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The study of environmental sciences concerns interactions taking place at the Earth's surface- the site of intersection of the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere, as well as our home as human beings. Accordingly, environmental studies are of necessity broadly multidisciplinary. Understanding of the Earth's responses to local and global perturbations requires that we focus our study on the interactions between inorganic, biologic and societal processes, not only in the present day, but through history and over geologic time as well. These interactions are best viewed as a dynamic, interlinked system. Understanding the structure of this system has become one of the most important long-term problems facing society in light of humankind's increasing capacity- and increasing eagerness- to alter the environment.

The Environmental Sciences Concentration at Bryn Mawr allows students to explore the interactions between the geosphere, biosphere, and human societies. The concentration, offered jointly by the Departments of Anthropology, Biology, and Geology, takes the form of concentrations in each of the three departments. Thus students interested primarily in the biological aspects of environmental science may enroll in the Environmental Concentration in Biology, whereas those more interested in the geology and issues of global climate change should enroll in the Environmental Concentration in Geology. Finally, students wishing to explore the evolution and adaptation of human societies from an environmental perspective may enroll in the Environmental Concentration in Anthropology. Thus the concentration consists of three distinct tracks, each of which is grounded in a more established discipline. This structure accommodates the interdisciplinary background necessary for and environmental educatio while maintaining a home for the student within a more traditional field. It is anticipated that students with an environmental science concentration also will enroll in relevant courses in the social sciences and humanities, recommended below.

Requirements for the Environmental Sciences Concentration in each of the three departments are structured to encourage discourse between the disciplines. All concentrators begin with pertinent introductory courses in each department, and all enroll in Principles of Ecology. From there, concentrators diverge into tracks reflecting their specialization within Anthropology, Biology, or Geology. Even within these more specialized tracks interdisciplinary courses are stressed. Finally, all concentrators reconvene in a senior seminar in which they make presentations and discuss in depth a single environmental issue, set by mutual consent at the beginning of the semester, from their diverse perspectives.

Core courses for all students in the Concentration
Required:
     Anth 101 Introduction to Anthropology
     An introductory biology course:
             Biology majors take Biology 101, 102;
             Anthropology and Geology majors may take Biology 103
     Biol 220 Principles of Ecology
     Geol 103 Introduction to Earth System Science and the
              Environment
     Senior Seminar in Environmental Sciences

Recommended (one or more of the following):
     Urban Culture and Society (CITY 185)
     Principles of Economics (Econ 105)
     Taming the Modern Corporation (Econ 213)
     Public Finance (Econ 214)
     Environmental Economics (Econ 234)
     Comparative Political Movements: Environmentalism(Pols 222)

Courses outside of the Anthropology Department (one or more of the following):
     Evolution (Anth/Biol/Geol/Psyc 236)
     Biology and Public Policy (Biol 210)
     Evolutionary Biology: Advanced Topics (Biol/Geol 336)
     Environmental Toxicology (Biol 209)
     Energy, Resources and the Environment (Geol 206)

Courses in the Anthropology Department:
     Introduction to Anthropology (Anth 102)
     History of Anthropological Theory (Anth 303)
     Human Ecology (Anth 203) or Political Ecology (Anth 324)
     Senior Conference in Anthropology (Anth 398, 399)
     One ethnographic area course which focuses on the cultures
          of a single region
     Three additional 200- or 300-level courses in Anthropology

    Courses outside of the Biology Department:

 General Chemistry (Chem 101/103; 104) 
 Organic Chemistry (Chem 211, 212)
 Introductory Physics (Phys 101, 102)
 One additional course in Geology, such as:
         Natural Hazards and Human Populations
                (Geol 209)
 One additional course in Anthropology, such as:
          Human Ecology (Anth 203)
          Human Evolution (Anth 209)
          Medical Anthropology (Anth 210)
          Political Ecology (Anth 324)

             Three 200- or 300-level lab courses in biology;
             such as:
                        Genetics (Biology 201)
                        Organismal Biology (Biology 301)
                        Animal Physiology (Biology 303)
                        Field Ecology (Biology 308)
                        Introduction to Biochemistry (Biology 341)
                        Other courses may be substituted with departmental approval

             One Senior Seminar and Research Tutorial (Biology 390, 391, 392, 393, 394,
                                                                                     395, 403, or 405)

   Recommended:

     Calculus and Analytic Geometry (Mathematics 101, 102)
     Elements of Probability and Statistics (Mathematics 104); or equivalent
     Environmental Toxicology (Biology 209)
     Biology and Public Policy (Biology 210)
     Evolution (Anthropology/Biology/Geology/Psychology 236)
     Evolutionary Biology: Advanced Topics (Biology/Geology 336)
     Computational Models of Biological Organization (Biology 367)

Courses outside of the Geology Department:

General Chemistry (Chem 101/103; 104)
Calculus and Analytic Geometry (Math 101, 102)
One additional course in Anthropology; such as

Human Ecology ( Anth 203)
Human Evolution (Anth 209)
Medical Anthropology (Anth 210)
Political Ecology (Anth 324)

How the Earth Works (Geol 101) or
Historical Geology (Geol 102)
Crystallography and Optical Mineralogy (Geol 201)
Descriptive Mineralogy and Mineral Paragenesis (Geol 202)
Sedimentary Materials and Environments (Geol 205)
Biogeochemical Cycling (Geol 315)

One additional 300-level course in Geology or Biology, such as:

Low-temperature Geochemistry (Geol 302)
Geochemistry of Crystalline Rocks (Geol 301)
Advanced Sedimentary Geology (Geol 306)
Evolutionary Biology:Advanced Topics (Biol/Geol 236)
Independent Research (Geol 401)

Recommended:
         Evolution (Anth/Biol/Geol/Psyc 236)
         Biology and Public Policy (Biol 210)
         Organic Chemistry (Chem 211, 212)
         Inorganic Chemistry (Chem 231)
         Energy, Resources and the Environment (Geol 206)
         Elements of Probability and Statistics (Math 104); or
           equivalent
         Introductory Physics (Phys 101, 102)