Experiential Component in Environmental Studies: Requirements, Guidelines & Proposal Form
Requirements for the Experiential Component
Members of the Classes of 2018, 2019 and 2020 have the option to use the new major or continue with the prior version. Similarly those classes my use EnvSt 237 (formerly ES 281: Integration and Applications) to satisfy the experiential component requirements. If you are in the Class of 2021 or after, you may ignore the content of this page as it does not apply to you.
The external experiential component blends academic study and hands-on experience and practice with an environmental problem, issue, or project outside of the usual classroom context. The component must be completed as a separate unit to any course, internship or Independent Research. As you contemplate your choices for the experiential component, keep the following requirements in mind:
- Educational Purpose. The activity must demonstrate a clear educational purpose.
- Environmental Focus. The focus of the activity must be the environment.
- Out-of-classroom Context. The activity must involve experiences that are conducted outside of the usual classroom context and are practice-based. Typically these will be off-campus field experiences and projects defined broadly, but will also include on-campus projects or research in which the experiences are student-organized and initiated projects or faculty-led such as a DUR or a CURI project.
- Academic Reflection. The activity must demonstrate academic reflection on environmental experiences. Typically this will involve the study of books or articles as a basis for reflections on experiences. The reflections should be organized and presented in journals, essays or reports. Past reflective activities have included: Daily Journal, Readings, Paper(s), Essay(s), or a Video/Film.
- Summative Project. You should carry out a final project such as an Integrated Paper, Portfolio, Poster Presentation, Seminar Presentation, Video/Film Project, or Art/Literary Project
- Duration: If designing your own experience, keep in mind the combination of academic study and environmental experiences should approximate the time and effort required for one full course, that is, 140-160 hours.
- Proposal Process: Proposals for interim and spring semester projects must be completed and submitted no later than two weeks prior to the start of interim registration of the same academic year. Proposals for summer and fall semester experiences must be completed and submitted no later than two weeks prior to the start of registration for the fall semester of the following academic year. Early proposals are welcome although the Experiential Component Committee reserves the right to hold them for consideration at the next scheduled meeting (which may happen only once per term). Submit your proposal via the Experiential Component Proposal Form.
- Approval Process: The academic reflection and summative activities must be completed and submitted to the departmental experiential component committee no later than the last day of classes of the term following the project, unless that is your final semester before graduating. In that case, these activities must be completed by the last day of classes of the term in which you are graduating. Earlier submissions are encouraged.
The component may be satisfied in a variety of ways:
OPTION 0: By successful completion of EnvSt 237: Integration and Application in Environmental Studies. The course is structured around an Academic Civic Engagement project that addresses the needs of a community partner. The department piloted this as a topics course (281) in spring 2017 and during the 2017-18 academic year. Since the project deliverables and an academic and personal reflection are part of the course, there is no need to submit a proposal for this option. This is the preferred option for all majors, including those in the Class of 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Other options for completion of the experiential component, listed below, require you to submit a proposal for department review and approval as well as final products for department review and approval.
OPTION 1: By successful completion of an approved course or off-campus program to include the summative project and the academic reflection activity described above. The summative project and academic reflection activities are to be pursued and completed in addition to the regular assignments and projects of the class. Please submit your proposal via the form linked on this page. Approved courses and programs are:
AS/ES 277 Environmental Sustainability in Asia (St. Olaf faculty-led interim)
AS/ES 396 Environmental Research in Asia (St. Olaf faculty-led interim)
Bio 287 Island Biology (St. Olaf faculty-led interim)
Bio 288 Equatorial Biology (St. Olaf faculty-led interim)
Bio 371 Field Ecology
BI/ES 286 Tropical Ecology and Sustainable Land Use in Costa Rica (St. Olaf faculty-led interim)
Biology in South India
Environmental Science in Australia (St. Olaf faculty-led semester)
ACM Costa Rica: Field Research in the Environment, Social Sciences & Humanities
ACM Tanzania: Ecology and Human Origins
HECUA in Minneapolis/St. Paul (fall semester full program/internship) — Environmental Sustainability: Ecology, Policy and Social Transformation
HECUA in Ecuador — (fall or spring full program/internship) — Community Internships in Latin America
HECUA in Italy — (fall semester full program/internship) — Sustainable Agriculture, Food, and Justice
Washington Semester: International Environment and Development (American Univ.)
Wilderness Field Station in Ely, MN (Coe College; summer; often has SS or A/H courses as well as science-based classes)
OPTION 2: By successful completion of an independent study, independent research (including CURI and DUR projects), academic internship or similar combination of academic study and environmental experience that is augmented to include the required summative project and demonstrated academic reflection activity. Students should take care to make certain that the project meets the duration requirements. Students are encouraged to make use of the Piper Center for Vocation and Career to explore internship opportunities or places of employment completed by other ES majors and concentrators. Please submit your proposal via the form linked on this page.
OPTION 3: By successful completion of an environment-related paid employment experience or non-academic-credit-bearing internship that is augmented to include the required summative project and demonstrated academic reflection activity. Students should take care to make certain that the project meets the duration requirements. Students are encouraged to make use the Piper Center for Vocation and Career to explore internship opportunities or places of employment completed by other ES majors and concentrators. Please submit your proposal via the form linked on this page.
Experiential Component Proposal:
Completed proposals for the ES Experiential Component must be approved by the ES Experiential Component Committee at least two weeks prior to the start of registration for the term during which you intend to do the project as described above. The proposal link appears below. The summative project and the academic reflection activity must be received and formally accepted after the activity is completed.
You must have approval prior to pursuing any of the above options. Proposals and projects will be reviewed exclusively during the regular academic year.