The Skidmore College Environmental Studies and Sciences Department (ESS) builds upon and enhances the mission of the College. ESS helps students become environmentally literate citizens. Such citizens as consumers, parents, voters, and community leaders will serve society by acting responsibly as we face the environmentally related challenges of the coming century. Secondly, the program provides an understanding of the connections between academic fields and an interdisciplinary perspective in the preparation of students interested in environmentally oriented career paths in a wide diversity of disciplines.

Students and faculty in ESS investigate the interrelationships among cultural traditions, social change, and institutions, and the physical and biological environment in which we live. Because of their increasing complexity, emerging environmental issues require knowledge, methods, and responses that flow from many disciplines. Hence, ESS depends heavily on an appropriately balanced understanding of many perspectives drawn from the natural and social sciences, humanities, arts, and pre-professional programs. The ESS major culminates in a team-oriented capstone project, ES 375, that merges theory into practice by employing the student's environmental skills and knowledge in the examination and presentation of an environmental issue.

Below are the departmental learning goals mapped to College-wide goals for student learning.

Basic Concepts. The students should be able to:

• Understand ways that the social world and the natural world function as well as how they influence and are influenced by environmental issues. (I.a, I.c)
• Understand the utility of an interdisciplinary perspective for studying interrelationships between humans and their environment and the issues that result from these interrelationships. (I.c, II.b)
• Appreciate the complexity and importance of environmental issues across time and space. Specifically, students should be able to appreciate contemporary, historical, and future environmental issues as well as the interrelationships of local, regional, national, international and global environmental issues. (II.a, II.b)
• Understand various intended and unintended consequences of human responses to environmental issues. (I.a, II.a, II.b)
• Appreciate environmental issues and personal responsibilities as a member of a community, which includes the Skidmore campus community and beyond. (III.a, III.b)
• Examine how personal and community values, ethical dimensions, and social justice relate to environmental problems. (I.b, II.e, III.a)

Skills and application. The students should be able to:

• Work in collaborative and interdisciplinary contexts to address environmental concerns. (III.c)
• Generate a precise, nuanced thesis or research question, group and sequence ideas logically, and write effectively for a variety of audiences (e.g., op-ed pieces, service learning reports, class research projects, lab assignments). (II.c)
• Select, interpret, and create appropriate images, visual media, and data visualizations to aid in their analyses and oral and written communications.  (II.c)
• Prepare and deliver a clear, cohesive, and effective message and/or presentation that is well-organized, has a logical flow, and includes appropriate supporting materials. (II.c, III.c)
• Identify, use, and manage appropriate technologies (e.g., GIS, statistics, MATLAB, Excel) to acquire and analyze data and/or information and to communicate their results, findings, and/or conclusions. (II.b, II.c)
• Critically evaluate and create information and situate it in the appropriate information landscape or context, acknowledging sources and using information with integrity. (II.a, IV.a)
• Apply knowledge and skills to develop informed actions regarding environmental issues. (III.d, IV.a)

All ESS seniors participate in a year-long research-based capstone experience. Teams of students conduct original community-based research focused on a single, local environmental issue. Each team uses a different disciplinary perspective and approach to investigate the issue, and hence the class as a whole is immersed in an interdisciplinary exploration of environmental issues. The course culminates in the presentation of the research projects to ESS faculty, students, and community members.

The capstone courses are described below. ES 374 is taken during the fall, and ES 375 is taken during the spring.

ES 374 - ESS Research Capstone: Design and Methods (Credits: 2)

The first half of the ESS Capstone sequence. Student teams will select a community-based, natural or social sciences environmental problem and learn how to launch a formal research project. Preparation includes drafting a research plan (purpose or hypothesis, literature review, and methods) and developing data collection and analysis plans. Teams will present their research proposals to the class and begin collecting data for their projects.

Prerequisites: Senior standing and declared environmental studies or environmental science major.

ES 375 - ESS Research Capstone: Data Collection, Analysis, and Communication (Credits: 4)

A research capstone in environmental studies and sciences. Student teams implement their research plans developed in ES 374 and learn data analysis techniques, and they develop skills in manuscript writing, professional presentation, and communication of environmental issues. The research experience culminates in a formal public presentation to faculty, students, and community stakeholders. A portion of the course is also dedicated to professional development, including resume design, interview skills, and internship, employment, and graduate opportunities. 

Prerequisites:  ES 374

Studying away — either abroad or through a domestic off-campus program — is a common part of the ESS experience at Skidmore, with 80% to 90% of majors participating. While not required, students apply through the Office of Off-Campus Study and Exchanges (OCSE) and work with their academic advisor to select programs and courses that strengthen their academic focus. Environmental studies majors should complete two of their three core courses before studying away, and environmental science majors should complete both core courses. Up to two courses per semester abroad may count toward the major, though courses taken away cannot substitute for required core courses. Skidmore also offers faculty-led travel seminars that combine semester coursework with immersive field experiences around the world.

• Learn more about Off-Campus Study & Exchanges
• Search OCSE program offerings
  • To explore ESS-specific programs, go to the ‘Parameters’ search box and click the ‘Environmental Studies and Sciences’ search term under ‘Departmental Approval,’ and then 'Search' to see the list of ESS-approved programs. Note that ESS students are not required to choose an ESS-approved program.
• Explore faculty-led seminars

To subscribe to the ESS Department newsletter, and/or receive a PDF copy of the most recent version, please contact Anne Ernst at agallagh@skidmore.edu. 

Students can also connect with alumni and learn about opportunities through: 

• Join the Skidmore Environmental Studies and Sciences LinkedIn group
• Follow Skidmore Environmental Studies and Sciences on Instagram
• Connect with Skidmore Environmental Studies and Sciences on Facebook