The Environmental Stewardship Curriculum The Unity College Environmental Stewardship Curriculum is a primary component of the Unity education. Required in all baccalaureate degree programs, the curriculum listed below is designed to teach important academic skills, knowledge, and dispositions through interdisciplinary and traditional courses that stress the connections and inter-relatedness of the various disciplines that comprise environmental studies. Together with the professional degree requirements, these courses prepare Unity graduates for leadership roles in environmental issues, on levels ranging from local to global. I. Disciplinary Core of Courses: Seminar, internship, independent study, thesis, or academic field experience (3 credits minimum at or above the 3000 level) Each course or group of courses used to fulfill a Disciplinary Core of Courses requirement must total a minimum of three credits except Computer Science, which must total a minimum of two credits. Any required course in a major may be used to satisfy the Disciplinary core of courses. The same course may not be used to satisfy more than one requirement in the Unity Environmental Stewardship curriculum. II. Interdisciplinary Core of Courses: The courses below fulfill the Disciplinary Core of courses: Seminar A seminar is a course that allows a small number of students to explore topics in depth with one or more faculty members. Students are expected to take an active role in the seminar, whether by participation or by presentation as agreed with the instructor. Seminars may be offered for one to three credits, and will include the word “seminar” in their course titles. The college may choose to offer a seminar on a regular basis. A student may have to enroll in more than one seminar at the 3000 or 4000 level to choose this option of the Unity Curriculum in order to gain the necessary three credits. Internship An internship is a carefully planned, well-supervised job experience related to an academic field. To fulfill the Unity Curriculum graduation requirement, the internship must be a minimum of three credits and at the 3000 level or above. Students should plan to take their internship no later than the summer of their junior year in order to complete their degree requirements in the appropriate time. Independent Study An independent study is a learning opportunity beyond the normal catalog offerings arranged between one or more students and a faculty member. The responsibility for the course content for the independent study rests largely with the student. To fulfill the Unity Curriculum requirement with this option, the independent study must result in a written report or presentation by the student. A minimum of three credits of independent study is required at the 3000 or 4000 level. Thesis A thesis is a research project, usually completed in the student’s senior year. In this type of independent study, the thesis is of whatever length required to present the argument, defense, and conclusion. A copy of the thesis will be deposited in the Dorothy Webb Quimby Library. The topic and methodology of a thesis are decided between the student and two faculty thesis advisors. A written thesis proposal must be approved by the dean of the faculty and filed with the registrar. The senior thesis may be taken at the 4000 level only, for a maximum of three credits for each of two semesters. Academic Field Experience A field experience will include at least three credits of academic course study conducted over a period of at least three calendar weeks at a college or university field station. Academic field experience approved sites include those field stations listed in the membership directory of the North American Association of Field Stations or others approved by the dean of the faculty. Study site and coursework must be approved by Unity College before coursework is attempted. GENERAL DEGREE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE BACHELOR OF ARTS, BACHELOR OF SCIENCE AND BACHELOR OF GENERAL STUDIES |