Mission

The environmental science and studies program at Rocky Mountain College, while simultaneously cultivating skills in critical thinking and effective communication, provides students with the intellectual training necessary for understanding the complexity of natural ecosystems as they interface with human concerns.

Program Description

Environmental science and studies majors pursue a liberal arts education by taking relevant courses in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Students in the program first enroll in a core of introductory courses designed to familiarize them with the diversity and complexity of environmental issues. Each student then selects between one of two baccalaureate degree tracks - the BA in environ- mental studies or the BS in environmental science. Upon graduation, students in both tracks are prepared for a wide and rapidly evolving range of careers concerned with the interface between human beings and their environment. Similarly, for those students whose career choices require graduate or professional study, the environmental science and studies program provides the training and discipline necessary for the pursuit of an advanced degree.

Major in Environmental Science

The major requires a minimum of 59 total credits. A minimum of 33 semester credits must come from ESC courses. A total of 7 credits must be 300 level or above from ESC or BIO electives (3 credits may be through the Yellowstone Association Institute agreement with RMC).

The following courses are required:
EST 101 Introduction to Environmental Studies
ESC 105 Environmental Science: Sustainable Communities
ESC 209 Field Survey Techniques in Zoology
ESC 251 Environmental Document Writing and Review
ESC 321 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
ESC 436 Yellowstone Winter Ecology
ESC 450 Internship (Credits do not count toward minimum credits.)
BIO 120 Principles of Biology
GEO 101 and GEO 104 Fundamentals of Geology and Lab
MAT 210 Probability and Statistics

Choose one of the following:
ESC 314 Range Ecology
ESC 325 Wetlands and Riparian Ecology

Choose one of the following:
ESC 317 Bird Conservation and Research
ESC 330 Wildlife Management and Conservation

Choose one of the following:
CHM 102 General Chemistry II
GEO 316 Geochemistry

Choose three of the following:
ENG 244 Literature and the Environment
HST 365 American Environmental History
PHR 304 Environmental Ethics
PHR 378 Philosophy of Technology and Modern Culture
POL 313 Environmental Politics
ECO 354 Environmental Economics
ESC 225 Energy and Society

An internship is required and can be used for up to 4 credits of science electives with permission from faculty.

Minor in Environmental Science

The following is required:
ESC105 Environmental Science: Sustainable Communities
ESC225 Energy and Society
ESC251 Environmental Document Writing and Review

Choose one of the following:
BIO112 General Biology II
CHM101 General Chemistry I
GEO101/104 Fundamentals of Geology, Option I
GEO105 Fundamentals of Geology, Option II

In addition, 12 semester hours in upper-division courses are required from any upper division ESC course.

ESC105 - Environmental Science: Sustainble Communities

Semester: Fall and Spring
Semester hours: 4
An introductory course designed for students entering the environmental sciences and studies program and for other students who would like to take an ecology lab course. Topics address the central concepts of ecology including the physical environment in which life exists. Students will explore the properties and processes of populations and communities, ecosystem dynamics, biogeography and biodiversity, as well as issues in conservation and restoration ecology. In laboratory students will apply these concepts to ecological studies in the natural environment and learn how to present their results in a scientific report. Three hours of lecture and one two-hour laboratory session per week.

ESC207 - Field Botany/Spring Wildflowers

Semester: Spring
Semester hours: 4
Students receive an intensive introduction to the evolutionary relationships of vascular plants and their classification. The course emphasizes plant identification based on use of taxonomic keys and focuses on angiosperm species in the Yellowstone River watershed, particularly the prairie habitats, the Pryor Mountains, the riparian habitats of the Yellowstone, and the foothills of the Beartooth Mountains. Field trips are required. This course may be taken at the lower-division level or at the upper-division level, but not both.
Prerequisite: BIO 112 or ESC 105

ESC209 - Field Survey Techniques in Zoology

Semester: Spring
Semester hours: 4
A field and laboratory course covering basic field techniques to survey and inventory areas to assess biodiversity, with an emphasis on Montana mammal, bird, reptile, amphibians and fish fauna. Topics include species identification, survey and trapping, experimental design, data analysis, and report completion. Once identification and survey skills are learned, field teams will be formed and assigned to survey and inventory local habitats of concern with the goal of helping guide local management and restoration of these habitats. Additional fee required.
Prerequisite: ESS 105 and/or BIO 112

ESC215 - Fast Food Nation

Semester: On Demand
Semester hours: 3
Are we what we eat? Fast Food Nation focuses on the environmental impacts of our food systems. Plants matter to us at the most basic level. They have evolved to provide us with nutrients by appealing to our senses of taste, touch, smell, and sight. We humans have responded by manipulating plants in a quest for “fast” (and cheap) food. This course uses the scientific concepts of plant growth, technology, and ecology to evaluate our environmental health in our diet and to explore several new, alternative approaches for healthy eating.

ESC225 - Energy and Society

Semester: Spring
Semester hours: 3
Students are introduced to the concepts of energy, power and the physical laws that control their transformations. This understanding is applied to analyze human use of energy. Issues considered include the various sources of energy and their limits, the technologies of energy conversion, the end uses of energy, and the environmental consequences of energy use.

ESC230 - Rainforest Ecology

Semester: Spring
Semester hours: 3
This course introduces students to the concepts of population and community ecology through studies of rainforest geography, flora, and fauna. Students read scientific papers focusing on rain forest plants and animals and the complex interactions of these organisms in rainforest environments. Students discuss environmental issues such as sustainable agriculture, global cycling of air and water, and conservation biology as those issues pertain to rainforest issues today.
Prerequisite: ENG 119 and ENG 120

ESC243 - Environments of Costa Rica

Semester: Spring
Semester hours: 4
This field course takes place in Costa Rica during spring break. In lectures and in Costa Rica over spring break students will learn about the complexity and diversity of tropical forest ecosystems. Lectures and field activities focus on those ecological concepts particular to rainforests, natural history walks, bird studies, field activities that explore adaptations of plants and animals to tropical ecosystems, and examination of issues of tropical conservation. Students stay at field stations in different tropical forests environments. Additional travel fees required.

ESC244 - Island Biogeography in the Galapagos

Semester: Spring
Semester hours: 4
This field course takes place in the Galapagos Islands over spring break. Students will have the opportunity to examine various islands and their associated species in the Galapagos from a small sleep-aboard boat. Lectures and readings will cover the theory of island biogeography, unique flora and fauna of the islands, speciation of Darwin’s Finches, conservation in developing countries, ecotourism and marine ecosystems. Opportunities will exist for nature hikes, bird watching and snorkeling. Additional travel fees required.

ESC247 - Biogeopraphy

Semester: On Demand
Semester hours: 3
Biology, geology, geography, paleontology, and ecology form the roots of this multidisciplinary science. One of the most intriguing problems facing life scientists today is how to explain the diversity of organisms and their varying patterns of distribution over the surface of the earth now and through time. Why are there so many species of grasses in one field in Montana? What factors determine how many species may be present on an island at any particular time? What does the fossil record tell about the changing patterns of distribution of organisms? How do interactions between organisms affect the likelihood of species occurring in communities? What changes in species distribution are taking place on our planet today? Biogeography has relevance to many contemporary problems regarding species conservation. An understanding of the process that have influenced successes and failures of other species in other times and circumstances will help us to understand particular contemporary ecological challenges.

ESC251 - Environmental Document Writing and Review

Semester: Spring
Semester hours: 3
This course will help participants learn to identify the writing and editing requirements unique to environmental and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents including making graphics, writing chapters, and reviewing documents for accuracy. Participants will also practice interdisciplinary team skills as they relate to each phase of the analysis and documentation process. Students will also learn how to review the full range of NEPA documents including Environmental Impact Statements (EISs), Environmental Assessments (EAs), Findings of No Significant Impacts (FONSIs), and Records of Decisions (RODs). We will also review documents in support of NEPA such as Biological Survey Reports. Participants will concentrate on setting review priorities, reviewing for compliance with the law and for quality and clarity.
Prerequisite: ESC 105 or EST 101

ESC280 - Arctic Ecology-Polar Bears of Churchill

Semester: Fall
Semester hours: 3
This course is designed to expose students to the arctic environment. Lectures will focus on polar bear biology, arctic wildlife management, boreal, tundra and coastal ecology, periglacial geology, sea ice and tides, climate change and polar bears, and Inuit and Eskimo culture. Students will be required to attend a fall break field trip to Churchill, Canada. In Churchill we will search for polar bears and other wildlife and talk to village elders about the challenges of living with North America’s largest predator. No prerequisites. Additional travel fee required to cover transportation to Winnipeg, hotel on the way to Winnipeg, roundtrip Winnipeg/Churchill airfare, and food and lodging in Churchill.

ESC307 - Advanced Field Botany/Spring Wildflowers

Semester: Summer
Semester hours: 4
Students receive an intensive introduction to the evolutionary relationships of vascular plants and their classification. The course emphasizes plant identification based on use of taxonomic keys and focuses on angiosperm species in the Yellowstone River watershed, particularly the prairie habitats, the Pryor Mountains, the riparian habitats of the Yellowstone, and the foothills of the Beartooth Mountains. Field trips are required. Students in the 300-level course will collect, identify, and prepare a greater number of plants for the herbarium. This course may be taken at the lower-division level or at the upper-division level, but not both.
Prerequisite: BIO 112 or ESC 105

ESC314 - Range Ecology

Semester: Fall
Semester hours: 4
Range ecology is the study of mixed grass prairies of the West and an introduction to ecological concepts applicable to that area. Topics include historical and current land use, ecosystem responses to change, methods for maintaining natural prairie habitats, the use of prairies as rangelands, and determinations of ecological conditions and trends on rangelands. The laboratory focuses on identification of common prairie plant species and their importance for both wildlife and domestic animals. Three hours of lecture and one two-hour laboratory session per week.
Prerequisites: BIO 112, CHM 101, and CHM 102

ESC316 - Geochemistry

Semester: Spring
Semester hours: 4
Scientific literature and other resources will be used to illustrate the current ideas about the mechanisms that control water quality and chemistry in aqueous systems. Lecture topics will include: Hydrogeology, acid-base and reduction-oxidation reactions in natural systems, the geochemistry of metals, stable isotope geochemistry, and case studies of contaminated sites in Montana and throughout the West. Laboratory exercises will include basic sample collection, measurement of major ion concentration, and geochemical modeling with several field exercises. Three hours of lecture and two hours of laboratory per week.
Prerequisites: GEO 101, CHM 101

ESC317 - Bird Conservation and Research

Semester: Spring
Semester hours: 4
This is a field and laboratory course covering bird evolution, life histories, behavior, populations and conservation. Lab time will focus on survey techniques and bird observations and identification in the field. The primary objective of this course is to teach students the role of evolution in the development of special adaptations of bird characteristics and systems as well as the importance of conservation of populations and bird habitat around the world. Specific case studies will examine complex conservation issues of North America species. Students will be required to design a field study project to address a bird conservation question.
Prerequisites: ESC 105 or BIO 112 and ESC 209

ESC321 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems

Semester: On Demand
Semester hours: 4
This course introduces students to the theory and practical application of geographic information systems (GIS). Topics include fundamentals of cartography, GIS data types, data input, GIS database structure and management, analysis of spatially distributed data, and report preparations using GIS.
Prerequisites: MAT 100 and a previous science course

ESC325 - Wetlands and Riparian Ecology

Semester: Fall
Semester hours: 4
The biology and chemistry of wetlands is studied in this course. Topics include the investigation of wetland structure, wetland functions, and the ecological value of wetlands. The laboratory introduces protocols for analyzing wetland plant communities and includes a field study of a wetland in the Billings community. Students learn legally acceptable methods for determining wetland boundaries. The course examines the ecology of rivers and compares differences in hydrological processes of rivers and wetlands. Three hours of lecture and one two-hour laboratory session per week.
Prerequisites: BIO 112, CHM 101, and CHM 102

ESC330 - Wildlife Management and Conservation

Semester: Spring
Semester hours: 4
A multidisciplinary approach to conservation and management issues encompassing genetics to ethics. Topics include population genetics, evolutionary mechanisms, biodiversity, reserve design, and re-introduction strategies. Written reports and oral presentations required. Additional fee required.
Prerequisites: BIO 112 and ESC 105

ESC345 - Soil Science

Semester: Fall
Semester hours: 4
This course provides an introduction to the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soils; soil formation and classification; nutrient cycling; and land resource planning and protection. The laboratory includes field trips. Three hours of lecture and one two-hour laboratory session per week.
Prerequisites: CHM 101, GEO 101, and GEO 104

ESC401 - Application of Geographic Information Systems

Semester: Spring
Semester hours: 4
Application of GIS is used to produce a professional report using real world data in cooperation with a business, an industry, or a government agency. Software and projects vary from year to year. Three two-hour sessions per week.
Prerequisite: ESC 321

ESC436 - Yellowstone Winter Ecology

Semester: Spring
Semester hours: 4
This course focuses on the ecology of Yellowstone National Park, particularly emphasizing the complex interactions of large mammals with the forest and range plant communities. Students explore the methods used by the National Park Service to establish natural resource policies and examine the Park’s scientific research priorities. Two extended weekend laboratories provide research opportunities that include topics in winter ecology and aspects of the role of large mammals in the Yellowstone ecosystem. Additional fee required.
Prerequisites: ENG 119, ENG 120, and BIO 112

ESC450 - Internship

Semester: On Demand
Semester hours: 1-4
A maximum of three semester hours can be counted toward a major in environmental studies or a major or minor in environmental science. This course is a guided work experience in an already established place of business. The student must arrange the internship in agreement with the instructor and the office of career services. Contract is required.
Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing

ESC490 - Seminar

Semester: On Demand
Semester hours: 2-3
Selected topics in environmental sciences or environmental studies are explored.

ESC495 - Advanced Field Research Techniques

Semester: Fall and Spring
Semester hours: 4
Designed as an advanced research techniques class, this course takes students through the process of research development. The focus will be on more in-depth student developed field projects that will include several overnight field trips in Montana. Additional skills learned will include marking and population assessments, survey and trapping techniques (such as electro-fishing) or for specialized species (such as bats), and radio-telemetry and tracking. The development of independent or team projects implemented locally will be required for the latter portion of the semester.
Prerequisite: ESC 209 or BIO 306

ESC499 - Independent Study

Semester: On Demand
Semester hours: 1-3
This course allows a superior student to devise and pursue independent study in an area agreed upon in consultation with, and supervised by, a faculty member. Students should be either a major or minor and have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or greater.
Prerequisite: Junior or senior standing