Environmental Studies: Graduate

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Brian Wygal, Interim Director
Science Building, Room 310
p – (516) 877-4174
f – (516) 877-4485
e – bwygal@adelphi.edu
w – environmental-studies.adelphi.edu

Administration

Aaren Freeman, Associate Professor & Graduate Coordinator of Environmental Studies Program
Science Building, Room 120
p – (516) 237-8546
e – afreeman@adelphi.edu

Faculty

Master of Science (M.S.) in Environmental Studies

(36 credits)

Environmental Studies is an interdisciplinary field of knowledge that encompasses aspects of scientific, political, social, and economic disciplines. A working knowledge of these fields is necessary for the analysis, remediation, and protection of a multitude of environmental problems on local, national, or global scales. The Environmental Studies program permits students to become conversant with the breadth of environmental problems and possible solutions, while achieving a strong, experience-based concentration in one of the specific disciplines within the field.

There are two basic curricular concentrations open to the student who wishes to pursue the Master of Science degree in Environmental Studies. A student can elect a concentration in the global physical environment  or in the global human environment. In the latter, specializations in environment and health  and business/environmental economics  are available.

Opportunities exist, within each concentration, for the student to make program selections that reflect areas of faculty and student interest. For example, such selections could focus on:

• The physical, chemical, biological, and biochemical aspects of pollutant detection;
• The cultural, societal, epidemiological, public health, paleontological, and paleopathological effects of environmental perturbations; and
• The economic, governmental, and social interactions consequent to environmental concerns.

The Master of Science in Environmental Studies prepares students for further study or careers in many industrial, regulatory, political, economic, and educational settings. The program is composed of 36 credits of course work, incorporating classroom, laboratory, field opportunities, and either a thesis or internship. The optional culmination in a thesis provides additional flexibility for the student with more specific career or educational goals. Full-time students can anticipate three semesters of 12 credits each. Field classes, internships, and research are also offered during the summer months.

Admission

The requirements for admission to the master’s program are a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies or a related field, and demonstrated promise of successful achievement in the field. Work experience in related environmental fields will be considered with regard to the above requirements. Students are admitted as regularly matriculated students or on an initial provisional basis as non-degree students. Graduate Record Examination scores are not required. Applicants should contact the program director for further information.

Note: It is not necessary for an undergraduate student at Adelphi University to complete the bachelor’s degree before entering the graduate program. By careful scheduling of courses it should be possible for a student to complete both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees within 5 years.

Concentrations

The selected area of concentration encompasses the majority of the course work for the student. Directed research, fieldwork, and electives, may be associated with the concentration. In following the global physical environment or the global human environment, the student acquires a technical and theoretical level of sophistication in areas fundamental to the contemporary study of the environment.

Emergency Management Program

Environmental graduate students may take selected courses in the Emergency Management Graduate Program  toward their degree requirements. Students should consult with their advisor prior to taking Emergency Management Program coursework. Up to 8 credits of Emergency Management coursework may be applied to the 36 credits required for the Environmental Studies M.S. degree. Relevant courses in Emergency Management include:

• UEM (0616) 501 - Introduction to Emergency Management
    
• UEM (0616) 503 - Health Management in Times of Disaster
    

Programs

• Environmental Studies: The Global Human Environment Concentration, Specialization in Business/Environmental Economics, M.S.
• Environmental Studies: The Global Human Environment Concentration, Specialization in Environment and Health, M.S.
• Environmental Studies: The Global Physical Environment Concentration, M.S.
• Specialization in Education/Earth Science Certification

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