Fact Sheet 07: Environmental Programs

Revised June 2007

Environmental Programs

If you are interested in the study of the environment, you have a wide variety of curricular options to choose from at West Chester University, ranging from formal degree programs to general-interest course work. Environmental study is not centralized in one academic department on campus, so after reviewing the information below, you are encouraged to contact the specific department offering the program of particular interest.

Career Opportunities

There is a continuing need for environmental professionals throughout the country, and especially in the tri-state Delaware Valley area. As a graduate, you can find employment in the public sector as well as in private corporations and nonprofit agencies. Organizations that have hired environmental professionals from West Chester University include the following:

Chester County Health Department
Chester County Planning Commission
E.I. Dupont, Inc.
Environmental Resources Management, Inc.
I.C.I. Americas, Inc.
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
Philadelphia Department of Public Health
Weston Solutions, Inc.
SUN Company
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Geological Survey

As an environmental graduate from West Chester University, you will engage in work as varied as the programs of study. Typical activities include sampling water, air, and soils for environmental pollutants; conducting ecological surveys of plant and animal communities; studying the design and operation of pollution control facilities; ensuring compliance with environmental laws; mapping environmental data; teaching; and responding to environmental emergencies. Graduate study also is an option that you can pursue.

Undergraduate Degrees

Bachelor of Science in Biology - Ecology Concentration. Offered by the Department of Biology, this program gives you a strong background in field biology. The required core curriculum and concentration electives provide opportunities for later careers as biologists. Internships are highly encouraged as a part of the curriculum. Course work emphasizes skills obtained in biology, chemistry, and mathematics. Additional course work from other departments may be recommended.

Bachelor of Science in Geoscience - Geology Concentration. The Department of Geology and Astronomy offers this program if you are pursuing a career in the environmental consulting industry (including local, state, and federal agencies). Degree recipients possess the educational requirements to seek licensure as a certified professional geologist, the primary professional credential for consulting geoscientists. The core curriculum emphasizes areas pertinent to environmental work such as earth materials, geochemistry, geologic structures, geophysics, and hydrology. Analytic skills, hands-on training in field methods and modern technology, and written and oral skills are incorporated in a majority of the course work. You most likely will complete an internship as part of your studies.

Bachelor of Science in Public Health - Environmental Health. The Department of Health offers this program if you are interested in preserving indoor and outdoor environmental quality (air, water, and land) as a means of protecting human health. The environmental health discipline requires preparation in the sciences and math followed by specialized environmental health courses in areas including toxicology, epidemiology, industrial hygiene, risk assessment, and environmental regulations. You will apply your learning in hands-on laboratory courses and through field work. All students are placed in a one-semester senior internship that is arranged and closely supervised by faculty. Often these internships lead to offers of full-time employment.

Certification Program in Environmental Education. This interdisciplinary program, offered by the Department of Professional and Secondary Education, enables you as a teacher-education major to secure certification to teach and administer environmental education programs. The certification is K-12, and you must be enrolled in or have completed a teacher-certification program in an area other than environmental education. The curriculum is a mixture of existing courses from the physical, social, and behavioral sciences, as well as courses specifically designed for the environmental educator. If you wish to explore this program, you should consult with the coordinator of environmental education.

In addition to these formal degree/certification programs, you can pursue environmental study as part of the programs leading to the B.S. in geoscience offered by the Department of Geology and Astronomy, and the B.A. in geography offered by the Department of Geography and Planning.

Minor in Environmental Health

T?he environmental health minor provides an opportunity for those in a wide range of majors to learn more about how the environment affects human health and how to protect people from environmental hazards. The curriculum for this 18-credit minor includes three required courses in essential environmental health areas and three other approved, environmental elective courses. You can use this knowledge in your daily life and apply it to the practice of your major field of interest. Concepts and skills learned in these courses can enhance your professional career. Contact the Department of Health for more information about this minor.

Advanced Degrees

If you are interested in ecology, you may emphasize this area within the M.S. in biology degree. You also may concentrate in land management and conservation within the M.A. in geography degree. For those interested in human health protection, the master of public health (M.P.H.), offered by the Department of Health, features a focused elective track in environmental health, as well as a graduate certificate in emergency preparedness in public health.

Typical Courses

Eight departments across the University offer more than 100 environmental courses ranging from introductory courses for nonmajors to advanced graduate courses. Courses include the following:

Aquatic Biology
Bioterrorism and Public Health
Conservation of Natural Resources
Emergency Preparedness
Environmental and Resource Economics
Environmental Geochemistry
Environmental Geology
Environmental Regulations
Environmental Toxicology
General Ecology
Hazardous and Solid Wastes
Humans and the Environment
Hydrology
Industrial Hygiene
Land Use Planning
Limnology
Risk Assessment
Water Quality and Health
Wetlands

Special Study Opportunities

Under a special partnership with the Amazon Center for Environmental Education and Research (ACEER), you may participate in credit and noncredit workshops, internships, and faculty-student research projects in the Amazon rainforest and the cloud forest of the Andes Mountains of Peru. Workshop topics include rainforest ecology, cloud forest ecology, tropical water quality, environmental education, tropical medicine, botanical medicine, and more. Internships and research are hosted at ACEER's environmental centers near Puerto Maldonado, Cusco, and Iquitos. Visit www.aceer.org for more information.

Extensive laboratory and computing facilities exist to support environmental study on campus. Included are the Center for Advanced Scientific Imaging with the latest laser and electron beam instruments, bioassay and ecology labs, student computing centers, geographic information system laboratories, and an environmental analytical laboratory with state-of-the-art instrumentation. In addition, the 100-acre Robert B. Gordon Natural Area for Environmental Studies is located on South Campus. For programs requiring internships, an extensive network of placement sites within government and industry exists.

Related Student Activities

Many departments have student majors clubs and all students on campus can participate in the Earth Club. In addition, a series of lectures and guest presentations on environmental themes is given throughout the year.

Faculty

You can obtain a complete listing of environmental faculty from the departments listed below. If writing, add West Chester University, West Chester, PA 19383.

For More Information

Ecology
Department of Biology
175 Schmucker North
610-436-2538

Environmental Education
Department of Professional and Secondary Education
207B Recitation Hall
610-436-2958

Geoscience
Department of Geology and Astronomy
207 Boucher Hall
610-436-2727

Environmental Health
Department of Health
207 Sturzebecker Health Sciences Center
610-436-2931