Students in Hood's Environmental Biology Master's program seek to understand and address pressing environmental issues. They envision finding ways to alter the course of climate change, the effects of invasive species and unsustainable uses of natural resources. They have a compelling desire to transform the future through leadership, education and example. For them, keeping the air, water, land and its resources clean and sustainable is more than a career path. It’s a passion.
Hood’s Master of Science program in Environmental Biology provides a strong foundation in ecology, pollution biology, resource management and biostatistics. The program, with its subsequent wide array of electives and specialized research opportunities, provides excellent preparation for environmental professionals and educators who seek to update their knowledge and skill sets, as well as for individuals interested in obtaining the essential background knowledge necessary to transition into an environmental career.
Hood’s Environmental Biology Master’s (ENV) program strives to educate students in processes that keep our air, water, land, and their respective resources clean and sustainable. ENV students become well versed in the latest research and methods to understand and address environmental biology’s most pressing issues, with an emphasis on climate change. Our program values close partnerships between students and faculty by maintaining moderate enrollment and a low student-to-faculty ratio.
Our program’s ultimate goal is to have graduates emerge with an expertise in environmental biology that will enable them to assume key positions in the public and private sectors charged with protecting our environmental future.
Upon graduation from the Environmental Biology master’s program, our students will be able to:
The ENV program’s curriculum and opportunities bridge the sciences to real-world socioeconomics and politics. Multiple research and non-research tracks permit students to customize a path that is best-suited for their career needs and goals. Learning key techniques, such as remote sensing, GIS, and field identification and sampling, opens new windows to understanding and protecting natural resources.
The Master of Science in Environmental Biology is the only part-time graduate program in the region that emphasizes a field and laboratory approach to learning and promotes hands-on research opportunities. Hood’s ENV program is ideal for working professionals who want to take their commitment and their careers to the next level. Hands-on experiences and small classes, offered in the evenings, keep instruction focused and learning interactive. Some weekend and hybrid offerings, along with summer sessions, fit busy lives.
Students enrolled in the Environmental Biology M.S. program have the option of earning a GIS certificate with the completion of 9 core credits and 9 elective credits of GIS courses.
Program Director
Assistant Director of Graduate Admission
"What I like most about Hood is how personal the education experience is here – classes are small, students get the attention they need from their professors, and the professors take educating students very seriously."
Interview with April Boulton, Ph.D., Dean of the Graduate School at Hood College and "Trailblazer in Mentoring" awardee.
Natalie Redman is currently enrolled in Hood's Master's of Environmental Biology program. She is conducting research on disinfectant toxicity for her graduate thesis at The Freshwater Institute.
Applicants with an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher are preferred. At minimum, all applications must have completed and earned a B or better in the following:
To apply to the Environmental Biology Master's program, please:
The program has two tracks, a research and non-research track—both require the completion of 33 credits. The research track includes either a 6-credit thesis (invitation only) or a 3-credit independent research project. The non-research track includes either a 3-credit internship at an approved agency or an intensive capstone course as the final programmatic experience. Both tracks are designed for students from a variety of academic backgrounds.
A required core of courses provides students with a comprehensive background in all aspects of environmental biology. Students will be able to place environmental issues into a broad social, political and economic context; but the primary core course emphasis will be on using environmental biology principles to identify and solve environmental problems.
The elective courses provide each student with the opportunity to tailor their program to meet particular professional needs. Some electives are clearly rooted in natural science and mathematics and are the ones most students will choose in order to further their careers in environmental research, regulation, consulting and teaching. Other electives come from the social and political sciences and are well-suited for students planning to enter the realm of public policy. There are also 1-credit elective offerings that stress laboratory and field techniques. Three of these one-credit courses may be taken in lieu of one 3-credit elective for thesis students. All other students (project option or non-research track) must complete three of the 1-credit courses as part of their 33 credit minimum.
All students must complete the following:
| ENV 501 | Introduction to Environmental Biology | 3.0 |
| ENV 502 | Principles of Ecology | 3.0 |
| ENV 503/ENSP 403 | Pollution Biology | 3.0 |
| ENV 505 | Biostatistics | 3.0 |
| ENV 507/ENSP 407 | Natural Resource Management | 3.0 |
| ENV 512 | Insect Ecology | 3.0 |
| ENV 513 | Marine Ecology | 3.0 |
| ENV 541 | Behavioral Ecology | 3.0 |
| ENV 551/BIOL 451 | Plant Ecology | 3.0 |
| ENV 563 | Freshwater Ecology | 3.0 |
After the successful completion of 12 ENV credits, students are required to meet with their adviser to discuss the student’s remaining academic path. Once the research track is chosen, a student may not switch from this track to the non-research track.
Upon the successful completion of 12 ENV credits, ENV faculty will invite a limited number of exceptional students to complete a comprehensive thesis project. If the student accepts, they are responsible for securing a thesis advisor and committee. Thesis students must complete 6 elective credits, as well as ENV 515 and ENV 580 Thesis (6 credits), for a program total of 33 credits
Students choosing to complete an independent project must complete ENV 515 and ENV 579 Project (3 credits), and 9 elective credits for a program total of 33 credits. Of the 9 elective credits, 3 must be designated as lab or field credits (ENV 522-528 and ENV 565).
After the successful completion of 12 ENV credits, students are required to meet with their adviser to discuss the student’s remaining academic path. If the alternative track is chosen, they have the flexibility to switch between the two options under this track, but it is not possible to change from the alternative track to the research track.
As part of their 33 credits, internship students will complete a 3-credit internship (ENV 591) at an approved facility through the ENV program director. Students are required to complete ENV 515 and 9 elective credits for a program total of 33 credits; three of 9 elective credits must be designated as lab or field credits, such as ENV 522, ENV 526, ENV 528 and ENV 565.
| ENV 591 | Internship in Environmental Biology | 3.0 |
Students, who choose the capstone option, are required to complete a program total of 33 credits, which includes 12 elective credits; three of the 12 elective credits must be designated as lab or field credits, such as ENV 522, ENV 526, ENV 528 and ENV 565.
As part of their 33 credits, capstone students must successfully complete:
| ENV 578 | Climate Change Capstone | 3.0 |
Once a student enrolls in ENV 578, they are not permitted to change options within the alternate track.
Electives include, but are not limited to, the following:
| BMS 537/BIOL 437 | Introduction to Bioinformatics | 3.0 |
| CHEM 501/CHEM 401 | Environmental Chemistry | 3.0 |
| ECPS 514/ECPS 414 | Environmental Policy | 3.0 |
| ENV 506 | Environmental Microbiology | 3.0 |
| ENV 511/ENSP 411 | Conservation Biology | 3.0 |
| ENV 515 | Research Design & Data Analysis | 3.0 |
| ENV 516 | Watershed Hydrology | 3.0 |
| ENV 522 | Ecological Sampling | 1.0 |
| ENV 524 | Taxonomy | 1.0 |
| ENV 526 | Analytical Techniques | 1.0 |
| ENV 528 | Specialty Courses | 1.0 |
| ENV 550 | Current Topics in Environmental Biology | 3.0 |
| ENV 565 | Environmental Toxicology Laboratory | 1.0 |
| ENV 564 | Environmental Toxicology | 3.0 |
| ENV 575 | Independent Study | 1 - 3 |
| ENV 577 | Climate Change | 3.0 |
| ENV 599 | Special Topics | 6.0 |
| ENV 512 | Insect Ecology | 3.0 |
| ENV 513 | Marine Ecology | 3.0 |
| ENV 541 | Behavioral Ecology | 3.0 |
| ENV 551/BIOL 451 | Plant Ecology | 3.0 |
| ENV 563 | Freshwater Ecology | 3.0 |
Examples of research topics
Please refer to the following web links:
Graduate Forms & Guidelines
https://www.hood.edu/graduate/academics/graduate-forms-guidelines
Environmental Biology Master’s Independent Research Project ENV 579/ENV 579G
ENV 579 guidelines_june2020_1.pdf
Environmental Biology Master’s Thesis ENV 580/ENV 580G
ENV 580 guidelines_june2020.pdf
Environmental Biology Master’s Internship ENV 591/ENV 591G
ENV 591 guidelines june2020_1.pdf
