Westfield State University’s Department of Environmental Science offers an interdisciplinary major in Environmental Science. In 2010, the University expanded the former Environmental Science Program to create the Department of Environmental Science. This reflects the demand for the major – ENVS is one of the fastest growing majors on campus – and the University’s broad commitment to and emphasis on environmental issues. The University recently placed second in the nation in the RecycleMania Tournament, earning the EPA’s Environmental Merit Award for 2010. WSU is one of the few colleges in the country to have an entire department dedicated to Environmental Science; the program is one of the largest and oldest environmental science programs in the Northeast.

Located on the edge of the Berkshire Mountains, Westfield State University is uniquely situated between mountains, rivers, forests, and other natural ecosystems on one side and urban areas such as Springfield, Holyoke, and Northampton on the other. This location provides numerous opportunities for hands-on field learning experiences. The major combines coursework in Environmental Science, Biology, Geography, Regional Planning, and other disciplines, while emphasizing the interdependence of the natural and social sciences. Students select from such courses as Environmental Analysis, Environmental Biology, Ecology, Aquatic Biology, Marine Biology, Environmental Impact Analysis, Land Resource Analysis, Green Cities, Water Resource Management, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

An important aspect of the major is our emphasis on fieldwork and hands-on learning, such as the Water Resource Management course’s canoe trips on the Westfield River and nearby lakes, and the Marine Biology’s 3-day field trip to the Maine coast each spring to collect marine samples. Classes are small providing much one-on-one contact with faculty. The major culminates in a capstone experience: either a Senior Internship, where students work off campus in an environmental position that matches their interests, or a Senior Seminar / Independent Study, where students do independent research on an environmental topic working under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of the major, students have the flexibility to tailor their coursework and educational experience to suit their personal interests and goals for the future.

Students typically get jobs working for environmental consulting firms; industries concerned about pollutants and toxic waste by-products; local, state, or federal government agencies; or environmental conservation groups and non-profits. The work often involves planning development; monitoring compliance with environmental laws; monitoring air, groundwater, or surface water quality; and remediating environmental damage.

The primary mission of the Department of Environmental Science is to provide a service-oriented, interdisciplinary and collaborative program which helps students to:

• Develop an understanding of the natural world,
• Identify problems that arise from human interactions with the environment,
• Search for scientific solutions to these problems, and
• Develop plans to implement those solutions.

The major requires 35-40 credit hours depending on the laboratory experiences the student selects.

For more information about the Environmental Science major, contact the Chair, Prof. Michael Vorwerk, at (413) 572-5305, or visit our homepage.

Programs

• Environmental Science Minor
• Environmental Science, B.S.

Courses

• ENVS 0106 - Introduction to Environmental Analysis
• ENVS 0233 - Environmental Legislation
• ENVS 0236 - Environmental Analysis II
• ENVS 0238 - Environmental Impact Analysis
• ENVS 0245 - Sustainable Energy
• ENVS 0251 - Water Resources Planning and Management
• ENVS 0317 - Special Topics in Environmental Science
• ENVS 0350 - Environmental Science Internship
• ENVS 0352 - Planning Green Sustainable Cities
• ENVS 0390 - Environmental Science Senior Seminar
• ENVS 0399 - Independent Reasearch