Environmental Science/Environmental Studies

Two Houghton programs emphasize Christian stewardship of the creation as well as environmental awareness and analysis. The major in biology with environmental emphasis prepares students for careers in environmental education, research and analysis, and further study in graduate programs. Field-oriented courses complement a strong biology background, including at least one course at Au Sable Institute of Environmental Studies, a center for Christian environmental stewardship.  The program prepares students to take the New York state civil service exam for application as a conservation biologist with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation as well as those planning on further graduate study.

The environmental stewardship minor for science and non-science majors provides background for responsible stewardship. The minor is supradisciplinary with courses from biology as well as other areas (e.g. English, recreation). The minor can be completed by the following on-campus courses:

The minor can be completed by the following on-campus courses: BIOL 215 Local Flora and Vegetation, REC 401 Natural Resource Management, WRIT 320 Writing About Nature and the Environment, BIOL 475 Environmental Stewardship Senior Seminar.

Broadening Your Educational Opportunities

Environmental programs at Houghton take advantage of the college’s location in the Allegheny Plateau (ranging in elevation from 1000 to 2500 feet), with access to forest, river, and lake ecosystems, and within a day’s drive of the Adirondack Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. In addition, Houghton’s 1300-acre campus has forest and field areas for study. The 91-acre Spring Lake preserve, incorporating an old growth forest and undeveloped kettle lake within eight miles of the campus, is available for environmental research.

Additionally, three off-campus courses are offered through the Biology Department. Biological Oceanography is offered during Mayterm on even-numbered years at Acadia National Park in Maine. In odd-numbered years, the three-week on-site Ecology of Alaska course provides students a comprehensive field exposure to the wide diversity of Alaska’s ecosystems, ranging from rocky and sandy beaches to taiga, glaciers, and alpine tundra. Every fall, Wildlife Behavior in East Africa is offered on-site as part of the Houghton in Tanzania program.