmental concerns. They
can thus be more effective lawyers, politicians, advocates, etc. (if those are careers they
aspire to) than if they lacked training in the sciences. And they will 60 be able to talk with
biologists, chemists, and geologists more intelligently than those who do not have a firm
grounding in these areas.
On the other hand, students
interested in science-oriented careers in the environment need the perspective and context
provided by the social science courses in the major. The social implications of environmental
issues cannot be ignored, and the solutions to environmental problems are increasingly
economically and politically charged.
Equipment - Facilities
Because the program is interdisciplinary, it makes use of classrooms, labs, etc. throughout
the campus. However, two laboratories in the Haldeman-Thiessen Science Center have been
designated specifically as Environmental Science rooms; one of the labs is reserved for
seniors in the program doing independent research.
The sciences at Monmouth have a
tradition of intensive hands-on laboratory work, and the college is quite well equipped to
support the natural science component of the major.
The college maintains an
Ecological Field Station on the banks of the Mississippi River, about 30 minutes from
campus. Two boats, both with 20-hp motors, are stored at the station for use in aquatic work
on the Mississippi or on local lakes. The location of the station gives us easy access to the
river and to a variety of terrestrial environments (e.g., deciduous forest, conifer
plantations, agricultural). A variety of field sampling and collecting gear is stored at the
station, including live-capture traps for birds and mammals and new instrumentation for water
analysis.
Newly acquired property within a
15- minute walk of campus dedicated as the LeSuer Nature Preserve is also used for
field studies, course projects, and senior research. Several acres are being restored to
native prairie and a large stream bisects the area. Riparian and flood plain forest also offer
abundant opportunities for research in the expanding field of ecological restoration.
The college also maintains a small,
freshwater pond and a native prairie plot for field projects. More information on these areas
can be found under the BIOLOGY department heading in this catalog.
Career Opportunities
The Environmental Science major is intended to give students a broad yet firm foundation that
can be used as a springboard into graduate/professional school or employment. The
environmental field is extremely broad, ranging from environmental chemistry to wildlife
management to environmental engineering to environmental law.
The major is solid but it cannot
prepare all students equally well for all careers. For example, if a student is interested in
environmental geology, the program will not serve him/her that well because there will be no
geology courses (other than hydrogeology) to back it up. On the other hand, the program would
prepare a student well for further study or work in other areas (for example, environmental
chemistry).
Therefore, we think it is important
for students as soon as possible to attempt to define their interests in the environment. What
is it they hope to do? environmental monitoring? toxicology? engineering? natural resource
management? advocacy? law? politics? Do they hope to go directly into employment? or into
graduate/professional school? Depending on the students' specific interests, they can
appropriately plan their elective course work and plan to do research and/or internships along
the lines of their interests.
Off-campus Programs and Field
Trips
ACM Wilderness Field Station program-a summer academic program conducted in the Boundary
Waters of northern Minnesota and southern Ontario. Students register for a single course
(e.g., Ornithology, Mammalogy, Vertebrate Behavior, Conservation Biology, Aquatic Biology,
Environmental Ethics) and do extensive field and laboratory work while immersed in a
wilderness setting. Nearly all courses involve a 7-10 day canoe trip deep into the Quetico-Superior
wilderness of Minnesota and Ontario.
ACM Tropical Field Research
program-a semester-long program in Costa Rica. A month-long orientation prepares students
through intensive language training and review of field methodology. Thereafter, students can
conduct research in a diversity of Costa Rica's ecological zones. Numerous work/research
internships involving environmental problems are available on a competitive basis.
Field-oriented courses at Monmouth
College (e.g., Ecology, Field Botany) make frequent use of the Ecological Field Station,
LeSuer Nature Preserve, the Spring Grove Prairie and other local settings. There are also
occasional weekend trips to such places as Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and Horicon
National Wildlife Refuge.
Graduate School Opportunities
Since the program is new, there is not yet a track record of graduates going into graduate
school. However, there are numerous graduate/professional programs available in environmental
science/policy and in specific areas of environmental studies (wildlife, toxicology, etc.).
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