Although not required for the major, internships and research opportunities help students directly apply the insight, theory, and research methodology they learn in class. The College sponsors 10-week summer research projects in the fields of biology, chemistry, psychology, and physics. Internships and research projects outside of the natural sciences are also encouraged. Students of environmental studies have completed internships with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation in Annapolis, the Wildfowl Trust of North America in Queenstown, the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center near Annapolis, the Center for Environmental and Estuarine Studies in Cambridge, and the Joint Cooperative Laboratory at Oxford. Washington College has established cooperative relationships with the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, the Pickering Creek Environmental Center in Easton, and the Sassafras River Natural Resource Management Area near Kennedyville.
Environmental studies is a growing field.
In response to the scientific investigation of the environment and the high level of social concern for the preservation of the environment, professional and academic specializations in the environmental arena have multiplied. All large companies employ environmental attorneys. Private foundations and governmental agencies employ Washington College graduates as environmental educators and land management planners. All of these positions require people with training that is both scientifically sound and steeped in the social, political, ethical, and humanistic dimensions of environmental issues. Course Descriptions 101.