About DES

DES Philosophy

An underlying philosophy of DES is to provide hands-on practical experience. DES faculty have active research programs creating valuable opportunities for students to work on meaningful environmental projects. DES students also are required to complete a three-credit internship. A special fall environmental science field immersion course allows new students to join faculty in exploring a range of analytical issues and techniques for environmental problem solving.

DES's Curriculum

The department's innovative curriculum is designed to train future environmental science and policy, and health professionals. Many activities are designed around open-ended problems where the process of solution-seeking often is more important than the solution itself. The curriculum is based on cohort groups of students using a 5-course sequence designed to mimic the main parts of a research paper:

• Introduction (ESP 203W - Environmental Communication)
• Methods (ESP 280 - Research and Analytical Methods)
• Results (MAT120D - Statistics)
• Discussion (ESP 401W - Environmental Impact Assessment)
• Conclusion (ESP 475 - Senior Seminar)

The Department's curriculum was refined by a National Science Foundation grant through the Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement Program.

Scholarships

There are multiple scholarship opportunities available for DES students based on academic merit and financial need. Current available scholarships include:

DES Scholarships

L.L. Bean Scholarship
DES Alumni Scholarship

For more information, contact Therese Martin.

USM Scholarships

For more information, contact USM.

How to Apply to USM

USM's Office of Admission provides an online application, information on campus tours, information on financial aid, and important deadlines to begin your studies at USM.