Designed to meet the needs of
environmental professionals and educators wishing to pursue a graduate degree part-time while working full-time during the day. The Hood program is unique in Maryland because courses are offered in the evenings with some supplementary field and laboratory activities on Saturdays. We have the only part-time environmental program in the region that allows students the opportunity to conduct thesis research as part of their degree.
The program provides excellent preparation for students who wish to update their knowledge -- (i.e. science teachers, etc.)-- and those who are interested in obtaining the background knowledge needed to move into an
environmental career.
Our Mission
The Environmental Biology at Hood College strives to educate its students in processes that keep our air, water, land, and their respective resources clean and sustainable. Our students become well versed in the latest research on environmental biology’s most pressing issues which include global warming, sustainable ecosystems, and invasive ecology. Our students learn current, effective techniques for analyzing these issues, such as hands-on training in Geographic Information Systems (or GIS). Our program continues to value close partnerships between its students and faculty by maintaining moderate enrollment and a low student-to-faculty ratio. Our program’s ultimate goal is to have our graduates emerge with an expertise in environmental biology that will enable them to assume key positions in the public and private sectors charged with protecting our environmental future.
All entering students must have completed undergraduate course work in biology (2 semesters), chemistry (2 semesters) and mathematics (1 semester).
A required core of courses provides students with a comprehensive background in all aspects of environmental biology. Students will be able to place environmental issues into a broad social, political and economic context; but the primary core course emphasis will be on using environmental biology principles to identify and solve environmental problems.
Core Courses Required of All Students Regardles of which track is chosen, students must complete the following courses:
- ENV 501 Introduction to Environmental Biology (3 credits)
- ENV 502 Principles of Ecology (3 credits)
- ENV 503 Pollution Biology (3 credits)
- ENV 505 Biostatistics (3 credits)
- ENV 507 Natural Resource Management (3 credits)
All students must complete
one of the following
- ENV 513 Marine Ecology (3 credits)
- ENV 512 Insect Ecology (3 credits)
- ENV 541 Behavioral Ecology (3 credits)
- ENV 551 Plant Ecology (3 credits)
- ENV 563 Freshwater Ecology (3 credits)
Thesis Track Students in this track must complete 6 elective credits, as well as ENV 515 Research Design and Data Analysis and 580 Thesis (6 credits) for a program total of 33 credits. This research thesis is designed to promote critical thinking, hypothesis testing and the use of descriptive and inferential statistical techniques.
