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.
Other Concentrations
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.
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/