Forestry and Geology

DEPARTMENT MISSION

Forestry, geology, watershed analysis, and environmental study are the emphases of the Department of Forestry and Geology. Students analyze the physical, biological, hydrological, and chemical components of natural landscapes, and also address the economic, social, and political aspects of environmental issues as part of their study. The department stresses work both within and outside the classroom, and trains students to integrate their field observations with theoretical concepts and analytical data.

The department offers three majors, a certificate, and a minor.

The three majors:

Forestry: A study of forest ecosystems and the environmental components and processes (biological, physical, and chemical) that affect them.

Geology: A study of processes affecting the earth — geological, hydrological, and chemical.

Natural Resources and the Environment: An interdisciplinary environmental major that integrates coursework in forest ecosystems and geology with other environmental coursework. (This major is offered in collaboration with the Environmental Studies Program.)

Watershed Science Certificate: A component of the Environmental Studies Program and more fully described under that heading, the Certificate is designed for students interested in gaining a better understanding of the interactions among physical, chemical, and biological factors that affect our watersheds and wetlands. Students pursuing the Certificate take a range of courses focusing on water resources and watershed science.

Geology Minor: A student may minor in geology by completing the following courses:

1. Geol 314: Hydrology

2. One of the following:
Geol 215: Economic Geological Resources
Geol 221: Mineralogy

3. One of the following:
Geol 222: Historical Geology
Geol 225: Sedimentology
Geol 325: Field and Structural Geology

4. One additional four-credit laboratory course in geology at the 200- or 300-level

Students must achieve an average grade of C (2.00) or higher in the four required courses. No comprehensive examination is required. Geology minors who propose taking any of the required courses elsewhere than Sewanee must seek prior approval before taking such a course.

All three majors in the Department of Forestry and Geology emphasize an interdisciplinary study of the natural world and the interrelationships between geological, hydrological, and forest ecological processes. Excellent forest and geological exposures on the University Domain and its environs, along with the stream drainages that comprise local watersheds, are the focus of both lab and field study. Other sites in the Appalachians, Rocky Mountains, Colorado Plateau region, Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, and St. Catherine's barrier island environment are also studied in specific courses. Students in all majors develop skills appropriate to the study of forested and geologic systems. These include skills in computer use/analysis (database, word processing, and/or GIS software), field identifications, laboratory analysis, and mapping and spatial analysis of variables in the field. Graduating seniors must demonstrate a broad knowledge of environmental issues (local, regional, and global) and must be competent in both oral and written communication skills. As part of this goal, all juniors in the department complete an oral presentations course and all seniors complete a collaborative and interdisciplinary senior field research project.

Students interested in majoring in forestry, geology, or natural resources and the environment have choices in required coursework, and they are advised to consult with a member of the department early in their college career to plan a sequence of courses appropriate to their interests and objectives. Students interested in careers in forestry or environmental study may choose to participate in a 3-2 Cooperative College program with Duke University, with three years of work at Sewanee and two years at Duke, to obtain both a Sewanee bachelor's degree and one of two master's degrees at Duke: Master of Environmental Management (MEM) or Master of Forestry (MF).