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Advising and Course Notes


HOW TO CONTACT YOUR ADVISOR -- Go to www.ensp.umd.edu, and check your advisor’s contact information under your CONCENTRATION.

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COURSE NOTES & SCHEDULE CHANGES
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  • Advising checklists -- Please let me know if you spot errors so I can fix them.  Thank you!
  • ENSP400 – will be taught TuTh 2-3:15

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MAKING WISE COURSE SELECTIONS
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PROFESSIONAL WRITING -- Students may take any Professional Writing course that relates to their career and/or academic interests.  Do not assume you “must” take ENGL398V; many ENSP students choose to take ENGL390, ENGL392, ENGL398E, ENGL398N among others.  Courses include:

  • Science Writing (English 390) – great for students planning on graduate school in the sciences
  • Argumentation/Advanced Composition (English 391)
  • Legal Writing (English 392) -- great for pre-Law students
  • English 398E: Writing about Economics – great for Environmental Economics student
  • English 398N: Writing for Nonprofits
  • English 398R: Nonfiction Narrative Writing and Editing
  • English 398V: Writing about the Environment

A full course list and descriptions are here.  NOTE: You can take more than one PW course, provided they have different numbers, like ENGL392 and ENGL398V.

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Juniors & Seniors:  Thoughtful academic freedom
RESTRICTED ELECTIVES & YOU

The Restricted Electives on your Advising Checklists are the courses for which you have “automatic approval.” You are not limited to these courses, however!

  • If you see upper-level courses (300- and 400-level) that relate to Environmental Science and Policy, your Concentration, and/or your long-term academic/career plans, please bring the course to your advisor’s attention.  Have the course description with you; and a rationale for how it would fit into your plan.  In most cases, thoughtful and academically appropriate suggestions for Restricted Electives will be warmly received.  
If you are a senior AND have a 3.0 GPA or higher -- you may ask to take graduate-level courses (500-level and above).  http://www.umd.edu/catalog/index.cfm/show/content.section/c/27/ss/1586/s/1525

  • The differences between undergraduate and graduate courses include:  More reading, longer papers, greater amounts of “assumed knowledge” and great learner initiative.  The advantages are:  More advanced work, special topics, a chance to explore graduate-level work with motivated grad students.  Ask me how to gain permission to enroll!
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MAY 2016 Graduates:
ACADEMIC CHALLENGES AND JOB-SEEKING

If you are in the enviable situation of having 12 or fewer credits standing between you and graduation, consider the following: 

  • Looking for a job is like taking a class, all by itself. 
If you plan to go to work right after graduation, consider limiting yourself to 12 challenging credits and spending your “extra” time doing one more internship or volunteering experience; writing resumes and cover letters; attending Career Center events; conducting “information interviews;” and completing other employment-related activities. Go here for job-seeking resources: http://www.ensp.umd.edu/careers/jobs-boards

If you plan to go to graduate or law school right after graduation, know why you are going AND leave time in your schedule for campus visits.

In any case, do not load up on 100- and 200-level courses! 

  • You are “beyond” that now – it would be better to take 12 credits of challenging courses than 15 credits of “easy” courses. 
  • Are there exceptions to this rule?  Yes – for example, taking a skills course you haven’t previously had time for, like Beekeeping; an additional science course (if you are a policy student); or one more course with a professor you really like (and from whom you might need a letter of recommendation, down the road); or a foreign language or art history course in preparation for travelling abroad post-graduation. 
  • In other words – now is not the time to take a vacation!  Use your time wisely and continue learning lots and doing well.  You’ll be thankful you did.