Integrative Conservation Concentration

Addresses global conservation challenges, such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem collapse, drawing upon fields such as biology, policy, law, anthropology, sociology, conflict resolution, environmental justice, economics and communication. Students learn to apply their knowledge and effect real-world change through access to the Smithsonian-Mason Semester and international conservation organizations in the Washington, DC area.

The focus of the curriculum is to train students in conservation theory and applications along with real-world strategies that address the biodiversity crisis and other global grand challenges. The core curriculum will include four topic areas:

Conservation Foundations: provides students with a foundation in biodiversity conservation principles & global environmental challenges which provides the framework for solution oriented problem solving.
Analytical Skills and Methods: these courses give students the ability to access, process and manipulate data, build statistical models, and conduct hypothesis testing.
Biology and Ecology: these courses provide a background, theory, and application of conservation biology, ecology and evolution.
Social Dimensions: these courses explore human nature and value systems, as well as developing skills in stakeholder analysis, community engagement, and governance systems.

Major Map

	First Year	Middle Years	Last Year
Academics	Take required courses. Make a connection with a professor. Learn about small classroom learning in this major. Meet with your academic advisor at least once each semester your first year. Find scholarships.	Meet with your advisor to choose courses and stay on track with meeting degree requirements. Declare/consider declaring your concentration. Consider a double major or a minor. Is a Bachelor to Accelerated Master's (BAM) program right for you? Apply as early as 60 credits! Reach out to faculty for research mentorship.	Work closely with your advisor to verify you are meeting your graduation requirements.  Apply for graduation. Take INTS 491 Senior Capstone (Mason Core). Consider submitting your research to CHSS Research Symposium.
Career and Professional Prep	See what students and alumni say about this major. Visit the Career Services Center to start research on the types of jobs or industries you may find interesting (ex. nonprofit, work abroad, and more). Build a resume and LinkedIn profile to continue career exploration and develop your professional persona. Activate your Handshake profile to explore and opt-in to industry email lists. Start talking to professionals and faculty members via informational interviews to gain insight on their path through their career.	Enroll in INTS 420: College to Career Skills. Look for internship opportunities using University Career Services and Handshake. Have an internship? Enroll in INTS 490: Internship to receive credit for internship. Discuss with multiple faculty and current professionals in the work force whether graduate school might be the right path for you. Consider graduate or professional schools in the United States or abroad. Prepare standardized admission tests for graduate or professional schools, if necessary. Apply for scholarships and fellowships. Create your own Career Advisory Board (pdf). Join student organizations related to your career field. Talk to your professors about your goals, and ask them about job or internship opportunities. Connect with Mason alumni who share your career interests and have a career conversation (docx) with them. Use job search sites specific to your career field. Attend career fairs and employer events where you can meet multiple representatives. International Students: Be informed of the latest immigration compliance rules and regulations for on-campus and off-campus work authorization. Contact the Office of International Programs and Services (OIPS) for more information.	Specify prospective employers and create a job or graduate school search strategy at least nine months before graduation. Finalize materials for post-graduation employment (such as your LinkedIn page, a portfolio, etc). For graduate school applications, prepare statement of purpose/goals statement, resume and/or CV, and notify the writers of your letters of recommendation before application deadlines.
Experiences	Attend a meeting of )department-sponsored student club) to meet fellow majors and get involved in LinkedIn and Mason 360. Consider joining at least one Mason student org. Check them all out on Mason 360. Look ahead to planning a student abroad program through the Global Education Office. In the meantime, see what Northern Virginia and Washington DC have to offer!	Meet people and become involved in the life of the college. Find events and news for your major. Strengthen your leadership competency. Become a CHSS Ambassador. Become a CHSS Undergraduate Learning Assistant.	Attend a regional or national research conference (Search for student discounts or complimentary for conference registration). Join professional associations (student discount membership may be available).

First Year

Middle Years

Last Year

Academics

Take required courses.

Make a connection with a professor.

Learn about small classroom learning in this major.

Meet with your academic advisor at least once each semester your first year.

Find scholarships.

Meet with your advisor to choose courses and stay on track with meeting degree requirements.

Declare/consider declaring your concentration.

Consider a double major or a minor.

Is a Bachelor to Accelerated Master's (BAM) program right for you? Apply as early as 60 credits!

Reach out to faculty for research mentorship.

Work closely with your advisor to verify you are meeting your graduation requirements. 

Apply for graduation.

Take INTS 491 Senior Capstone (Mason Core).

Consider submitting your research to CHSS Research Symposium.

Career and Professional Prep

See what students and alumni say about this major.

Visit the Career Services Center to start research on the types of jobs or industries you may find interesting (ex. nonprofit, work abroad, and more).

Build a resume and LinkedIn profile to continue career exploration and develop your professional persona.

Activate your Handshake profile to explore and opt-in to industry email lists.

Start talking to professionals and faculty members via informational interviews to gain insight on their path through their career.

Enroll in INTS 420: College to Career Skills.

Look for internship opportunities using University Career Services and Handshake.

Have an internship? Enroll in INTS 490: Internship to receive credit for internship.

Discuss with multiple faculty and current professionals in the work force whether graduate school might be the right path for you.

Consider graduate or professional schools in the United States or abroad.

Prepare standardized admission tests for graduate or professional schools, if necessary.

Apply for scholarships and fellowships.

Create your own Career Advisory Board (pdf).

Join student organizations related to your career field.

Talk to your professors about your goals, and ask them about job or internship opportunities.

Connect with Mason alumni who share your career interests and have a career conversation (docx) with them.

Use job search sites specific to your career field.

Attend career fairs and employer events where you can meet multiple representatives.

International Students: Be informed of the latest immigration compliance rules and regulations for on-campus and off-campus work authorization. Contact the Office of International Programs and Services (OIPS) for more information.

Specify prospective employers and create a job or graduate school search strategy at least nine months before graduation.

Finalize materials for post-graduation employment (such as your LinkedIn page, a portfolio, etc).

For graduate school applications, prepare statement of purpose/goals statement, resume and/or CV, and notify the writers of your letters of recommendation before application deadlines.

Experiences

Attend a meeting of )department-sponsored student club) to meet fellow majors and get involved in LinkedIn and Mason 360.

Consider joining at least one Mason student org. Check them all out on Mason 360.

Look ahead to planning a student abroad program through the Global Education Office.

In the meantime, see what Northern Virginia and Washington DC have to offer!

Meet people and become involved in the life of the college. Find events and news for your major.

Strengthen your leadership competency.

Become a CHSS Ambassador.

Become a CHSS Undergraduate Learning Assistant.

Attend a regional or national research conference (Search for student discounts or complimentary for conference registration).

Join professional associations (student discount membership may be available).

Opportunities

SMITHSONIAN-MASON SCHOOL OF CONSERVATION

Spend a semester living and learning at our Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute campus in Front Royal, Virginia and earn:

Credits towards your major
Minor in Conservation Studies

Details are at https://smconservation.gmu.edu/

Other Concentrations

Major Map

Opportunities

SMITHSONIAN-MASON SCHOOL OF CONSERVATION