2011-12 Master of Environmental Studies (MES)
Application and acceptance to the program is required for core classes and thesis. Special students may take elective courses. All course descriptions and times are subject to change.
Looking for Undergraduate Environmental Studies offerings?
| Title | Standing | Credits | Schedule | F | W | S | Su | Description | Preparatory | Faculty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Year Core | ||||||||||
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Conceptualizing Our Regional Environment (gCORE)
Martha Henderson, Carri LeRoy and Judith Cushing |
GRGraduate | 8 | 6-10p Tue/Thu | F 11Fall | This program provides a framework for understanding current environmental issues from an interdisciplinary perspective. Students will begin to develop the skills to become producers of new knowledge, rather than being strictly learners of information already available. Multiple methods of data acquisition and analysis will be introduced through examples drawn from many fields of study. The philosophy of science and the problematic relationship between science and policy are also introduced. | Martha Henderson Carri LeRoy Judith Cushing | ||||
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Ecological and Social Sustainability
Judith Cushing, Gerardo Chin-Leo and Ralph Murphy |
GRGraduate | 8 | 6-10p Tue/Thu | W 12Winter | Addresses central issues in contemporary sustainability studies on theoretical and practical levels. Emphasis is on ways to promote both environmental and social sustainability. Areas covered may include environmental quality at regional, national and global scales; energy use and alternative energies; resource availability and access to resources; social and cultural issues of sustainability; and indicators to guide policy. As part of this program, students write and present a research paper to provide evidence of their readiness to advance to candidacy. | Judith Cushing Gerardo Chin-Leo Ralph Murphy | ||||
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Research Design and Quantitative Methods
Judith Cushing and Carri LeRoy |
GRGraduate | 8 | 6-10p Tue/Thu | S 12Spring | This third core program explores methods for studying complex environmental phenomena, exposing students to a range of research design and data analysis methods. The primary focus is on the application and interpretation of statistical methods including graphical and tabular summaries, distributions, confidence intervals, t-tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), Chi-square, linear regression, multivariate statistics, and both non-parametric and resampling approaches to these statistical methods. Students also address data management, use software to conduct statistical analyses and hypothesis tests, work in labs to gain hands-on experience, and complete small research design and data analysis projects. | Judith Cushing Carri LeRoy | ||||
| 2nd Year Core | ||||||||||
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Case Studies/Thesis Research Design
Ralph Murphy and Gerardo Chin-Leo |
GRGraduate | 8 | 6-10p Tue/Thu | F 11Fall | Students will examine in detail a variety of environmental problems, using the skills they gained in their first year of MES core studies to carry out individual or small group projects. Students and faculty will also work together to apply what has been learned throughout the core sequence about interdisciplinary environmental research to design individual thesis research plans that will be ready to carry out by the end of the fall quarter of the student's second year. | Ralph Murphy Gerardo Chin-Leo | ||||
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MES Thesis
Various MES Faculty |
GRGraduate | V | Evening | W 12Winter | S 12Spring | To complete their degree, MES students are required to complete a 16 credit thesis,* the prospectus for which is finished in the Fall quarter during Case Studies. At the end of Case Studies, and prior to Winter quarter, students are assigned a faculty mentor, or "reader." Each reader is assigned a CRN (course reference number) for Winter and Spring quarters, and students will be notified of their reader's CRN by email from the MES office prior to registration. Students will register for thesis credits both quarters - eight each quarter. In addition to the thesis, students are required to attend a bi-weekly thesis workshop, which is usually offered every other Tuesday evening throughout the Winter and Spring quarters. Students will be notified of exact details during Winter quarter.*This requirement applies to all students who started MES in Fall 2011 or later. If you started in a prior year, please see your MES student handbook for your specific requirements. | Various MES Faculty | |||
| Electives | ||||||||||
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Environmental Education
Jean MacGregor |
GRGraduate | 4 | 6-10p Mon | F 11Fall | It is widely agreed that an environmentally literate and concerned citizenry is crucial to environmental quality and long-term sustainability --but how and where is environmental and sustainability literacy fostered? And where "environmental education" occurs, is it effective? This class explores the history, philosophical underpinnings, and current trends in environmental education for both youth and adults, in both formal sectors (schools and colleges) and non-formal ones. This class provides a theoretical and practical introduction to the field of environmental education and interpretation. It will be useful to students interested in environmental teaching or communications as a career, or to those whose environmental work might involve education or outreach components. | Jean MacGregor | ||||
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Fall 2011 Approved MPA Courses for MES Students
Various MPA Faculty Members |
GRGraduate | 4 | Evening and Weekend | F 11Fall | MES students have the option of taking up to two 4-credit MPA electives for MES elective credit*. Each quarter, MES will publish approved MPA courses that MES students can take. This quarter, students are eligible to take: MPA electives fill very quickly, so MES students should not be surprised if they are waitlisted at first. | Various MPA Faculty Members | ||||
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GIS and Spatial Analysis
Gregory Stewart |
GRGraduate | 4 | 6-10p Mon | F 11Fall | In this course, we will focus on creating and analyzing spatially-referenced data using ArcGIS. Instruction will be offered through a combination of lecture and lab. Weekly lab assignments are likely to require to use of computing facilities outside of class. By the end of the term, students will have identified and completed a geo-spatial analysis project, which they will present to the class. Students should be well-versed in Microsoft Windows file management, but the course requires no previous experience with ArcGIS. | Gregory Stewart | ||||
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Global and Regional Climate Change
Kurt Unger |
GRGraduate | 4 | 6-10p Wed | F 11Fall | Focus: the science and policy of global and regional climate change. This elective will address questions such as these: How does current climate change differ from past changes? How do climate change models work? What are some of the key effects of climate change? How are policy makers addressing climate change, what should they be doing and what can individuals do? We will also discuss the roles of technology and the media, as well as a variety of economic, legal, political and social perspectives. | Kurt Unger | ||||
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MES Individual Learning Contract
Various MES Faculty |
GRGraduate | 2, 4 | F 11Fall | W 12Winter | S 12Spring | Su 12Summer | An MES student may arrange an individual learning contract with an MES faculty member if available elective courses or internships do not satisfactorily meet the student's academic program design. This is a negotiated agreement between the student and faculty for the student to pursue independent, individualized study. Please see the Individual Learning Contract section of the for more information. Contracts can either be 2 credits or 4 credits, depending on the content. MES does not offer contracts for more than 4 credits. Also note that no more than eight credits can be accumulated through individual learning contracts and/or internships. To sign up for an individual learning contract, students should find a faculty sponsor from among the MES faculty to help them write their contract. Contracts are created on my.evergreen.edu. Once the contract is signed off by the faculty sponsor and MES director, the student is registered for the number of chosen credits. There are no CRNs for contracts. | Various MES Faculty | ||
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MES Internship
Various MES Faculty |
GRGraduate | 2, 4 | F 11Fall | W 12Winter | S 12Spring | Su 12Summer | MES students are strongly encouraged to complete an internship after their first year in core classes in conjunction with their thesis, especially if they do not have prior professional-level experience in environmental work. An internship is a learning experience designed to aid students in achieving specific academic and professional objectives. Please see the for more details. Internships can be either 2 credits for 10 hours per week or 4 credits for 20 hours or more per week. MES does not offer internships for more than 4 credits. Also note that no more than eight credits can be accumulated through internship and/or individual learning contracts. To sign up for an internship, students should find a faculty sponsor from among the MES faculty and an internship field supervisor to help them write their internship contract. Contracts are created on my.evergreen.edu. Once the contract is signed off by the MES faculty, field supervsor, and MES Director, the student is registered for the number of chosen credits. There are no CRNs for internships. | Various MES Faculty | ||
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Sustainable Forestry: A Study in Natural Resource Management
Richard Bigley |
GRGraduate | 4 | 6-10p Wed | F 11Fall | Richard Bigley | |||||
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Conserving and Restoring Biodiversity
Timothy Quinn |
GRGraduate | 4 | 6-10p Mon | W 12Winter | This course focuses on the biology that underlies conservation and restoration issues around the world. There are many ways to approach the study of conservation and restorationbiology and I will mostly emphasize the scientific elements of these disciplines. I also will provide you with a practitioner's perspective of the relationship of biology and policy from work done in Washington State. This course will introduce you to the literature, controversies, and promising methodologies for a variety of conservation/restoration biology applications. In addition, I will invite a number of local experts to come and provide perspectives on their work in applied fields of conservation. We will read, discuss, and write on a variety of topics. Your assignments include written and oral exercises, and peer evaluations aimed at helping you develop your ideas and increas your ability to communicate those ideas. I want to introduce you to the principal concepts and methodologies of conservation and restoration biology, enrich your understanding of the scientific contributions necessary for solving conservation problems, foster your understanding of the scientific process in general and as applied in conservation settings, and further your powers of analysis and ability to communicate effectively. | Timothy Quinn | ||||
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Contemporary Challenges to Building a Clean Energy Future
Alan Hardcastle |
GRGraduate | 4 | 6-10p Wed | W 12Winter | This course will examine current trends in the clean energy sector and the intersections with efforts to develop a green and sustainable economy and environment that also enhances social equity. The class will integrate research and readings with guest lectures and seminar discussion to explore the current social, technical and political context for the shift to clean energy. The class will include a special focus on the energy labor market, human resources, education and training, and societal implications for regional alternative energy and energy efficiency initiatives. | Alan Hardcastle | ||||
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Marine Mammal Ecology in the Pacific Northwest
John Calambokidis |
GRGraduate | 4 | 6-10p Mon | W 12Winter | John Calambokidis | |||||
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Political Ecology: Origins, Diffusion, Relocation and Renaming Environmental Leadership
Martha Henderson |
GRGraduate | 4 | 6-10p Wed | W 12Winter | Humans have occupied and transformed Earth for millions of years. Human choices and decision-making in all areas of the human experience have contributed to environmental changes and consequences. This class will investigate the philosophical and pragmatic ways in which differing cultural groups have made decisions about significant historical environments. The class will then turn to the contemporary social processes for making environmental choices. Finally, the current political processes in Washington and the Pacific Northwest will be examines. Students will observe first hand the political process by observing decision-making in the Washington Legislature. Two papers are assigned, one on a philosophical or theoretical analysis of an environmental decision and one on a specific environmental decision and its outcomes. Seminar and class discussion will be the primary mode of investigation. | Martha Henderson | ||||
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Winter 2012 Approved MPA Courses for MES Students
Various MPA Faculty Members |
GRGraduate | 4 | Evening and Weekend | W 12Winter | MES students have the option of taking up to two 4 credit MPA electives for MES elective credit*. Each quarter, MES will publish approved MPA courses that MES students can take. This quarter, students are eligible to take: MPA electives fill very quickly, so MES students should not be surprised if they are waitlisted at first.*The MPA course limit only applies to MES students who started in Fall 2010 and after. | Various MPA Faculty Members | ||||
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The Ecology of Harmful Algal Blooms
Gerardo Chin-Leo |
GRGraduate | 4 | 6-10p Wed | S 12Spring | Coastal waters worldwide have experienced an increase in the occurrence of large concentrations (blooms) of harmful algal species. These events are now commonly referred to as harmful algal blooms (HAB). HAB species that contain toxins can cause direct mortality of marine life. Humans can be indirectly affected through the consumption of contaminated seafood. Large blooms of non-toxic species can also have negative impacts on aquatic habitats by shading benthic plants or by interfering with the activities of other organisms. Furthermore, if these algal blooms are not grazed or diluted, their decomposition by bacteria can deplete the dissolved oxygen in the water causing the mortality of aquatic organisms and forming "dead zones". This program will study the environmental factors controlling the abundance and productivity of aquatic algae, the ecology of harmful algal species and the possible role of human activities in causing the increase of HAB. In addition, we will examine the efforts of scientists and government agencies to monitor HAB, and to control their impact on fisheries and public health. | Gerardo Chin-Leo | ||||
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Environmental Economics
Ralph Murphy |
GRGraduate | 4 | 6-10p Mon | S 12Spring | This MES elective is designed with both theoretical and practical applied components to develop a strong understanding for how economics (and related topics) can improve and enhance environmental problem solving.A major goal of the class is to make students familiar and comfortable with the language, concepts, models and methodologies used in environmental economic analysis.The class explores the uses and applications of key concepts from micro, environmental, and ecological economics to develop a deeper understanding of public policy initiatives for the environment, sustainability, regulatory reform, and the challenges of the current fiscal crisis in the United States | Ralph Murphy | ||||
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Environmental Policy Making
Craig Partridge |
GRGraduate | 4 | 6-10p Wed | S 12Spring | The goal of this course is to introduce students to the important concepts and to both theoretical and practical problems in the making and carrying out of environmental and natural resource policy in the U. S. Students will learn several approaches to understanding how, why, and by whom environmental policy decisions are made, and will gain experience with policy analysis and evaluation techniques, negotiation, and with the particular problems of policy implementation. This course takes a process approach to the topic, rather than a descriptive or prescriptive approach, and is aimed primarily at students who see themselves as future practitioners or researchers in this field. Some prior familiarity with the main categories of environmental and natural resource legislation and with the fundamental topics of political science will help students gain the most from this course. | Craig Partridge | ||||
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Fire Science and Society
Sarah Hamman and Richard Bigley |
GRGraduate | 4 | 6-10p Mon | S 12Spring | Fire plays the role of ecosystem engineer in forests and grasslands throughout the world. This role has changed over the past hundred years, however, with increasing human populations, sprawling development into fire-prone areas, and altered perceptions of this vital ecological process. With fire suppression and exclusion, we are seeing dramatic changes in the structure and functioning of fire-influenced ecosystems and the role of fire in natural resources management and policy. There are significant ecological, social and political implications of these changes, ranging from the listing of fire-adapted endangered species to more rigorous air quality regulations to altered pressures and priorities for the timber industry. Adapting policies in the anticipation to climate change has become a major priority. It is becoming more important for citizens to understand both the benefits and the risks associated with fire as it is increasingly impacting people in their daily lives. This course will introduce students to the language, the ecology and the politics surrounding wildland fire and increase your effectiveness with opportunities that involve fire science, application and management. May 18 - 20: field trip to the Wenatchee areaApril 18: Day trip to the 3rd Human Dimensions of Wildland Fire conferenceLate May or early June: Half-day trip to local prairies : There is one text to purchase: Living with Fire: Fire ecology and policy for the 21st century, 2008 by Sara E. Jensen and Guy R. McPherson | Sarah Hamman Richard Bigley | ||||
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Spring 2012 Approved MPA Courses for MES Students
Various MPA Faculty Members |
GRGraduate | 4 | Evening and Weekend | S 12Spring | MES students have the option of taking up to two 4 credit MPA electives for MES elective credit*. Each quarter, MES will publish approved MPA courses that MES students can take. This quarter, students are eligible to take: MPA electives fill very quickly, so MES students should not be surprised if they are waitlisted at first.*The MPA course limit only applies to MES students who started in Fall 2010 and after. | Various MPA Faculty Members | ||||
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Global Water Issues and El Salvador Field Study
Paul Pickett |
JR - GRJunior - Graduate | 4, 8 | 6-10p Mon/Wed (Jun. 25 - Jul. 25); second-session students will meet 6-10p Mon/Wed (Jul. 30, Aug. 1, 27, 29) and travel for 7 days of field study in El Salvador in mid-August. | Su 12Summer | The United Nations has declared the access to affordable, clean water to be a human right. Yet around the world billions of people cannot exercise this right. In addition people in the developing world often face challenges of drought, floods, and degradation of aquatic ecosystem services. This class explores the challenges of water in developing countries, emerging issues, and potential solutions. Issues to be explored include Integrated Water Resource Management, governance, privatization, gender equality, social justice, climate change, water security, and appropriate technology.Graduate students and undergraduate students registering for 4 credits will explore these topics in in the first session. Undergraduate students registering for 8 credits and graduate students (still as part of their 4 credits) will expand on the class work from first session by participating in a sustainability field study in El Salvador—a 7-day field trip to the Jiquilisco Bay region with an EcoViva ( ) delegation. Participants will live in the communities and learn about local development programs including flood preparation and recovery, sustainable agriculture, water supply infrastructure, community organizing and youth development, and environmental management (mangrove ecosystems and sea turtle conservation).Students wishing to enroll in the second session field study in El Salvador will need to pay a non-refundable deposit prior to June 1, 2012. If a minimum enrollment of seven students in the second session is not attained, the field study will be canceled.For more information, see the and . | Paul Pickett | ||||
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Political Ecology and Environmental Decision-Making
Martha Henderson |
JR - GRJunior - Graduate | 4 | 6-10p Tue/Thu, First Session (June 25 - July 27) | Su 12Summer | Environmental decision-making plays a significant role in American society. The current ‘environment’ is the sum total of ecological and social relationships, cultural values, and political decision-making at all levels of society. The class will include an overview of American environmental history, ecological transformation, and decision-making processes. We will investigate the origins of American environmentalism and the institutionalization of environmental decision-making to the present. Historical events, cultural values, and political and economic conditions have transformed the ecology of North America. The current landscape is a social and political process often entwined with efforts to promote sustainability and embedded in the American corporate/military complex. Students will read texts, discuss ideas, seminar and engage in primary research. Effective leadership methods will be explored. Students will also be asked to observe and participate in a decision-making process around an environmental issue. Student projects during the quarter will include a mid-term project as an analysis of an environmental leader and their decision-making process and a final project reviewing the environmental history and political process in a specific environmental issue such as an analysis of leadership roles to protect habitat for a threatened and endangered species, transportation policy, community based agriculture or energy and climate security.Class work will include discussion, speakers, seminar and presentation of research. Students will be asked to participate in leadership of the class. : Braun, Bruce and Noel Castree, eds. .New York: Routledge Press, 1998. ISBN: 0-415-14494-9 Gordon and Berry .New Haven: Yale Publishing, 2006. ISBN: 978-3000108910 (available in paperback) Robbins, Paul. .Malden: Blackwell Publishing, 2004. ISBN: 978-1-4051-0266-7 (available in paperback) | Martha Henderson | ||||
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Research Methods in Environmental Studies
Martha Henderson |
JR - GRJunior - Graduate | 4 | 6-10p Mon/Tue/Wed/Thu/Fri (Aug. 20-24) and 9a-5p Sat (Aug. 25) | Su 12Summer | Research at the graduate level in environmental studies is an important step for students working towards undergraduate and masters degrees. The sum total of the research work requires thoughtful definition of a problem, identification of theoretical and appropriate methods for data collection, use of standard tools of data analysis, and a desired logical conclusion. This class will help students articulate good research questions, determine methods of analysis with special emphasis on qualitative methods, and assist students in developing a reasonable research agenda. Students engaged in individual research projects or beginning work on their masters’ theses are welcome. We will collaborate and develop research strategies that will be effective in the pursuit of major individual research projects.The class will be a one week intensive class meeting in the evenings from 6-10pm. We will also meet on the last Saturday of the week. Reading materials will be assigned at the beginning of the second summer session by email. Assignments will be due at the end of the second summer session. | Martha Henderson | ||||
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Summer 2012 Approved MPA Courses for MES Students
Various MPA Faculty Members |
GRGraduate | 4 | Evening and Weekend | Su 12Summer | MES students have the option of taking up to two 4 credit MPA electives for MES elective credit*. Each quarter, MES will publish approved MPA courses that MES students can take. This quarter, students are eligible to take: (2 cr)MPA electives fill very quickly, so MES students should not be surprised if they are waitlisted at first.*The MPA course limit only applies to MES students who started in Fall 2010 and after. | Various MPA Faculty Members | ||||