ESF Academic Catalog
Bachelor of Science in Environmental Education and Interpretation

The Environmental Education and Interpretation Program inspires students to discover and design impactful ways to connect diverse learners with science and with natural and built environments. Students collaborate with communities to develop experiential educational programs and materials that create meaningful learning. These inclusive approaches foster environmental literacy, stewardship, and community engagement in ways that create a more equitable, sustainable future. Both ecological and social sciences form the core of student learning. 

Students may enter the Bachelor of Science program as first-year students or as transfer students. In the first two years of the program, students develop a foundation in the social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences as they relate to environmental affairs. During that time, students also fulfill SUNY general education requirements and take some open elective courses. 

 

Required Courses

Electives

Course	Codes*	Credits
General Education Course in one of the following categories:The Arts, Western Civilization, Other World Civilizations, Foreign Language	G	3
Directed Electives		30
Free Electives		23

 

Directed Electives: Environmental Education & Interpretation

1. Conservation Biology and Resource Management
   At least 6 credits hours must be in the subject area of advanced conservation biology and Management. Allowable courses are listed below. The list may vary slightly from year to year.
   • EFB 370 Population Ecology and Management
   • EFB 390 Wildlife Ecology & Management (4 cr.) F
   • EFB 413 Introduction to Conservation Biology (4 cr.) S
   • EFB 423 Marine Biology (4 cr.) S even years
   • EFB 487 Fisheries Science and Management (3 cr.) F
   • EST 220 Urban Ecology (3 cr.) F
   • FOR 332 Forest Ecology (4 cr.) F
   • FOR 475 Recreation Behavior and Management (3 cr.) F
2. Advanced Communication
   At least 6 credit hours must be in the subject area of advanced communication. Allowable courses are listed below. The list may vary slightly from year to year.
   • EST 395 Public Communication of Science and Technology (3 cr.) S
   • EST 493 Environmental Communication Workshop (3 cr.) S
   • EWP 390 Literature of Nature (3 cr.) F, S
   • EWP 394 The Art of Storytelling (3 cr.) F
   • EWP 407 Writing for Environmental and Science Professionals (3 cr.) F, S
   • EWP 420 Public Presentation Skills (3 cr.) F, S
   • EWP 450 Digital Storytelling (3 cr.) F, S
   • EWP 494 Creative Non-fiction in the Sciences (3 cr.) S
   • LSA 300 Digital Methods and Graphics I (3 cr.) F
3. Advanced Environmental Education and Interpretation
   At least 3 credit hours must be in the subject area of advanced interpretation. Allowable courses are listed below. The list may vary slightly from year to year.
   • EST 333 Inquiry-Based Science Education (3 cr.) S
   • EST 472 Natural History Museums and Modern Science (3 cr.) Maymester
   • EST 474 Advanced Interpretation and Environmental Education (3 cr.) S
4. Organismal and Ecosystem Diversity
   To encourage breadth in biology and environmental science students must complete 12 credit hours in any combination from this list.
   • Environmental Biology
     • EFB 202 Ecological Monitoring & Bio Assess (3 cr.) CLBS Summer
   • Earth Sciences
     • EST 231 Environmental Geology (3 cr.) S
     • FOR 338 Meteorology (3 cr.) S
     • FOR 340 Watershed Hydrology (3 cr.) S
     • FOR 345 Introduction to Soils (3 cr.) F
     • FOR 442 Watershed Ecology and Management (3 cr.) F
   • Diversity of Microorganisms
     
     • EFB 303 Introductory Environmental Microbiology (4 cr.) F
     • EFB 340 Forest and Shade Tree Pathology (3 cr.) S
     • EFB 342 Fungal Diversity and Ecology (3 cr.) CLBS
     • EFB 440 Mycology (3 cr.) F
   • Diversity of Plants
     • EFB 326 Plant Evolution, Diversification and Conservation (3 cr.) S
     • EFB 327 Adirondack Flora (3 cr.) CLBS
     • EFB 336 Dendrology (3 cr.) F
     • EFB 337 Field Ethnobotany (3 cr.) CLBS
     • EFB 435 Flowering Plants: Diversity, Evolution, and Systematics (3 cr.) F
     • EFB 446 Ecology of Mosses (3 cr.) S
     • EFB 496 Flora of Central NY (3 cr.) Maymester
     • EFB 496 Wetland Plants & Communities of Adirondacks (3 cr.) CLBS
   • Diversity of Invertebrate Animals
     • EFB 351 Principles of Forest Entomology (3 cr.) S
     • EFB 352 Elements of Entomology (3 cr.) F
     • EFB 355 Invertebrate Zoology (4 cr.) S
     • EFB 453 Parasitology (3 cr.) F
     • EFB 554 Aquatic Entomology (3 cr.) F
   • Diversity of Vertebrate Animals
     • EFB 388 Ecology of Adirondack Fishes (3 cr.) CLBS
     • EFB 482 Ornithology (4 cr.) S
     • EFB 483 Mammal Diversity (4 cr.) F
     • EFB 484 Winter Ecology (3 cr.) S
     • EFB 485 Herpetology (3 cr.) S
     • EFB 486 Ichthyology (3 cr.) S

5. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice
   At least 3 credit hours are required in this subject area related to the inclusion of diverse perspectives in Environmental Education and Interpretation.

   • Refer to general education list for DEISJ approved courses

Total Minimum Credits For Degree: 123