Environmental Science and Studies
A World Apart
Washington College, located between the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic beaches, is in a unique location for the study of the environment.
Washington College students use the Chesapeake Bay Region—its farms and waterways, its history and culture, its people and their environmental concerns—as a learning laboratory. The Chester River, a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, is at Washington College
Two majors are available to students! Students can pursue an environmental science or an environmental studies major. Both majors are grounded in an interdisciplinary course of study which prepares students to critically analyze and investigate solutions to regional and global environmental issues, whether it is the revival of a depleted fishery, the fate of toxins, land use management in the Chesapeake Bay watershed, world population concerns, loss of biodiversity, or climatic Washington College students use the Chesapeake Bay Region—its farms and waterways, its history and culture, its people and their environmental concerns—as a learning laboratory. The Chester River, a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, is at Washington College changes.
A new dual-degree program with Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment enables qualified students in either major to earn their bachelor’s and master’s degrees in five years.
We also have two summer field courses, one at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences, in collaboration with the Department of Biology, and the other in Ecuador, including the Galapagos Islands. Click on “International Field Courses” in the side bar to the left to learn more.
The River and Field Campus at Washington College is the home to the Chester River Field Research Station, which is an active site for field research for College faculty and students. The River and Field Campus at Washington College is the largest conservation easement in the state of Maryland – and there’s no place like it in the world. The 4,700-acre living lab incorporates 2.5 miles of Chester River waterfront, meadows, untouched hardwood forests, ponds, grasslands, marshes and riverine habitat. Just a 10-minute drive from the Washington College main campus, the River and Field Campus offers students an unparalleled living classroom in subjects ranging from environmental science and biology to environmental art and anthropology.
- Our Faculty
- Environmental Science Major
- Environmental Studies Major
- Earth and Planetary Science Minor
- Dual Degree with Duke University
- International Field Courses
- The River and Field Campus
- Kappa Alpha Omicron Honor Society
- Center for Environment & Society
The Oyster Whisperers
A summer research project brings together a trio of scientists to consider the human
impact on native oyster populations in the upper reaches of the Chesapeake Bay.
From Antarctica to Belize to Bermuda, three recent alumnae are finding careers in the cutting-edge science of using drones and remote sensing to study coastal and marine environments.