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Coastal Studies Program
The earth's population is now estimated to be nearly 5.5 billion and is projected to grow to more than 10 billion by the year 2050. Throughout the world, approximately half of all people live in coastal regions.
Throughout the United States, nearly half of the population lives within 50 miles of the coasts of the oceans and the Great Lakes. Population in U.S. coastal areas has increased by about 30 million people over the last three decades, and this growth accounts for almost half the total U.S. population increase over that period. By the year 2010, the coastal population of the United States is projected to increase by almost 60 percent. Within coastal regions, people will continue to cluster near estuaries.
Coastal communities face enormous challenges as their social, economic and environmental resources are damaged or depleted. Students are currently exposed to global environmental problems in science classes at various points during their K-12 and college experience; however, the amount and depth of exposure to these issues can be quite variable. Students are also exposed to sources of misinformation leading to misunderstanding and confusion. Regardless of their field of interest everyone must deal with the reality of increased environmental degradation. Having a strong knowledge base from which to make reasonable, sensible decisions regarding the environment will impact the quality of life for this and future generations to come.
The Hood Coastal Studies Program will provide you with an intensive semester that focuses on coastal environments from several perspectives simultaneously: scientific, literary, historical and cultural. We will provide a framework for understanding and appreciating the coastal environment not only in biological and ecological terms, but also in historical and cultural context.
As a participant in the Coastal Studies Semester you will become a member of a learning expedition.You will be part of a close-knit, motivated community that is seeking common intellectual experiences in environmental science. It promises to be an exciting and challenging enterprise. To learn more about the Program, select from the links on the left.
The Coastal Studies Semester is offered during the fall semester and focuses on the Mid-Atlantic region (map). Students and faculty travel roughly a month during the semester, stopping at several marine field laboratories and staying for two to three-week intervals. The locations and facilities provide easy access to a wide variety of marine habitats and nearby sites of historical and cultural interest.
Students in the Coastal Studies Semester enroll in four interrelated courses for the semester. Interactions with scientists, authors, and other environmental professionals in the region augment class discussions, laboratory investigations and fieldwork. An interdisciplinary research practicum weaves together scientific, historical, and cultural threads to unify the semester-long experience. Students earn 14 to 16 semester hours of academic credit. For Hood College students the courses taken during the semester satisfy the Literature; Scientific Thought; and Society, Science and Technology requirements of the core curriculum. Students from other institutions should plan to transfer these credits to their home college/university. Students that compete the semester plus select at least one Coastal Studies Field Experience satisfy the requirements for a minor in Coastal Studies. To learn more about a Coastal Studies minor click here.