State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry
AC-3: Undergraduate Program

The Environmental Studies (ES) program emphasizes interdisciplinary social science, humanities, and natural science approaches to environmental understanding and stewardship. The program maintains a strong academic orientation, facilitating student and faculty engagement with fundamental environmental challenges and dynamics such as multiple and conflicting levels of environmental governance, participatory democracy, sustainable development, uses and limits of scientific prediction, discourses of environment, cultural expressions of nature, risk, and ecological sustainability.

Concentrations within this degree program include:

-Environment, Communication and Society
-Environmental Policy, Planning and Law
-Natural Systems Applications

The Sustainable Energy Management (SEM) program introduces students to a wide range of energy markets and resources with flexibility for student-centered learning in the understanding and managing energy systems. SEM combines professional competency in management skills with a strong foundation in the social and biophysical sciences. The study of sustainable energy use and the development of sustainable sources of energy have become critical national and global issues. It is essential that our society and energy professionals gain an understanding of production and conversion of different forms of energy, their current and future supplies, the markets and policy mechanisms that regulate their supply, and the associated impacts on the environment for each fuel. SEM exposes students to a variety of disciplines and issues related energy supply and use. Experiential field learning is combined with concepts and skills from the classroom and laboratory. SEM develops professional skills through a broad base of classes in the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities, communication, quantitative and qualitative problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.

Environmental Science (ESC) at ESF is an interdisciplinary degree program that takes full advantage of its location within an environmentally focused college and offers students a variety of courses to choose from, excellent facilities for research and field study, and a level of faculty expertise rarely found at other colleges.The curriculum provides a strong foundation in the sciences and introduces to the interdisciplinary breadth of environmental science. Students have flexibility to satisfy their core requirements by completing courses in biology, chemistry, ecology, geography, engineering, forestry, environmental studies and other areas of study. College-wide general education requirements provide additional opportunities for students to complete courses in the arts, humanities and social sciences to develop a broader context for personal and professional growth. These options encourage students to develop career-related skills and expertise in areas such as environmental analysis, watershed science, environmental information and mapping, earth and atmospheric sciences, environmental health or renewable energy. Students may also develop self-designed minors in environmental science, or pursue a minor in another subject, to tailor their educational program to fit their personal goals.

All degree programs at SUNY-ESF are born out of the college's founding principals of sustainability and environmental stewardship. Sustainability is an integrated theme throughout most degree programs and classes, even if it sometimes not explicitly stated in course or program descriptions. All environmentally-focused degree programs are complimented by SUNY general education requirements in communication, social sciences, humanities, natural sciences, etc. Examples of other sustainability-focused programs are listed below.

Bioprocess Engineering (B.S.) - http://www.esf.edu/pbe/bpe/

Focus on the use of sustainable renewable biomass to replace petroleum in chemicals, pharmaceuticals, energy and industrial products in a sustainable manner.

Chemistry (B.S.) - http://www.esf.edu/chemistry/undergrad/

Focus on finding ways to improve our world including better ways to generate energy; discovering new, useful natural and synthetic materials; making better use of our natural resources; natural processes and the impacts of human activities on our environment.

Conservation Biology (B.S.) - http://www.esf.edu/efb/consbio/

The application of science to conserve the earth's imperiled species and ecosystems, seeking ways to integrate biological perspectives with social, economic, legislative and political ones to achieve conservation goals.

Construction Management (B.S.) - http://www.esf.edu/fnrm/cm/

Prepares students for management careers in the construction industry with additional focus on sustainable construction management.

Environmental Biology (B.S) - http://www.esf.edu/efb/envbio/

A core of required courses that provides a general education, a background in the principles of biological and physical science, and an orientation to natural resources and other environmental concerns.

Environmental Health (B.S.) - http://www.esf.edu/environmentalscience/envhealth/

Focuses on the study of how people interact with their environment: the air and water around us, the plants and animals we encounter, and the workplaces and homes where we spend much of our lives.

Environmental Resources Engineering (B.S.) - http://www.esf.edu/ere/ere/

Engage in teaching, research, and service to advance environmental resources engineering to meet the needs of the world.

Environmental Education and Interpretation (B.S) - http://www.esf.edu/efb/eei/

Teaches people about the natural environment so that they can make informed decisions on how to care for it and reveals meanings and relationships about natural, cultural, historical, and recreational resources.

Forest Resources Management (B.S) - http://www.esf.edu/fnrm/frm/

Combines professional competency with a strong foundation in the biophysical sciences, humanities, and social sciences to meet society's needs for forest managers.

Natural Resources Management (B.S.) - http://www.esf.edu/fnrm/nrm/

Introduces students to a wide range of renewable natural resources with flexibility for student-centered learning and combines professional competency in management skills with a strong foundation in the social and biophysical sciences.

Landscape Architecture (B.L.A.) - http://www.esf.edu/la/undergraduate/

Educates students to contribute in varied ways to society and the wise use of land and landscape by combining the issues of nature, craft, art, technology, science, and professionalism

It is essential that our society and energy professionals gain an understanding of production and conversion of different forms of energy, their current and future supplies, the markets and policy mechanisms that regulate their supply, and the associated impacts on the environment for each fuel. In the past both traditional and renewable energy sources have been studied one resource at a time and usually from the perspective of a single discipline. This minor will provide students an opportunity to examine different sources of traditional and renewable energy simultaneously in the context of our total energy use using a systems perspective. Students will be exposed to views from a variety of disciplines as they wrestle with a wide array of issues related to current and future energy supply and use. The understanding and development of renewable energy requires expertise from a wide range of disciplines. This minor will be interdisciplinary in nature with instructors from different disciplines teaching the core courses

The sustainable construction minor is available to all ESF undergraduates (except students in construction management majors) and prepares students for careers related to sustainable construction. The basic objective of the minor is to provide a fundamental understanding of the sustainable concepts and methods used to take a design into the field and build a quality sustainable structure in the most efficient and effective manner with minimal environmental impact.

Water resources is a multi-disciplinary field that integrates the physical, geochemical and biological processes of the water cycle and their application to management of water resources, water policy, and human dimensions of water quality and quantity. The interdisciplinary minor in water resources is designed as a flexible program for undergraduate students to study and integrate principles of physical hydrology, geochemistry, aquatic and terrestrial ecology, natural resources management, and environmental policy. This interdisciplinary minor can include ESF courses in the Departments of Forest and Natural Resources Management, Environmental Resources and Forest Engineering, Environmental and Forest Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Studies, as well as courses at Syracuse University in relevant departments including Earth Sciences, Geography, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Biology.

Several other sustainability-focused and sustainability-related minors are offered at ESF. Full list and description of sustainability-focused minors is available at: http://www.esf.edu/academics/minors.htm

Forestry Minor

The minor in forestry draws from the biological, physical, social, and managerial sciences. The curriculum aids in understanding the biological complexities of the forest and the interactions between the forest and social and economic demands. The minor is designed to provide students with an appreciation of forest resources management. Course themes include forest measurements, forest ecology, forest management and silviculture, and forest policy and economics.

Native Peoples and the Environment Minor

The Native Peoples and the Environment minor is available to all ESF undergraduates. The interdisciplinary suite of courses provides students with a cohesive introduction to Indigenous cultures, worldviews and knowledge systems and their application to environmental thought. The minor creates a conceptual framework for integrating traditional ecological knowledge with western scientific approaches in service to the science of sustainability. Through the breadth of courses and experiences, students will gain an appreciation for both the global nature and the local context of indigenous issues and the environment. The minor includes a required team taught seminar which enhances opportunities for interdisciplinary and cross-cultural integration.

Urban Forestry Minor

The Urban Forestry minor will provide students with the opportunity to better understand complex human-dominated ecosystems where trees and people coexist in close proximity. Understanding and attempting to manage this complexity requires a basic knowledge of plant physiology, nutrition, and tending at the individual tree level (arboriculture). In addition, the urban forester also must understand the changing dynamic of groups of trees and the effects of those trees on numerous ecosystem services and human health and well-being in a city (urban forestry). Because human activity is so dominant in the urban ecosystem, it is essential that the urban forester have some understanding of ecological interactions and human motivations for sustaining and maintaining existing trees (urban ecology).