Welcome to the Environmental Studies Program

Colby's Environmental Studies Program is one of the oldest in the country and is recognized as a leader in innovative education. The Environmental Studies (ES) Program focuses on education through student research, project-based learning, and an exciting diversity of on and off-campus educational opportunities. Students in the ES Program are mentored by ES faculty, and by faculty members representing many different departments and programs. The ES curriculum emphasizes independent and team investigations as well as opportunities for service learning.

Our Mission

The Environmental Studies Program offers a comprehensive education in environmental studies and prepares students to understand and respond to local, regional, and global environmental challenges from social science, natural science, and humanities perspectives. Our interdisciplinary curriculum encourages an understanding of the complexity and inter-relatedness of humans and nature. We strive to create a learning environment that nurtures independent thinking, creative problem solving, and effective communication skills. We do this through coursework, student research, civic engagement, internships, speakers, and study abroad experiences.

Download program information sheets for: Environmental Studies 

Majors and Concentrations in Environmental Studies

The ES Program offers two majors and a minor, covering a wide range of student interests.

	The Environmental Studies Major with a Policy Emphasis is designed to provide a broad, interdisciplinary approach to the study of environmental policy at both the national and international levels. Students combine courses in the environmental sciences with courses in environmental economics, environmental policy, and international environmental law. A rich variety of electives allow majors to tailor the program to their own interests. The capstone course provides a "hands-on" approach to environmental policy research.
	The Environmental Studies Major with a Science Emphasis also begins with a foundation course in environmental studies, which is complemented by core courses in environmental economics and policy. Students select a focus area to explore in depth: conservation biology, marine science, environmental chemistry, or environmental geology. The senior capstone seminar provides a "hands on" approach to environmental science research.
	The Environmental Studies Minor may be elected by majors from any department and consists of seven courses. After an introductory foundation course, students choose a two-course couplet from a selection in both the social and natural sciences, and two more courses (at least one at 300 level or above) from a selection complementing their area of interest.

Opportunities for ES students

January Program Each year many environmental studies students take advantage of Colby's January Term to participate in a field study course, conduct a special research project, participate in a group research program on or off campus, or undertake an internship with a scientist, company, or government agency dealing with environmental problems. A grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation provides stipends to assist students in undertaking approved environmental studies internships either in January or during the summer. For more information on Jan Plan internships, visit our internship page. To learn more about the field study courses, visit their course pages: Tropical Ecology and Winter Ecology

Research Opportunities Colby places considerable emphasis on integrating student research into the curriculum. Facilitated by a grant from the National Science Foundation, the environmental studies faculty has designed the foundation course in environmental studies to include a significant research component. The senior capstone courses also involve extensive research projects. In addition to research opportunities in other required and elective courses, honors projects, independent projects and senior scholar projects are also options. Research assistantships are available each summer and during the academic year that enable students to work with faculty on specific environmental research projects. For more information, visit the student research page.

Study Abroad Environmental Studies students may participate in a variety of study abroad programs all over the world. A list of approved programs is available through the Off-Campus Study Office. For more information, visit our ES study abroad opportunities page.

Internships Students may apply for field experience credit for research conducted off campus during the summer or January. Colby's Environmental Studies Coordinator and program faculty not only help to locate desirable off-campus employment and internship possibilities, but they also help students to match the internship opportunity to their individual academic programs. Stipends from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation are available to help support internships. For more information on environmental studies internships visit our internship page. For more information on the Mellon grant to the Environmental Studies Program visit the Mellon Grant.

Student Activities The Environmental Studies Club works to enhance a sense of community within the ES Program by hosting social events, attending and organizing environmental conferences, volunteering at ES Program events, introducing lecturers at colloquia, providing a network for students to discuss academic issues, and reaching out to prospective students through the admissions office. The ES Program Student Advisory Committee is another way for students to be involved with the ES Program. In addition, students from the ES Program regularly serve on the Environmental Advisory Group, which is responsible for advising the president on campus sustainability initiatives. More information on campus greening initiatives can be found at our Green Colby page. For more information on student activities, visit our student page.

Maine's Environment and Field Research Opportunities

Maine is an ideal location to study the environment. With oceans, lakes, mountains, wetlands, and countless other habitats nearby. Many Environmental Studies courses at Colby have field components. For example, the capstone class for seniors in the Environmental Studies/Science major involves a research project which investigates water quality of a local lake and the impact of human activity in the watershed.

Campus Facilities

	The three recently remodeled science buildings and the F.W. Olin Science Center have excellent teaching and research laboratories furnished with the necessary equipment to undertake sophisticated environmental investigations.
	Colby students have access to state-of-the-art Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Laboratories. The laboratories have mapping tools that enable them to create sophisticated computerized maps, analyze complex spatial data, and produce professional-looking cartographic output.
	The Diamond Building for social sciences and interdisciplinary studies is located at the southwest corner of Colby Green. The ES Program has dedicated office, teaching, and research space in this building.

Off-Campus Field Research Opportunities

Perkins Arboretum The entire 714-acre Colby campus is a State Wildlife Management Area. Colby's Perkins Arboretum on the east side of the campus is a 128-acre wildlife refuge used as an outdoor laboratory and also has cross-country running and ski trails.
Colby-Marston Bog Preserve The Colby-Marston Preserve is a 34-acre classic kettle-hole sphagnum bog located 20 minutes from campus. Biology, geology, and ecology classes use the bog, which is a National Park Service Registered National Landmark, for field teaching and research.
Colby-Hume Center The Colby-Hume Center is a 10-acre parcel of land with 450 feet of lakefront, located seven miles from the campus on Messalonskee Lake. There are boathouses and docks used for studies of the lake environment.

Accomplishments of the ES Program
The Environmental Studies Program has been recognized as a national leader in innovative education and has been supported by grants from public and private foundations, including the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Oak Foundation, and the National Science Foundation. In addition, Colby has earned the Environmental Merit Award from the New England Office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognizing the College for combining strong academic environmental programs with tangible actions to reduce the environmental impact of its campus operations. For more information, visit our merit award page. Our ES majors have also been honored with various national fellowships.

Campus Greening
Colby has an active Environmental Advisory Group that was formed by President Adams to advise him on issues associated with campus sustainability. Members of the Environmental Studies program (both students and faculty) are active members of this committee and participants in Green Colby initiatives. For more information see: visit the Green Colby website.

Careers
Environmental studies graduates are employed by federal and state agencies, private and public organizations, and consulting firms. Approximately 70% of Colby graduates eventually undertake graduate study, and the ES Program provides a strong foundation to prepare students for graduate school. Many graduates go directly into consulting firms, non-profit activist organizations, government agencies, or research institutions. Others proceed to top graduate programs, including law and public health programs, after Colby. For more information, visit our Career Resources page.

For further information about the Environmental Studies Program, please contact Russ Cole.