Environmental Studies

Students are expected to demonstrate:

Critical thinking and problem solving skills including

Ability to identify and search different sources of professional information
Reading and comprehending information (different sources of written material as well as data sets)
Ability to ask meaningful questions
Understanding the role and importance of scientific research, policy, economic, and ethical issues for professional knowledge and decision making
Ability to differentiate between relevant and less important aspects of an issue
Ability to consider a range of realistic solutions to an environmental problem
The ability to design and implement studies
Ability to recognize biases

Analytical and quantitative reasoning skills including

Knowledge and understanding of key elements in the research process
Ability to follow laboratory manuals and safety protocols
Recognizing potential sources of errors and biases in data
Interpretation of data sets, including the use and limitation of statistical tools
Ability to do back of the envelope calculations
Visualization and interpretation of spatial data sets

Communication skills including

Ability to develop a meaningful claim, and to support claim with an argument
Ability to organize claims, ideas etc. in a meaningful way
Visual communication of data sets (e.g. graphs, conceptual models, maps etc.)
Ability to address in writing different audiences (scientific, professional, and lay)
Preparing and delivering oral presentations to different audiences

Skills associated with moral and character development

Knowledge/Content based outcomes

Understand and apply legal and policy aspects of selected environmental issues
Understand economic aspect of selected environmental issues
Understand scientific concepts associated with causes and consequences of selected environmental issues
Understand the ethical issues of environmental issues