The Guide to Graduate Environmental Programs

Abstract

Review: The Guide to Graduate Environmental Programs by Student Conservation Association Reviewed by James K. Lewis Florida Department of Environmental Protection Student Conservation Association. The Guide to Graduate Environmental Programs. Washington, D.C.: Island Press, 1997. 447 pp. US $16.95 paper ISBN: 1-55963-340-9. US $29.95 cloth ISBN: 1-55963-339-5. Recycled, acid-free paper. Now here's a useful book -- mostly. For those who are contemplating a jump into some environmental graduate school, The Guide to Graduate Environmental Programs is one place to start. It should not, however, be your only reference. To their credit, the compilers say much the same thing. The information in these pages was accurate as of November 1994. The book was published in 1997 -- and it is now 1999. The book seems to imply a lack of planning on the part of would-be grad schoolers -- as if going for advanced studies is a spur-of-the-moment decision. For most of us, to go or not go to grad school is a decision made well in advance -- particularly in fields where an undergraduate background in somewhat specialized subjects is almost a prerequisite. The compilers seem to ignore the fact that these are specialized fields. Even for those of us who may head back to school after spending time in the workplace, earlier schooling is important. All that said, this IS a useful book. The brief Part I (pp. 3-36) discusses career opportunities (in the 90s) and recommends various strategies to follow when assessing possible graduate schools. One recommendation: look at where a school's graduates go after they're through. It is a hint about the kind of education you might receive. Part I provides detailed advice on the application process, then concludes with a summary overview of the kinds of graduate programs from which you may be choosing. Part II (pp. 37-392) contains the meat. Here you find an alphabetical listing of more than 160 graduate programs. (Earlier (p. xv) we learned that 412 questionnaires were sent out, 156 were returned, and that the editors compiled information for a few other schools which did not