Alfred State College Curriculum 433

PRE-ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND FORESTRY

Option #1 ENVIRONMENTAL AND FOREST BIOLOGY  “One of five conservation career pathways”

Programs in environmental and forest biology provide students with a firm foundation in basic biology, ecosystem dynamics, and environmental science.  They encompass a variety of interconnected disciplines concerned with living systems, and treat not only the form, function, and evolution of organisms, but their life requirements, tolerances, and interactions that are central to the stewardship of renewable natural resources and the maintenance of environmental quality.

The curriculum meets general requirements for graduate study in a wide range of federal, state, municipal, and private positions in biological sciences. The eleven elective concentrations that focus on specialized fields of biology are: conservation biology, ecology, entomology, environmental interpretation, environmental microbiology, fish and wildlife biology and management, forest pathology and mycology, plant biotechnology, plant science, pre-medical and pre-veterinary science, and zoology.

A variety of internships are available, either in the summer or one semester of the academic year. Agencies actively involved with the internship program include the US Fish and Wildlife Service, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Upstate Freshwater Institute, The Nature Conservancy, the National Park Service, and the US Geological Survey.

Option #2 FOREST RESOURCES MANAGEMENT “One of five conservation career pathways”

The forest resource management program requires a general education similar to all ESF undergraduate programs, a professional core and a choice among six options.  In addition, students can elect the dual option in forest ecosystems science.  Options are available in forest management, forest-based business, forest resource policy, recreation resources management, urban and community forestry, and water resources management.  Many students are ready to select an option early, but in many cases selection is done when selecting courses for the fall or spring of the junior year.  The summer program in field forestry should be scheduled after the first or second year of college.  Students will need to write and speak clearly and want to develop professional judgment for conducting and supervising field and office operations.

Students who come to ESF in forestry like forests.  They want to be in forested settings, they enjoy nature, and they want to master the knowledge and skills needed to conserve and manage forest and environments.  The forest technology program at ESF’s Wanakena campus prepares young people for careers in fieldwork and is a route to the forest resource management program that emphasizes experiential learning.  Internships with forest-based organizations in the business, public and non-profit sectors amplify these hands-on experiences.

Option #3 DUAL OPTION IN FOREST ECOSYSTEMS SCIENCE AND FOREST RESOURCES MANAGEMENT “One of five conservation career pathways”

Students can complete this dual program in four years plus a summer.  Students who graduate in the Forest Ecosystems Science option will find many opportunities for careers with public agencies, private firms, and non-profit organizations.  They also are well prepared to enter graduate programs in management of natural resources or in ecological research and other areas of applied biology.

Resource management graduates often undertake careers where the management and manipulation of natural systems is a major concern.  The dual option offers the opportunity to obtain and apply expertise in both of these areas.

Students completing programs in environmental and forest biology, forestry, or the dual option have gone on to a wide variety of positions: aquatic or terrestrial ecologist, university professor, biology teacher, botanist, entomologist, environmental analyst, environmental conservation officer, extension specialist, fisheries biologist, forester, game biologist, geneticist, forest pathologist, microbiologist, naturalist, nursery manager, park naturalist, research scientist, science teacher, timber buyer, watershed manager, wildlife biologist, and zoologist.  Graduates of the forest technology program are employed as technicians in forestry, surveying, and environmental fields, and many advance to professional positions.

Option #4 CHEMISTRY

The academic program in chemistry enables the student to develop not only an understanding of chemical phenomena, but also an appreciation for chemistry that can link it to the biological and applied sciences. Programs include courses in traditional areas of chemistry, with addi­tional study in fields pertaining to environmental science & forestry.

Options leading to the BS degree are: biochemistry and natural products, environ­mental chemistry, and natural and synthetic polymer chemistry. Each option offers an advanced core of studies beyond the basic courses of the classical undergraduate chemistry curriculum. Additionally, students in all options, by selecting proper electives, may be certified on graduation as having completed an American Chemical Society approved curriculum. All options are excellent grounding for professional work at the B.S. level or for advanced graduate study.

Biochemistry and Natural Products stresses a chemical approach to problems in the life and health sciences. After obtaining a strong foundation in analytical, physical and organic chemistry, these studies are supplemented by advanced courses in natural products chemistry, wood chemistry, spectroscopy, and biochemistry. Professional electives in botany, chemical ecology, genetics and molecular biology provide the background for interactions in the life and health sciences. Research areas include the elucidation of chemical signals by which organisms communicate with each other, the role of trace metals in the growth of microorganisms, and the origin and function of biologically active natural compounds.

Environmental chemistry stresses applications of fundamental chemical principles to describe and predict behavior of chemicals in the environment. Courses in air and water chemistry are supplemented by advanced courses in analytical, physical, or organic chemistry. Research areas include phase‑partitioning of organic compounds of water, characterization of particles in air and water, aqueous photochemistry, sampling techniques for trace contaminants in air and water, biological alkylation of metals, analysis of organic particles in water, characterization of natural organic matter in soil and water, and behavior of major ions and nutrients in water, and global change.

Option #5 ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

The Bachelor of Science in environmental studies (ES) program is concerned with the interrelationships among the natural environment, natural resources, and human society, including society's institutions. The goal of the program is to educate students to be sensitive, articulate, and knowledgeable about complex environmental issues facing contemporary society. To achieve this, the ES program promotes (a) sound preparation in technical and scientific subjects and skills, (b) grounding in an environmental area of study, and (c) a synthetic or holistic viewpoint and understanding of environmental concerns.

The scope and complexity of coursework within the ES program demands both discipline and commitment from students seeking this degree.  A clear sense of purpose and objectives is necessary to pursue the curriculum beneficially. A general orientation for upper division study is pro­vided in the program's four study areas, one of which is chosen by the student during the admissions process, before undertaking upper division study. These study areas are: (a) information and technology, (b) policy and management, (c) land use planning, (d) biological science applications, and (e) environmental communication and information. 

 Students receiving the B.S. degree have pursued graduate study and careers in the fields of planning, landscape architecture, natural resource management, and other environmentally related areas such as business education, and law.

Option #6 CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT AND WOODS PRODUCTS ENGINEERING

      The wood products engineering program prepares students for a wide variety of professional careers in the construction industry, or wood products manufacturing, marketing, and design.  These interests are presented in two options:  construction management and engineering, and wood products. 

Students with or without degrees who meet the lower division requirements and have 62 credits transfer as juniors for a four-semester program.  Students who have completed pre-calculus, but have not completed chemistry and/or physics may apply for a five-semester program.

The construction option prepares students for management and engineering careers in the construction industry.  The basic objective of the construction option is twofold:  first, to provide a fundamental understanding of engineering and environmental considerations, and second, to study the various methods used to take the design into the field and construct a quality structure in the most efficient and effective manner with minimal environmental impacts. The mission of the wood products option is to provide for the educational, research, and public service needs of wood-based forest products industries.  Most of these activities are directed towards the forest products industry of New York State, but there is also a long tradition of national and international service.

The educational goal of the wood products option is to provide a broad education, encompassing study of the anatomical, physical, and mechanical properties of wood, while providing opportunity to focus on a specialty, such as manufacturing, marketing, or utilization of wood products.  Students learn to apply basic and engineering sciences to the broad spectrum of products made from wood and its derivatives.  Subject areas cover the physical and mechanical properties of wood and components utilizing wood, their industrial applications, manufacturing and marketing of wood products, and the economic aspects of this renewable resource.

Elective concentration areas are: Marketing and Sales, Production and Manufacturing, Building Construction and Renovation, Wood Science and Research, Timber Product Design and Utilization.

Option #7 FOREST ENGINEERING

   The primary objective of the forest engineering program is to prepare qualified engineering graduates to operate with professional competence.  A broad base of study in the fundamentals of engineering enables graduates to enter professional practices which focus on civil works as well as use and protection of soil, water, air, and other renewable and non-renewable resources to ensure sustainable development.

Emphasis in this unique program is placed on applications in resource inventory and evaluation; site analysis and development; environmental monitoring and impact assessment; environmental systems design, evaluation, and management; structures and transportation systems; pollution abatement and residuals management; and environmental site remediation.

Option #8 Ranger School - Forest Technology Program “One of five conservation career pathways”

This two-year curriculum educates students in forest and surveying technologies. The degree of associate in applied science (A.A.S.) in forest technology is awarded.  Within the curriculum there are two areas of study:  traditional forest technology and surveying.  Fall semester course work is the same for forest technology and surveying students.  In the spring semester, however, students interested in surveying take 11.5 credit hours of surveying course work in place of forestry-oriented courses.

Since the Ranger School is situated within a forest environment, some applicants may mistakenly believe that the experience is one of forest lore and wilderness survival.  It is, therefore, strongly emphasized that the curricula demand high-quality academic achievement.  Program completion requires concentrated and consistent study.

      The objectives of the Forest Technology concentration are to provide students with a knowledge of the field practice of forestry as related to forestry managerial needs; the ability to work and communicate effectively with professional and paraprofessional personnel; and an understanding of the sciences and practices of forestry with some emphasis on ecological applications.

      The concentration is designed to allow graduates immediate job entry at the technical level.  They are generally classified as forest technicians or forestry aides in initial employment positions.  Forestry agencies and wood-using industries employ forest technicians as an important part of their forest management teams, usually as the “people on the ground” who plan and execute the field practice of forestry, normally under the supervision of a professional forester.

Students interested in a baccalaureate degree in forestry and resource management should investigate the Faculty of Forestry’s bachelor’s degree curriculum. [Option #7Forest Engineering; Option #2 Forest Resources Management]]  It should be understood that transfer into the Faculty of Forestry’s professional forestry curriculum is possible upon completion of the A.A.S. degree at Wanakena.  Transfer into other baccalaureate programs at ESF may be possible, but students should consult as soon as possible with the Undergraduate Admissions Office.

The freshman year forest technology curriculum consists of general studies courses, which may be taken at an accredited college such as SUNY Alfred.  The second year of the curriculum is offered at the Faculty of Forestry’s forest technology program on the Wanakena Campus. 

Option #9 Bachelor of LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

The B.L.A. program is designed for those students desiring to enter the profession of landscape architecture either directly after completing the degree or after completing graduate school.  The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) accredits the degree.  The B.L.A. degree is granted at the end of five years of study and requires the successful completion of 160 credit hours.

The B.L.A. program consists of a core of courses involving the basic principles and skills of landscape architecture design, land manipulation and engineering, applied ecology, and communications.  Studio instruction holds a special place within the program because it mimics the professional environment where students will integrate these principles and skills in order to solve landscape architectural problems.  Students with a 2.0 cumulative gpa or higher are required to participate in a semester long, off-campus program, either during the summer between the fourth and fifth years, or the fall semester of the fifth year.  The major objective of the B.L.A. program is the development of basic proficiency in design, engineering, and communication skills necessary for formal admission into the profession of landscape architecture.

When the prerequisite period of work experience has been completed, a person holding a B.L.A. degree may apply to take the examination leading to a license to practice Landscape Architecture.  At present, the State of New York requires those holding a five-year B.L.A. degree to complete a three-year period of internship in the field prior to apply for the licensing examination.  Other states have varying requirements for obtaining a license.

All applicants to the ESF B.L.A. program at the junior level are highly encouraged to submit a portfolio of their creative work for review.  The faculty embraces a broad conception of the term “creative work” ranging from pencil sketches to poetry, however, for the purpose of indicating an aptitude for landscape architecture, portfolio work should focus primarily on visually-expressive media.  Submittals will be used to assess drawing and other graphic communication skills, as well as spatial awareness and the ability to visualize and convey design ideas.

 Option #10 PAPER AND SCIENCE ENGINEERING

Paper science and engineering provides a broad base of study to prepare men and women for professional positions in the pulp and paper industry.  This program has a longstanding reputation for preparing graduates for rewarding positions as research chemists, process engineers, technical service representatives, managers, and many others.  Graduates have advanced to positions of leadership in research, management, technical operations, and sales in the pulp and paper industry as well as allied industries of heavy equipment manufacture, process chemicals, and other supply industries.

The program provides education in the physical sciences and chemical engineering, with specific emphasis on those aspects of these disciplines, which related to the manufacture of pulp and paper.  This includes the chemistry and anatomy of wood, the conversion of wood to pulp and paper, and the chemistry and physics of paper and paper formation.  All options include the basics of chemical engineering with a foundation of unit operations and specialized courses, for example, in air and water pollution abatement for the pulp and paper industry.  The engineering option extends this foundation to present a chemical engineering education tailored specifically to the pulp and paper industry.

Option #11 BIOTECHNOLOGY

Biotechnology is the application of biological organisms, cells, or molecules to create products or services for the betterment of humans.  This area of study prepares students to tackle environmental, natural resource, agricultural and medical problems through training in molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry, genetic engineering and related biological disciplines. The degree program provides sufficient breadth for a student to enter a clinical medical career, or other health profession.

Option #12 NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT “One of five conservation career pathways”

 This program combines professional competency in management skills with a strong foundation in the social and biophysical sciences.  There are two management-focused options within this educational program: recreation resources management and watershed management. 

Students interested in this program typically are drawn to natural settings and environments, enjoy nature, and want to develop the professional knowledge and skills needed to conserve, steward and manage natural resources and the environment.

Option #13 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE