Pomona College
AC-2: Learning Outcomes

This figure represents the total number of graduates from the programs that require an understanding of the concept of sustainability. These programs are:

Environmental Analysis
Biology
Chemistry
Geology
International Relations
Science, Technology, and Society
Sociology
Public Policy Analysis
Politics
Philosophy, Politics, and Economics

Requirements for the Major in Environmental Analysis

The major consists of three sets of requirements:
An Introductory Core set of three courses (EA 010 PO, EA 020 PO, EA 030L JS)
A Concentration: There are two Concentrations in EA from which a student must select one in which to develop a “course plan:”
Environmental Science
Society and the Environment
There are two options for course-plan development within any given Concentration: (1) Select a pre-designed Concentration or Course Plan. (2) Design with your advisor your own Course Plan, including 7 but not exceeding 11 courses total, in addition to the Core and Capstone courses. Individually designed course plans must show depth in some foundational discipline, or set of closely related disciplines, and must be approved by the Steering Committee.
Senior Capstone:
Seniors may fulfill this requirement through either of two options:
Complete a senior thesis (EA 191 PO) in the fall semester for possible Honors if the student achieves an A in the course. In special circumstances the thesis can be extended to a yearlong course.
Enroll in the senior seminar (EA 190 PO) in the spring, and complete a major written project.
Seniors also may choose to complete both of these options.

Pre-approved Concentration Plans:
1. Environmental Science Concentration
(Advisor: Richard Hazlett)

Introductory Core: EA 010 PO, EA 020 PO*, EA 030L JS
Introductory Biology: BIOL 041E PO
Introductory Chemistry: CHEM 001A PO or CHEM 051 PO
One from Physical Geography (in development) or GEOL 020A PO
One from PHYS 017 PO; or new HMC energy course (in development)
Five from upper-division science courses within a single department
One upper-division policy course – e.g., ECON 052 PO; ECON 127 PO
One class in Environment and Society – e.g. PHIL 037 PO; PHIL 038 PO; RLST 166A PO
Environmentally focused study abroad semester strongly recommended
Senior Thesis/Capstone

2. Environment and Society Concentration
(Advisor: Char Miller)
Introductory Core: EA 010 PO, EA 020 PO*, EA 030 PO
BIOL 041E PO or BIOL 104 PO
Five from ANTH 059 PO, ANTH 124 PO, ANTH 129 PO, ANTH 145 PO; EA 027 PO, EA 085 PO; PHIL 037 PO, PHIL 038 PO; POLI 136 PO, POLI 139 PO; RLST 166A PO, SOC 055 PO
One from POLI 060 PO, POLI 061 PO, POLI 136 PO, POLI 139 PO; EA 171 PO
One additional upper-division class related to Environment and Society
Environmentally focused study abroad semester strongly recommended Senior Thesis/Capstone

Pre-approved Course Plans:
Since its inception in 2001, EA has offered its majors a series of recommended course plans by which they could complete their major requirements. These options remain; and it is also possible for students to design their own course plan with the approval of their major advisor and the Steering Committee. The full list of pre-approved course plans and their individual requirements is posted on the program website (www.ea.pomona.edu), and includes the following possibilities:

Environmental Analysis in Geology (Advisor: Mr. Hazlett)
Environmental Biology (Advisor: _______)
Environmental Design (Advisor: Mr. Miller)
Environmental Ethics (Advisor: Ms. Davis)
Environmental Physics and Engineering (Advisor: Mr. Tanenbaum)
Environmental Policy (Advisor: Mr. Cutter)
Human Behavior and the Environment (Advisor: _______)
Mathematical Issues for Environmental Analysis (Advisor: Gabe Chandler )
Race, Class, Gender and the Environment (Advisor: Ms. Clark)
Society, Development, and the Environment (Advisor: Ms. Grigsby)

Biology
The Biology Major provides students with extensive training in a range of biological subject areas, principles and practices. The curriculum gives students a broad background in biology while providing for specialization in a particular sub-discipline such as environmental biology, organismal biology, plant biology or cell and molecular biology. Students also gain extensive experience in the processes of logical problem-solving and experimental design that characterize scientific investigation. Most biology majors pursue graduate work in biology or the health professions, but many enter careers in government, business, law, journalism, secondary school teaching, or with environmental consulting firms, conservation organizations or biotechnology companies. The department also offers a minor.
The faculty of the Biology Department believes strongly in the value of learning not just what is known about biology, but how biologists acquire that knowledge. Most courses include laboratories in which students gain first-hand experience with the processes of biological inquiry. Strong emphasis on learning to think scientifically is reflected in the department’s senior exercise, in which each student develops an original biological investigation of a problem of his or her choice.

Chemistry
The Chemistry Department provides its students with a thorough education in the fundamental processes of the chemical world to foster creative and critical thinking. The curriculum introduces students to an understanding of chemical phenomena, structure, properties and transformations at the atomic and molecular levels. A collegial and supportive environment distinguishes the student-faculty interaction in many contexts, including the classroom and laboratory. It is this experience that prepares students for a variety of professional pursuits and enables them to learn beyond the confines of the College throughout their lifetime and to be constructive and contributing citizens of the community.
The Chemistry Major provides a solid foundation for many areas of further study, such as graduate work in chemistry, the life sciences, environmental studies, public health, forensic science and oceanography. It has enabled students to succeed in a variety of professions including education, research, industry, medicine, business and law.

Geology
Geologists are interdisciplinary scientists, dedicated to understanding Earth’s formation and evolution over time, as well as the interplay of active processes that continue to shape our planet. A host of fundamental questions drives our science forward. For instance, how can we reduce the risk to human populations from volcanic eruptions, earthquake activity and other hazardous geological events? What is the connection between the Earth’s interior dynamics and the global network of mobile tectonic plates at its surface, and within our solar system why is Earth’s plate tectonic regime unique? How did life originate, evolve and modify Earth's environment over billions of years? Geologists also play an important role in addressing many applied questions of relevance to society. How can we resolve the mismatch between population growth and a dwindling supply of energy, mineral resources and clean water? How does evidence of past climate variations, observed in the geological record, help us understand the near-future trajectory and consequences of anthropogenic climate change? The geosciences are an essential part of the scientific framework needed to address questions like these and many of the other pressing challenges facing humankind.
Given the complex questions driving geoscience in the 21st century, it is critical that Pomona Geology students strive to (1) investigate problems over a wide range of spatial scales, from microscopic to interplanetary, (2) utilize data reflecting timescales that vary from microseconds to periods spanning billions of years, and (3) integrate diverse approaches, such as fieldwork, laboratory analysis and computational modeling.

International Relations
The International Relations (IR) Program focuses on conflict and cooperation in the international system, examining issues of the global political economy, environment, trade, migration, interstate and civil war, and human health and development. This focus on the process of globalization at the systemic level is complemented by an additional focus on the study of regions—their languages, histories, cultures and position in the global context. The program’s emphases on globalization and regional studies are supported by requirements in modern language and study abroad, as well as by the activities of the Oldenborg Center. These experiential aspects of the program introduce insight and empirical richness to the study of international society.
The goal of the International Relations Program is to develop in students the ability to think analytically and independently about the structural features of global society. Graduates are prepared for a variety of postgraduate professional and academic degree programs. Career possibilities include government service, law, business, non-governmental advocacy, journalism, teaching and research.

Science, Technology and Society (STS)
Science, technology and society (STS) is an interdisciplinary field that studies the conditions under which the production, distribution and utilization of scientific knowledge and technological systems occur; research in STS traces the consequences of these activities upon different groups of people. STS builds on the history and philosophy of science and technology, sociology and anthropology, policy studies, and cultural and literary studies, all of which shape the modes of analysis deployed in the field. The intercollegiate program brings together courses taught in a variety of departments, and is divided into three principal areas: history of science and technology, philosophy of science and technology, and social science approaches to technology and science. Courses explore the effects of science and technology on society and culture; the politics of socio-technical systems; science policy in national and international contexts; the social and environmental risks vs. benefits of technological and scientific advancement and, more specifically, cover topics such as the political economy of pollution, the culture of the scientific laboratory, theories of race and genetic engineering, social networking and the Internet, the body and politics of health.

Sociology
Sociology examines the ways people influence each other through societal institutions, organizations and groups. Sociology often combines scientific and humanistic perspectives in the study of such varied topics as urban life, family relations, race and ethnicity, social class, social and religious movements, aging and gender roles. The Sociology Major at Pomona College emphasizes social theory and research and culminates in a senior seminar during the fall semester in which students write a critical synthesis of sociological research on a topic of their choice. Students also have the option of completing a senior thesis in which they carry out an original research project under the direction of one or two faculty members. The department also offers a minor.

Public Policy Analysis
Pomona’s Program in Public Policy Analysis (PPA) combines the broad and disciplined foundation of a liberal arts curriculum with the hands-on, problem-focused approach of policy studies. The 216-hour policy-related internship and thesis capstone sequence integrates practical experience with the knowledge base of a science or social science discipline so that students can analyze and affect an important public issue. The program offers 11 majors combining policy analysis with social or natural sciences (faculty liaisons in parentheses): anthropology (Mahdavi), biology (Hanzawa), chemistry (Grieman), economics (Brown), environmental analysis (Cutter), geology (Reinen), physics (Penprase), politics (Menefee-Libey), psychology (Buriel), sociology (Grigsby), and science, technology and society (Worthington). Students who complete the four required components listed below will be considered to have met the requirements for majors in, for example, economics/public policy analysis. Interested students must contact the program’s associate director and preferably declare the major by the end of their sophomore year. The student’s academic advisor must be in the participating department.

Politics
At Pomona, the Politics Department is organized around four subfields: political theory, American politics, comparative politics and international relations. We encourage our students to take a pluralistic approach to their studies: to take courses in each subfield, study politics from a variety of perspectives and use a variety of rigorous methods. As befits a discipline that is both essential and extensive, our graduates have gone on to noteworthy careers in fields including (but not limited to) organizational leadership, social change advocacy, electoral politics, policymaking, law, journalism, education, finance and medicine.

Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE)
The departments of philosophy, politics and economics (PPE) jointly offer a major in which students receive a foundation in the methods and issues of each discipline, combining normative sophistication with empirical grounding and institutional savvy. A PPE major learns to combine knowledge of economic and political institutions as they currently function with a broader vision of the goals and purposes of human society. PPE is excellent preparation for careers in law, business and public service and serves as a structured but flexible multidisciplinary program in the liberal arts for students who want a broader approach than is generally possible within a single department. The major in PPE is administered by a faculty committee representing the three disciplines.

Further detail regarding EA 190 – Senior Seminar:
This senior capstone experience is framed around team-based, real client-driven projects in sustainability. In Spring 2012, students developed the first-ever sustainability plan for Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Gardens (work that is being extended in Spring 2013); crafted the first-ever natural history survey of Claremont’s Wilderness Park; developed for the city of Claremont a waste-reduction plan, now in implementation; produced for the College’s dining halls their inaugural energy-efficiency audit that led to important changes in cooking and refrigeration (http://www.pomona.edu/news/2012/10/25-ecubes-dining.aspx); and established a graphic representation of the college’s environmental-justice footprint.