Earth and Environmental Systems
Natural resources and the environment is an interdisciplinary environmental major that integrates coursework in forest ecosystems and geology with the broad range of potential environmental coursework offered at Sewanee.
Requirements for the Major in Natural Resources and the Environment
The major requires successful completion of the following:
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Course Requirements | ||
| FORS 121 | Introduction to Forestry (Lab) | 4 |
| GEOL 121 | Physical Geology (Lab) | 4 |
| FORS/GEOL 332 | Oral Presentations | 2 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
Any lab course in biology (BIOL) | ||
| Field Investigations in Biology | ||
| Entomology | ||
| Foundations of Chemistry | ||
| General Chemistry (Lab) | ||
| Foundations of Global Warming | ||
| Select four core courses in natural resources from the following: | 16 | |
| Dendrology (Lab) | ||
| Forest and Watershed Restoration (Lab) | ||
| Soils (Lab) | ||
| Forest Ecology (Lab) | ||
| Silviculture | ||
| Natural Resource Management and Decisions | ||
| Mineralogy (Lab) | ||
| Historical Geology (Lab) | ||
| Sedimentology (Lab) | ||
| Economic Geological Resources (Lab) | ||
| Hydrology (Lab) | ||
| Field and Structural Geology (Lab) | ||
| Select three additional approved electives from the following: 1 | 12 | |
Any course in biology (BIOL) numbered 130 or higher | ||
Any course in chemistry (CHEM) | ||
Any course in environmental studies (ENST) | ||
Any course in environmental science (ESCI) | ||
Any course in forestry (FORS) | ||
Any course in geology (GEOL) | ||
Any course in physics (PHYS) | ||
| Archaeology of the Cumberland Plateau | ||
| North American Archaeology | ||
| Field School in Archaeology | ||
| Environmental Archaeology | ||
| Archaeological Resource Management and Policy | ||
| Environmental Economics | ||
| Environmental History | ||
| Oil: The Fuel of Globalization | ||
| Environmental Ethics | ||
| Political Theory of the Environment | ||
| International Environmental Policy | ||
| Religious Environmentalism | ||
| Religion and Ecology | ||
| Buddhism and the Environment | ||
| Total Semester Hours | 42 | |
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Additional Requirements | ||
| A comprehensive examination | ||
| Department capstone requirement, which may be satisfied by: | ||
| a. Receiving a grade of C or higher on the Elberton Project undertaken in GEOL 320 - Petrology; | ||
| b. Completing no earlier than the second semester of their junior year an independent study project that culminates in a technical paper or a presentation at Scholarship Sewanee; or, | ||
| c. Completing ESCI 450 during the spring semester of their senior year. | ||
| 1 | Electives are chosen by the student, in consultation with his/her faculty advisor, to match the student’s specific interests. ENST 101 is recommended. |
Required for B.S. (but not for B.A.) in Natural Resources and the Environment
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Course Requirements | ||
| Select two lab science courses not in forestry and geology (chemistry recommended) | 8 | |
| Select two additional courses in mathematics or science | 8 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 16 | |
Writing-Intensive Course in the Major Requirement
Students majoring in forestry, geology, or natural resources and the environment can satisfy their writing-in-the-major requirement by:
- Successfully completing a designated writing-intensive course in the department, or
- Successfully completing three forestry and/or geology designated “writing portfolio” courses. Written and edited scientific papers from each writing portfolio course are to be compiled into a scientific writing portfolio by each student, and maintained by the advisor.
The following courses are designated as writing portfolio or writing-intensive courses in the Department of Earth and Environmental Systems. Other courses may be approved as such during some years. In exceptional cases and by faculty permission, one of the three writing portfolio courses might be fulfilled by FORS 444 or GEOL 444.
Writing Portfolio Courses in the Department of Earth and Environmental Systems (three required):
| Code | Title | Semester Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Forestry Major | ||
| FORS 204 | Forest Wildlife Management (project report) | 4 |
| FORS 262 | Forest and Watershed Restoration (Lab) (class paper) | 4 |
| FORS 305 | Forest Ecology (Lab) (lab report or paper) | 4 |
| FORS 312 | Silviculture (lab report or paper) | 4 |
| FORS 319 | Natural Resource Management and Decisions (project report) | 4 |
| Geology Major | ||
| GEOL 222 | Historical Geology (Lab) (term paper) | 4 |
| GEOL 305 | Economic Geological Resources (Lab) (field trip report) | 4 |
| GEOL 314 | Hydrology (Lab) (lab report) | 4 |
| GEOL 320 | Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology (Lab) | 4 |
| Natural Resources and the Environment Major | ||
| FORS 204 | Forest Wildlife Management (project report) | 4 |
| FORS 262 | Forest and Watershed Restoration (Lab) (class paper) | 4 |
| FORS 305 | Forest Ecology (Lab) (lab report or paper) | 4 |
| FORS 312 | Silviculture (lab report or paper) | 4 |
| FORS 319 | Natural Resource Management and Decisions (project report) | 4 |
| GEOL 222 | Historical Geology (Lab) (term paper) | 4 |
| GEOL 305 | Economic Geological Resources (Lab) (field trip report) | 4 |
| GEOL 314 | Hydrology (Lab) (lab report) | 4 |
| GEOL 320 | Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology (Lab) | 4 |