Program Overview

Environmental Science, B.S.

The Environmental Science major is an interdisciplinary degree that integrates knowledge from various scientific fields. It features a strong foundation in the geosciences with support courses from chemistry, physics, biology, and math. Coursework includes such topics as environmental issues and impacts, energy resources and recovery, climate and climate change, and geographic information systems.

Program Description

Located at the intersection of science, technology, and the social sciences, careers in Environmental Science span a myriad of job descriptions and represent an endless array of new, and exciting challenges. Depending on their interests, Environmental Science degree students can pursue the timely topics of water quality, climate change adaptation and mitigation, recycling, solid waste management, and natural hazards management. Housed in the Department of Geosciences, the interdisciplinary Environmental Science program is invaluable in today's world with the numerous environmental challenges we face.

Career Opportunities

Students can find career opportunities within both the private and public sectors. Typical employment opportunities exist in various local, regional, and national government agencies, and as environmental consultants in air and water quality oversight, pollution control and mitigation, environmental analysis and resource assessment, and hazardous and sanitary waste management. The degree program includes a capstone experience with opportunities for academic research, study abroad, field courses to a variety of locations, or an internship in local government or industry. Students can choose the best fit for their career goals with the guidance of their faculty mentor.

Academic Map

Following is a printable, suggested four-year schedule of courses:

• Freshman Fall:
  • ENVS 2810 - Introduction to Environmental Science
  • ENVS 2811 - Introduction to Environmental Science Laboratory
  • CHEM 1110 - General Chemistry I
  • CHEM 1111 - General Chemistry I Lab
  • Written Communication
  • Quantitative Literacy
• Freshman Spring:
  • Information Literacy
  • GEOL 1040 - Physical Geology
  • GEOL 1041 - Physical Geology Lab
  • MATH 1730 - Pre-Calculus or MATH 1910 - Calculus I
  • BIOL 1110 - General Biology I
  • BIOL 1111 - General Biology I Lab
• Sophomore Fall:
  • CSCI 1170 - Computer Science I
  • Creativity and Cultural Expression Literature
  • Human Society and Social Relationships
  • Major (PGEO) course
• Sophomore Spring:
  • PHYS 2010 - Non-Calculus-Based Physics I
  • PHYS 2011 - Physics Problems Laboratory I
  • History and Civic Learning
  • Major (GEOL) course
  • Major (PGEO) course
• Junior Fall:
  • Non-Written Communication
  • Major (GEOL) course
  • Major supporting courses
  • BIOL 1120 - General Biology II
  • BIOL 1121 - General Biology II Lab
  • OR
  • CHEM 1120 - General Chemistry II
  • CHEM 1121 - General Chemistry II Lab
  • OR
  • PHYS 2020 - Non-Calculus-Based Physics II
  • PHYS 2021 - Physics Problems Laboratory II
• Junior Spring:
  • History and Civic Learning
  • Major (GEOL) or (PGEO) course
  • Major (GEOL) course
  • Major (PGEO) course
  • Creativity and Cultural Expression
• Senior Fall:
  • Major supporting courses
  • Capstone experience
  • Creativity and Cultural Expression
• Senior Spring:
  • General elective
  • Major supporting course
  • General or major supporting course
  • Capstone experience
  • Human Society and Social Relationships

Degree Requirements

• True Blue Core (TBC): 41 hours
• Major Requirements: 30-31 hours
• Math/Science Cognate: 24 hours
• Capstone Experience: 6-8 hours
• ES Major Supporting Coursework: 19-23 hours
• Electives: 0-8 hours
• TOTAL: 120 hours

Major Requirements

• ENVS 2810 - Introduction to Environmental Science
• ENVS 2811 - Introduction to Environmental Science Laboratory
• GEOL 3030 - Geoscience of Energy Resources
• GEOL 3060 - Computer Methods in Geology
• PGEO 4000 - Climatology and Climate Change
• PGEO 4020 - Environmental Issues, Impacts, and Sustainability
• PGEO 4530 - Geographic Information Systems
• GEOL 1040 - Physical Geology
• GEOL 1041 - Physical Geology Lab
• GEOL 4120 - Environmental Geology or GEOL 4130 - Hydrogeology
• GEOL 3010 - Oceanography or PGEO 4010 - Biogeography

Math/Science Cognate

• CSCI 1170 - Computer Science I
• BIOL 1110 - General Biology I
• BIOL 1111 - General Biology I Lab
• CHEM 1110 - General Chemistry I
• CHEM 1111 - General Chemistry I Lab
• PHYS 2010 - Non-Calculus-Based Physics I
• PHYS 2011 - Physics Problems Laboratory I
• MATH 1730 - Pre-Calculus or MATH 1910 - Calculus I
• BIOL 1120 - General Biology II
• BIOL 1121 - General Biology II Lab
• OR
• CHEM 1120 - General Chemistry II
• CHEM 1121 - General Chemistry II Lab
• OR
• PHYS 2020 - Non-Calculus-Based Physics II
• PHYS 2021 - Physics Problems Laboratory II

Capstone Experience Courses

• Internship: BIOL 3200, CSCI 4910, CIM 3300, GEOL 4571, GEOL 4572, PGEO 4571, PLSO 4680
• Field Course: GEOL 3401, GEOL 3402, PGEO 3401, ANTH 4950
• Undergraduate Research: AGRI 4910, BIOL 4280, CHEM 3880, CIM 4200, CSCI 4280, ET 4790, GEOL 4090, PGEO 4280

Environmental Science Major Supporting Coursework

A minimum of 8 hours at 3000 and/or 4000 level.

• ANTH 3310 - Biological Anthropology
• BIOL 2230 - Microbiology
• BIOL 2231 - Microbiology Lab
• BIOL 3210 - Environmental Microbiology
• BIOL 3211 - Environmental Microbiology Lab
• BIOL 3250 - Genetics
• BIOL 3251 - Genetics Lab
• BIOL 3400 - General Ecology
• BIOL 3500 - Evolution
• BIOL 4090 - Forest Ecology
• BIOL 4140 - Invertebrate Zoology
• BIOL 4180 - Vertebrate Zoology
• BIOL 4181 - Vertebrate Zoology Lab
• BIOL 4220 - Ichthyology
• BIOL 4221 - Ichthyology Lab
• BIOL 4420 - Plant Ecology and Evolution
• BIOL 4500 - Plant Physiology
• BIOL 4570 - Principles of Toxicology
• BIOL 4571 - Principles of Toxicology Lab
• BIOL 4580 - Marine Biology
• BIOL 4581 - Marine Biology Lab
• BIOL 4590 - Principles of Environmental Toxicology
• CCM 3500 - Land Surveying
• CHEM 2230 - Quantitative Analysis
• CHEM 2231 - Quantitative Analysis Lab
• CHEM 3010 - Organic Chemistry I
• CHEM 3011 - Organic Chemistry I Lab
• CHEM 4400 - Inorganic Chemistry I
• CHEM 4600 - Introduction to Environmental Chemistry
• CHEM 4610 - Environmental Chemistry
• CMT 3000 - Commercial Construction and Materials
• CMT 3150 - Light Construction Structures
• CMT 3180 - Light Construction Elements
• CMT 3195 - Sustainable Construction
• CMT 3210 - Construction Codes and Regulation
• ENGR 1100 - Engineering Fundamentals
• ENGR 2100 - Introduction to Engineering Design
• ENGR 2110 - Statics
• ENGR 2120 - Dynamics
• ENGR 2130 - Electrical Circuit Analysis I
• ENGR 2210 - Introduction to Materials Science and Engineering
• ENGR 3510 - Electrical Circuit Analysis II
• ENGR 3520 - Digital Circuits Fundamentals
• ENGR 3530 - Electronics and Instrumentation
• ENGR 3540 - Introduction to Feedback Control
• ENGR 3550 - Fluid Mechanics
• ENGR 3560 - Mechanics of Materials
• ENGR 3915 - Technical Project Management and Soft Skills
• ENGR 3920 - Engineering Safety
• ENGR 3970 - Engineering Economy
• ET 2310 - Computer-Assisted Drafting and Design I
• ET 3601 - Electrical Circuit Analysis I
• ET 3602 - Electrical Circuit Analysis II
• ET 3610 - Introduction to Electricity and Electronics
• ET 3630 - Electronics
• ET 3640 - Digital Circuits Design
• ET 3650 - Introduction to Microprocessors
• ET 3810 - Engineering Thermodynamics
• ET 3860 - Strength of Materials
• ET 4450 - Industrial Hygiene
• ET 4815 - Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning
• ET 4830 - Vibration
• ET 4850 - Fluid Power
• ET 4860 - Robotics
• GEOG 4340 - Historical Geography
• GEOG 4370 - Urban Geographies: Key Trends, Problems, and Solutions
• GEOG 4550 - Global Issues
• GS 4150 - Ecotourism, Geotourism, and Sustainable Development
• HLTH 3260 - Environmental Health
• HSC 4460 - Global Topics in Human Sciences
• MATH 1530 - Applied Statistics
• MATH 1910 - Calculus I
• PHIL 3340 - Environmental Ethics
• PLSO 3340 - Fundamentals of Soil Science
• PLSO 3350 - Soil Fertility and Fertilizer
• PLSO 3360 - Irrigation and Drainage
• PLSO 3370 - Soil Analysis
• PLSO 4340 - Genesis of Soil Landscapes
• PLSO 4350 - Soil Survey and Land Use
• PLSO 4370 - Soil and Water Conservation
• PLSO 4500 - Agroecology
• PLSO 4730 - Soil Physical Properties

Faculty

• Dr. Jeremy W. Aber, Associate Professor
• Dr. Racha El Kadiri, Associate Professor
• Dr. Alisa Hass, Associate Professor
• Zada Law, Director, Geospatial Research Center
• Dr. Melissa Lobegeier, Associate Professor
• Dr. Henrique Momm, Professor
• Todd Moore, Professor
• Galina Shinkareva, Assistant Professor