After passing the first step in the approval process, the Center of Environmental Studies could have a program called the accelerated Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies and Master of Environmental Studies in place by fall 2005.
“What that means is that in a reduced period of time, the students would be able to get both a bachelor’s degree and the master’s degree,” said Clifford Fox, interim assistant director of the center. “Because there would be a point where the students could take courses at the graduate level that would apply to both the undergraduate and graduate degrees.”
Like other similar programs, the courses are those at the 500-level in which seniors and graduate students can enroll.
“For example, we have a second-semester statistics course that is required by the undergraduate degree,” Fox said. “But this program would allow the student … to take the 543 statistics, which is graduate-level statistics. It would count both for the graduate degree and also would fulfill the requirements in the undergraduate statistics.”
Beverly Orndorff, retired science and medical writer for the Richmond Times Dispatch, said he thinks this program will be a challenge for students.
“On the surface it sounds like a good idea … the kids will have to work real hard,” Orndorff said. “Science is a part of our daily lives. Student should be well-informed about things and one of the things is science and things related to science – the environment.”
To be admitted into the program students must have completed at least 90 credits, a 3.0 cumulative Grade-Point Average plus a 3.3 GPA in their major. Students also will need to provide a letter of recommendation from a professor supporting their admittance.
“Once you’ve met those requirements you are admitted into the program,” Fox said. “If you don’t meet those requirements, for special circumstances you could go to the Graduate Admissions Committee for Environmental Studies and try to get into the program.”
The accelerated degree allows students to earn their bachelor’s and master’s degrees in five years instead of seven to eight. But Fox emphasized that the program is science heavy and fast-paced.
“Once they get in, the students have to realize they are in an accelerated program,” he said. “That means if you’re going to get into this program … you will be taking graduate-level courses. So it’s going to mean some dedication to the classwork that you’re doing.”
Nonetheless, students should be prepared to study graduate-level courses.
Daniela Gregory, a graduate environmental studies student working toward her master’s degree, said she thinks this program may be too much for students.
“I think it’s a good idea to have this program available to students because it’s economically more feasible,” she said. “However, in a five-year-program, more than likely students have to take 18 credits. For a freshman that’s really hard to take on. That’s a lot of work and stress. It would be very difficult to go back and do something different once you’re already in it.”
Fox explained that students will use the curriculum already in place, and no new courses are needed.
“Although you could use the degrees to become a researcher,” Fox said, “it really is much more aimed at preparing people to be environmental professionals instead of environmental researchers.”
Fox sees the end result of the accelerated program as being beneficial not only for the students but also for potential employers because their employees would end up with an advanced degree.
“There’s no question that right now in the environmental field you’re finding more and more jobs require master’s-level training,” he said. “It is also very true that even at the entry-level, a master’s degree means that you’re going to get a significant bump in entry-level salary.”
Greg Garman, the center’s director, Peter deFur, graduate coordinator, and Fox will in some way – such as teachers – be involved in the program.
“This is a program that can give you a leg up on having that career. It’s not a program that’s reduced in quality,” he said. “It’s every bit as good as a regular master’s degree – it’s just accelerated, which puts a little more burden on the student to work a little harder. But at the same time it’s well worth it at the end.”
The program has been approved at the department level. But it still has to go through the school and universitywide levels until it is officially approved.