2010-11 Master of Environmental Studies (MES)
Application and acceptance to the program is required.
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, Kathleen Saul and Judith Cushing |
GRGraduate | 8 | 6-10p Tue/Thu | FFall | 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 Kathleen Saul Judith Cushing | ||||
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Ecological and Social Sustainability
Judith Cushing, Gerardo Chin-Leo and Ralph Murphy |
GRGraduate | 8 | 6-10p Tue/Thu | WWinter | 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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Quantitative and Qualitative Methods
Judith Cushing and Kathleen Saul |
GRGraduate | 8 | Evening | SSpring | Students learn how to integrate the use of inferential statistics and qualitative data analysis to conduct rigorous examinations of the social, biological, and physical aspects of environmental issues. This knowledge will prepare students for their own research and for understanding and critiquing research articles and reports in fields of their choosing. | Judith Cushing Kathleen Saul | ||||
| 2nd Year Core | ||||||||||
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Case Studies/Thesis Research Design
Ralph Murphy and Gerardo Chin-Leo |
GRGraduate | 8 | 6-10p Tue/Thu | FFall | 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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Thesis - Variable Credit
Various MES Faculty Signature Required: Fall Winter Spring Summer |
GRGraduate | V | FFall | WWinter | SSpring | SuSummer | The MES program requires all students who started the program before Fall 2010 to complete an 8-credit or 16-credit thesis. Students who are not working on an 8-credit thesis (or who have permission to do so) will sign up for a variable amount of credits with an individual faculty reader as outlined below. Students who started work on their thesis prior to Winter 2011 will continue to sign up for thesis credits with their thesis reader. To find out the CRN for your reader, please email wootang@evergreen.edu. Students must take at least 2 credits for every quarter they work on their thesis, including the quarter they present and submit their written thesis. MES students who received credit for Case Studies/Thesis Research Design in Fall 2010 will be assigned a thesis reader by MES faculty prior to Winter 2011. Once readers have been assigned, students who are working on a 16-credit thesis will be notified who their reader is and what CRN to use to register for thesis credits via email from the Assistant Director. Students who are doing an 8 credit thesis should sign up for the Winter 2011 Thesis Essay Workshop. 16-credit thesis students must take at least 2 credits for every quarter they work on their thesis, including the quarter they present and submit their written thesis. | Various MES Faculty | ||
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Thesis Essay Workshop
Martha Henderson |
GRGraduate | 4 | 6-10p Tue | WWinter | Martha Henderson | |||||
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Thesis Essay Workshop
Ralph Murphy |
GRGraduate | 4 | 6-10p, Tue | SSpring | This continuation of the winter quarter workshop is intended to help students prepare a high‐quality thesis and to increase the likelihood of completion by the end of the spring quarter. This quarter, the workshop will emphasize the continuation of student support groups and improvement of thesis presentations through critique of presentation rehearsals by students and the workshop instructor. | Ralph Murphy | ||||
| Electives | ||||||||||
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GIS and Spatial Analysis
Gregory Stewart |
GRGraduate | 4 | 6-10p Mon | FFall | 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 | FFall | 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 Signature Required: Fall Winter Spring Summer |
GRGraduate | 2, 4 | FFall | WWinter | SSpring | SuSummer | 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 approved by all parties, the student is registered for the number of chosen credits. There is no CRN for contracts. | Various MES Faculty | ||
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MES Internship
Various MES Faculty Signature Required: Fall Winter Spring Summer |
GRGraduate | 2, 4 | FFall | WWinter | SSpring | SuSummer | 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 approved by all parties, the student is registered for the number of chosen credits. There is no CRN for internships. | Various MES Faculty | ||
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Sustainable Forestry: A Study in Natural Resource Management
Richard Bigley |
GRGraduate | 4 | 6-10p Wed | FFall | Sustainable Forestry: a study in Natural Resource Management is lecture and field-based introduction to forests of the Pacific Northwest, the science of forests and associated aquatic habitat management and the forces of change on their management. Case studies from forest, wildlife and fisheries management will examine 1) how society catalyzed, and forest science has fueled, recent developments towards a sustainable forestry; 2) the role of habitat restoration in sustainability of both forests and fisheries; and 3) insights into the future of ecosystem-based management. Weekend field trips will provide an insider's perspective into the fount line of natural resources management science and policy. The course will provide background, and an introduction to analysis skills to help evaluate policies and strategies for management, restoration and protection of forests and the services they provide. | Richard Bigley | ||||
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Conserving and Restoring Biodiversity
Timothy Quinn |
GRGraduate | 4 | 6-10p Mon | WWinter | 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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Energy in the Pacific Northwest: A Model for the Future
Kathleen Saul |
GRGraduate | 4 | 6-10p, Wed | WWinter | This survey course will examine energy in the Pacific Northwest, past, present, and possible future, through the eyes of professionals and practitioners in various energy fields. After a brief introduction to the basics of energy-the vocabulary, the units of measurement, and how energy is produced and distributed-the class will explore the different energy options now being employed in the Northwest utilities as well as some still under investigation. The class will mix weekly readings and seminar with guest lectures and a final position paper to help students better understand the exciting diversity of energy issues facing the Pacific Northwest. | Kathleen Saul | ||||
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Political Ecology: Origins, Diffusion, Relocation and Renaming Environmental Leadership
Martha Henderson |
GRGraduate | 4 | 6-10p Wed | WWinter | 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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Contemporary Challenges to Building a Clean Energy Future
Alan Hardcastle |
GRGraduate | 4 | 6-10p Wed | SSpring | 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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The Ecology of Harmful Algal Blooms
Gerardo Chin-Leo |
GRGraduate | 4 | 6-10p Wed | SSpring | 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 | SSpring | 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 | SSpring | 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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Spring 2011 Approved MPA Courses for MES Students
Various MPA Faculty Members |
GRGraduate | 4 | Evening and Weekend | SSpring | 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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Seeing and Recording Cultural Landscapes: Geography of the Pacific Northwest
Martha Henderson |
JR - GRJunior - Graduate | 2, 4 | Evening | SuSummer | Cultural landscapes are geographical representations of social ideas and structures, cultural traditions, and physical landforms and processes. This class will investigate the various ways that cultural landscapes are created and maintained. The class will emphasize the nexus between human innovation and environmental conditions from theoretical perspectives. Urban and rural landscapes will be considered with emphasis on the Pacific Northwest and public landscapes. Cultural landscapes are seen within the eye of the beholder, the more you are able to recognize cultural processes that transform landscapes, the more meaningful the landscape becomes. Reading a cultural landscape is a qualitative process and requires qualitative research methods. The class will include information and practice of qualitative research methods including oral history, participant observation, interview and interpretation of observed geographies. This class will be taught at the graduate level for graduate credit. Undergraduates desiring four credits or two credits of Pacific Northwest geography may enroll in the class. Graduate students and four credit undergrads are expected to attend all classes, engage in seminar and participate in qualitative research. Two credit undergraduates are expected to attend Monday night class meetings, engage in seminar and write one essay on the geography of the Pacific Northwest. Required Textbooks: | Martha Henderson | ||||
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Summer 2011 Approved MPA Courses for MES Students
Various MPA Faculty Members |
GRGraduate | V | Evening and Weekend | SuSummer | 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 | ||||