"Evergreen is a place for you to explore and pursue your academic
interests. Your studies here will lead you to new discoveries, and our
faculty and staff members will support you on this journey. You will
find many advantages to our interdisciplinary curriculum and our emphasis
on applying what you learn to real-world situations."—Thomas
L. Purce, Ed.D., President
More about Evergreen
The Evergreen State College is designed for students who are curious
about real life. Evergreen, a public, four-year liberal arts and sciences
college located in the Pacific Northwest, offers a dynamic curriculum
that focuses on solving problems, themes and experiences in the world.
The faculty is dedicated to teaching and working closely with students—in
the classroom, the lab and in the field.
Evergreen students work with faculty to set their own academic goals,
chart their progress, evaluate their achievements and shape their studies
to explore specific areas of interest. When they graduate, Evergreen students
understand how their studies relate to people, events and issues.
Insider's Perspective: More About Evergreen
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About this page: You can
link quickly to specific sections on this page, though it is beneficial
for you to read all of the contents. Insider's Perspective will provide
you with quotes from faculty, students and alumni about the preceding
section.
Learning
at Evergreen
Faculty at Evergreen have transformed traditional education into an unmatched
learning experience.
Instead of taking four or five separate, unrelated classes each quarter,
you'll take one program that unifies these classes around a central theme,
taught by two or three faculty from different academic disciplines. Since
you do all of your academic work in one program, your faculty team will
know how much work is being assigned to you, so there's no possibility
of two tests on the same day or having to choose between a field trip
and a conflicting class. This approach, which we call "coordinated
studies," sets learning at Evergreen apart from other colleges.
Many Evergreen programs continue for two or three consecutive quarters.
This allows you to build specific skills to produce highly sophisticated
work, even in introductory offerings. You'll work most often in small
groups with your faculty, beginning your freshman year.
At Evergreen, you'll be encouraged to voice your opinion. Your background,
ethnicity, social class and preferred lifestyle will add to the multicultural
perspectives here. You will find that attention to diversity,
in the broadest sense, runs throughout the curriculum.
Because your learning is too important to be reduced to an arbitrary
number or letter grade, you'll receive narrative evaluations from your
faculty. Faculty will detail your accomplishments, list subject areas
you studied and assign the credits you earn toward your bachelor's degree.
Narrative evaluations give graduate schools and employers
a comprehensive picture of your undergraduate education.
Insider's Perspective: Learning at Evergreen
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Designing
Your Education
Your education at Evergreen is distinctive. When you work with your
faculty and an academic advisor, you develop an educational plan that
fits your needs, interests and future goals. You have the entire curriculum
from which you may make your academic selections and you aren't limited
to fulfilling graduation unit requirements. You may also include independent
research or study abroad to augment your
learning.
The basic graduation requirement is that you must earn 180 credits. Typically,
45 credits will be in a broad coordinated studies program—like those
programs offered to freshmen. Your sophomore
year may be more focused and you may select a program from a specific
area of study. During your junior year at
Evergreen, you will mostly likely select an advanced program. Finally,
during your senior year you may select another advanced program or conduct
independent research or participate in an internship.
It is during your junior and senior years that you will also earn upper
division credit.
Whether you are destined for graduate
school or if your educational goal is career-oriented, it's always
best to seek assistance from your faculty, from the Academic
Advising counselors and from the Career
Development specialists. Reviewing The
Expectations of an Evergreen
Graduate with an academic advisor will also assist you in designing
your education.
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Areas of Study
At Evergreen the curriculum is organized around interdisciplinary programs
that are newly designed each year.
For information on current and upcoming offerings, you may wish to review the online academic catalog or go to Connect to Your Major to match your interests with our programs
Evergreen programs incorporate the following traditional disciplines:
| Anthropology |
International Studies |
| Art—Fine and Visual |
|
France |
| Biology |
Ireland |
| Botany |
Japan |
| Business |
Latin America/Spain |
| Chemistry |
Middle East |
| Communications |
Languages |
| Community Studies |
|
French |
| Computer Science |
|
Japanese |
| Cultural and Ethnic Studies |
|
Russian |
| |
African American |
|
Spanish |
| Asian American |
|
|
| American |
Literature |
| Hispanic/Mexicano |
Management |
| Latin American |
Marine Studies |
| |
Native American |
Mathematics |
| Ecology |
Media Studies |
| Ecological Design |
Performing Art |
Economics
|
Philosophy |
| Environmental Studies |
Physics |
Film and Video
|
Political Science |
| Gender Studies |
Pre-Law |
| Geography |
Pre-Medicine |
| Geology |
Psychology |
| Health Services |
Public Administration |
| History |
Social Sciences |
| Humanities |
Sociology |
| |
Sustainable Agriculture |
| |
Writing |
| |
Zoology |
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Programs
for Freshmen
These academic programs are designed to give you a solid foundation of
knowledge and skills to prepare you for intermediate and advanced studies:
to learn how to write more effectively, read carefully, analyze arguments,
reason quantitatively or mathematically, work cooperatively in small groups
and use campus resources such as the library, quantitative reasoning center
or the writing center.
Programs for Freshmen
will introduce you to Evergreen's coordinated studies method of learning
and teaching. Faculty members from different disciplines teach together
to help you explore a central theme or topic and issue as a whole, rather
than a collection of unrelated fragments. You will be exposed to the connection
of artistic expression to social conditions, for example, or the relationship
of biological facts to individual psychology. These coordinated studies
programs combine several activities: seminars, individual conferences
with faculty members, lectures, group work and, usually, field trips and
laboratories.
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| As you progress to your sophomore, junior and senior years you'll
work with your faculty to better define your academic plans and focus
your intermediate and upper-division studies. You can make program
selections from the following areas ~ |
Culture,
Text and Language
The Culture, Text
and Language planning area coordinates some social science and virtually
all the humanities curriculum at Evergreen. Disciplines include anthropology,
art history, communications, the classics, creative writing, folklore,
history, languages (French, Japanese, Russian and Spanish), literature,
philosophy, politics, psychology, religion, sociology and women's studies.
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Environmental
Studies
Environmental Studies at
Evergreen offers broadly interdisciplinary academic studies within and
across three distinctive thematic areas:
- Human Communities and the Environment—community studies, political
economy, geography, environmental economics, environmental health, history
and planning.
- Natural History—ecology, ornithology, mammalogy, herpetology,
entomology, botany and mycology, with exploration of issues in biodiversity.
- Environmental Sciences—chemistry, biology, geology, hydrology,
oceanography, climatology, physiological ecology, evolutionary biology,
forest ecology, biogeochemistry and marine biology.
Each of these thematic areas will always be offered for students who
wish to focus on a particular theme, although there will also be significant
overlap. Students should also consider offerings in political economy,
physical science and mathematics.
Insider's Perspective: Environmental Studies
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Expressive
Arts
As a student of the expressive
arts at Evergreen you can work on refining your artistic skills from
the beginning. You will, however, be advised to choose coordinated studies
that feature the arts in a broader context. Social justice, environmental
studies, philosophy and even the sciences will influence your performance,
film, sculpture or writing. This area offers yearly work in the performing
arts (theater, music and dance), media arts and visual arts.
Insider's Perspective: Expressive Arts
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Scientific
Inquiry
Science and mathematics
are essential components of the modern liberal arts curriculum. Evergreen
faculty emphasizes the application of science—you will use scientific
principles to solve real-world problems. You will be able to find computer
science, chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics and the history of science
in a variety of coordinated studies programs.
If you are interested in merely exploring the sciences or if you want
to develop a stronger emphasis, you will find offerings that cover technology,
natural science, human development and the philosophy of science. Advanced
students will have unparalleled opportunities to conduct serious scientific
research.
Insider's Perspective: Scientific Inquiry
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Society, Politics, Behavior
and Change
At Evergreen, the Society,
Politics, Behavior and Change area weaves together the various social
science disciplines that enable us to better understand society and the
way in which society operates in local, regional, national and international
arenas. This planning area includes faculty who teach the following disciplines:
anthropology, economics, history, public policy, public administration,
labor studies, management, political science, international affairs, philosophy,
sociology, health sciences, psychology, teaching and learning.
Students who graduate from Evergreen after studying in social science
programs go on to start their own businesses and social ventures, and
frequently attend graduate school in fields such as psychology, law, public
administration and political science.
top
Native
American and World Indigenous Peoples Studies
Native American and World Indigenous
Peoples Studies programs focus on the indigenous peoples of the Pacific
Northwest, the Americas and the world. You may begin with a focus on the
basic principles and concepts of the unique treaty relationship between
Tribal Nations and the US government. Students explore a continuum from
pre-Columbian times to the global effects of colonialism and the political
and cultural revitalization movements of the contemporary era, with particular
attention given to the tribes of the Pacific Northwest. These programs
are grounded in the recognition of the vitality and diversity of contemporary
indigenous communities.
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Modes of Study for Intermediate
and Advanced Students (juniors and seniors)
Internships
Evergreen students combine academic study with practical, applied experience
through internships. You will find an Evergreen intern in almost every
conceivable setting: from government agencies to museums to farms to private
industry. Sometimes internships are an integrated mode of learning embedded in programs, such as:
American Places
Animal Behavior and Zoology
Awareness: Independent Studies
Environmental Analysis
Environmental Health: Science, Policy and Social Justice
Foundations of Health Science: Global and Local Perspectives
Gender and Sexuality: History, Culture and Politics
India: Tradition and Beyond
Individual Study: Cultural Studies
Individual Study: Fiber Arts, Installation, Non-Western Art History, Native American Studies, Creative Writing: Poetry, and Multicultural American Literature
Individual Study: Management, Business, Maritime Studies, Non-profit Development and International Trade
Mediaworks in Context: Sustainability and Justice
Molecule to Organism
Multicultural Counseling: An Innovative Model
Persistence: A Study of Inspired Work
Social Work/Human Services Skill Sets
Venezuela: Building Economic and Social Justice
Students may also develop internships independent of an academic program.
You are advised to develop your academic plans for your internship well
in advance of your independent work. Academic Advising offers assistance
to students who wish to study via internships.
Insider's Perspective: Internships
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Research
and Field Studies
Evergreen students put their classroom experience into action. Undergraduate
students regularly get involved with faculty research projects and creative
efforts, providing a wide range of opportunities usually reserved for
graduate study. You will find that field studies are embedded in the Programs
for Freshmen as well as in intermediate and advance level programs.
Studying and learning in the field is central to every Evergreen program,
not just science programs. Faculty and students regularly leave the classroom
to explore the environment and build their knowledge of communities, cultures
and issues.
Advanced Research in Environmental Studies
American Places
Animal Behavior and Zoology
Individual Study: Psychology
Individual Study: Society and Behavior
Individual Study: Topics in Environmental Education, Science Education, Environmental Studies, and Education
Individual Study: Topics in Political Economy, Globalization, Contemporary India and U.S. History
Introduction to Geology
Marine Life: Biological Oceanography
Marine Life: Marine Ecology
Marine Life: Marine Science Research
Student Originated Studies: Visual Art
Undergraduate Research in Scientific Inquiry
Undergraduate Research in the Humanities
Academic Advising offers assistance to students who wish to study via individual contract.
Insider's Perspective: Research and Field Studies
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Study Abroad
Opportunities to study abroad are a regular feature of Evergreen's curriculum. Students generally enroll in a program such as:
After Nietzsche: Arts, Literature, Philosophy in the Wanderer's Shadow
Animal Behavior and Zoology
Changing China
India: Tradition and Beyond
Persistence: A Study of Inspired Work
(Re)Imagining the Middle East
Survey of the Wine Industry Across America
Venezuela: Building Economic and Social Justice
All of these programs offer a travel component. You will be expected to speak the language as well as develop your study objectives prior to travel.
Students may also opt to travel independently without faculty and college
peers. In this case, you will need to define your study objectives and
contract with a faculty member before you leave on your journey. You are
advised to prepare well in advance of your trip. Academic Advising offers
assistance to students who wish to study
abroad.
Insider's Perspective: Study Abroad
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Narrative Evaluations
"Letter grades are meaningless—is a 'B' good or bad?
Did an 'A' student slip or a 'C' student stretch? Evaluations are especially
valuable to graduate schools because they specifically address the student's
ability to carry out independent research and describe how well they
perform the practical, hands-on side of their subject."—Nancy
Murray, Ph.D., Neurobiology
Your learning is more important than a letter grade.
At the end of every quarter you will meet with your faculty member to
discuss your progress one-on-one. Did you meet the academic expectations
and learning objectives? Did you attend lectures and participate in class
discussions? Did you take the initiative to conduct additional research?
Were you able to integrate lectures, reading and lab assignments and demonstrate
this learning in the writing assignments? What are your academic goals
for future studies?
Evergreen's noncompetitive atmosphere fosters collaboration and allows
students to truly reflect on what they have learned. Faculty will prepare
written comments for the evaluation discussion. And students will also
deliberate on their achievements. At the end of the program, your learning
culminates in two documents: the Faculty
Evaluation of Student Achievement (PDF) and The
Student's Own Evaluation of Personal Achievement (PDF). These evaluations
are your Evergreen transcripts.
"Evaluations are one more piece of teaching. They can also
be a wake-up call. The conference around the evaluation is very powerful,
getting to talk to students about their progress."—Lisa
Sweet, M.F.A., Printmaking
A Narrative Evaluation is Not Pass/Fail
The evaluation documents your achievements. The faculty member may describe
your achievements as superlative, or as mediocre, or as needing marked
improvement. And because you may expect one- to two-pages of comments,
this transcript is most certainly not at all like receiving a 'P' or an
'F.' For students who do not complete assignments or miss lectures and
seminars, the faculty member may determine that a reduction in credit
is necessary and will include comments to this effect.
"I can look back and see my academic path, the projects and
readings I've undertaken all year. Evaluations help me to understand
myself and my learning, and to clarify what I want to do."—Heidi
Haberbush, senior, Cheney, Washington
Evergreen Takes a Stand on Narrative Evaluations
The entire learning community—the faculty and staff, who are dedicated
to your academic success and growth, and students, your peers who are
likewise committed to collaborative learning—support narrative evaluations
as an integral of your educational experience. Therefore, narrative evaluations
are not translated into a letter or numerical grades. Faculty and staff
assist graduate school admission committees or future employers who may
not be familiar with narrative evaluations. And, you are preceded by over
thirty years of Evergreen alumni who are successfully employed or who
have attended graduate or professional schools all over the world.
"The whole year of work has been a process and a grade wouldn't
reflect the progress I made. I'd like an employer to read my evals,
so I could be hired on what I've learned and the ability to apply what
I know."—Josh Giuntoli, junior, Walla Walla, Washington
"Good evaluations are like having 20 letters of recommendation."—Trish
Towanda, senior, Colorado
Insider's Perspective: Narrative Evaluations
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A Week in the
Life of an Evergreen Student
Students typically dedicate all of their academic time and energy to
one program. Since a single program might last one, two or three quarters,
the same group of students will be with the same faculty members for several
months. The faculty can schedule longer class lectures, labs and field
trips for the entire group without conflicting with other classes.
Here are two examples of Evergreen program meeting schedules:
| Freshman-level, environmental
studies program |
Intermediate-level, foreign language program
|
| MONDAY |
MONDAY |
| |
Day for study |
|
9 a.m. to noon
Lecture
1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Language instruction |
| TUESDAY |
TUESDAY |
| |
9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Lecture/workshop
1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Book seminar |
|
9 a.m. to noon
Book seminar
1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Language instruction
3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Film |
| WEDNESDAY |
WEDNESDAY |
| |
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Lecture
Afternoon
Study time |
|
9 a.m. to noon
Lecture/workshop
1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Language instruction |
| THURSDAY |
THURSDAY |
| |
9 a.m. to noon
Lecture
1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Writing tutor |
|
9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Conversation groups |
| FRIDAY |
FRIDAY |
| |
10 a.m. to noon
Quantitative methods
Noon to 1 p.m.
Lunch together
1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Writing workshop |
|
Day for study |
All Work and No Play?
There are more than 50 student
organizations to join, a student newspaper and a community radio station.
Evergreen's NAIA
teams compete in basketball, soccer, track and field and women's volleyball.
Of course there is a wide variety of intramural and club sports to meet
your interests: rowing, snowboarding and downhill skiing, rugby and ultimate
Frisbee, among others. The College
Recreation Center is surrounded by 20 acres of playing fields and
offers a gymnasium, an 11-lane swimming pool with separate diving well,
indoor and outdoor climbing walls, racquetball courts, weight room and
saunas. Recreational rental equipment is available for your pursuits.
Take a free bus ride or bike to downtown Olympia. There you will find
bookstores and coffee shops, galleries and gift shops, the film society
and live theater. There is sailing on the Puget Sound and music in the
park. The farmer's market offers fresh produce, flowers and ethnic food,
plus weekend entertainment from folk music to environmental fairs.
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Accreditation
Evergreen is fully accredited as a baccalaureate and graduate degree
granting institution by the Northwest
Commission on Colleges and Universities.
There's more information on the Web about:
External comments about Evergreen:
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