Program Overview

Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree with a Major in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree with a Major in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the Earth, environmental, and planetary sciences.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completing the BA degree with a major in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of how the Earth, and also terrestrial planetary systems, operate over geologic and modern timescales.
• Demonstrate the ability to make and record observations in the field, and to analyze and interpret these data in the context of the geologic history.
• Demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills.
• Demonstrate the ability to apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills to evaluate published research in the Earth, Environmental and Planetary sciences.

Requirements for the BA Degree

For general university requirements, see Graduation Requirements. Students pursuing the BA degree with a major in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences must complete:

• A minimum of 19-22 courses (59-63 credit hours), depending on course selection, to satisfy major requirements.
• A minimum of 120 credit hours to satisfy degree requirements.
• A minimum of 9 courses (31 credit hours) taken at the 300-level or above.

Core Requirements

The following courses are required:

• CHEM 121: GENERAL CHEMISTRY I (or CHEM 111: AP/OTH CREDIT IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY I)
• CHEM 123: GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY I (or CHEM 113: AP/OTH CREDIT IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY LAB I)
• MATH 101: SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS I (or MATH 105: AP/OTH CREDIT IN CALCULUS I)
• MATH 102: SINGLE VARIABLE CALCULUS II (or MATH 106: AP/OTH CREDIT IN CALCULUS II)
• Select 1 from the following:
  • PHYS 101 & PHYS 103: MECHANICS (WITH LAB) and MECHANICS DISCUSSION
  • PHYS 111: HONORS MECHANICS (WITH LAB)
  • PHYS 125: GENERAL PHYSICS (WITH LAB)
  • PHYS 141: CONCEPTS IN PHYSICS I
• Select 1 course from the following:
  • EEPS 101: THE EARTH
  • EEPS 102: HISTORY OF THE EARTH: FORMATION TO LIFE
  • EEPS 106: INVESTIGATING EARTH'S SURFACE
  • EEPS 107 / ENST 201: CLIMATE CHANGE AND EXTREME WEATHER
  • EEPS 108: NATURAL DISASTERS
  • EEPS 109: OCEANOGRAPHY
  • EEPS 110: THE EARTH SYSTEM, ENVIRONMENT, AND SOCIETY
  • EEPS 111: INHABITING PLANET EARTH
  • EEPS 115: THE PLANETS
  • EEPS 116: THE EARTH AND THE SOLAR SYSTEM

Elective Requirements

• Electives in Fields Outside Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences (EEPS)
  • Select 4-6 courses from the following:
    • Chemistry
      • Select 1 from the following:
        • CHEM 112 & CHEM 114: AP/OTH CREDIT IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY II and AP/OTH CREDIT IN GENERAL CHEMISTRY LAB II
        • CHEM 122 & CHEM 124: GENERAL CHEMISTRY II and GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY II
    • Physics
      • Select 1 from the following:
        • PHYS 102 & PHYS 104: ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM (WITH LAB) and ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM DISCUSSION
        • PHYS 112: HONORS ELECTRICITY & MAGNETISM (WITH LAB)
        • PHYS 126: GENERAL PHYSICS II (WITH LAB)
        • PHYS 142: CONCEPTS IN PHYSICS II
    • Natural Sciences
      • Select 2 courses from the School of Natural Sciences course offerings at the 200-level or above in fields outside of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences (EEPS)
• Departmental Electives in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences (EEPS)
  • Select 4 courses from Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences departmental (EEPS) course offerings at the 300-level or above

Policies for the BA Degree

Program Restrictions and Exclusions

• Students pursuing the BA Degree with a Major in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences should be aware of the following program restrictions:
  • As noted in Majors, Minors, and Certificates, under Declaring Majors, Minors and Certificates, students may not obtain both a BA and a BS in the same major.
  • As noted in Majors, Minors, and Certificates, students may not major and minor in the same subject.

Transfer Credit

For Rice University's policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the designated transfer credit advisor for the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course.

Opportunities for the BA Degree

Academic Honors

The university recognizes academic excellence achieved over an undergraduate's academic history at Rice. For information on university honors, please see Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and Distinction in Research and Creative Work.

Undergraduate Independent Research

The department encourages, but does not require, Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences (EEPS) undergraduate majors to pursue independent supervised research in EEPS 481. This can also be carried out as part of the Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences Honors Thesis Program, or independently with a faculty mentor.

Honors Research

Undergraduates are encouraged to embark on an undergraduate honors thesis. The purpose of the honors thesis is for students to develop and demonstrate their creative and independent research potential. Students are recommended to begin in the fall of their junior year to provide ample time for research projects to be developed, executed, and written. However, honors theses must commence during the fall semester of senior year. Students are expected to enroll in at least two semesters of the course EEPS 481, spanning their senior year.

Requirements and Recommendations for Completing an Undergraduate Honors Thesis

Fall Semester of Senior Year

At the beginning of the fall semester, seniors interested in the honors thesis program must identify a thesis advisor, a thesis topic, and enroll in the required courses. During the semester, students will participate in meetings with other honors thesis candidates to discuss basic research protocols and philosophies, and meet independently with their chosen scientific advisor, and generate data, experiments or models. At the end of the semester, students must submit final versions of their proposals, describing motivation, hypothesis, methodology, and preliminary results. The honors thesis committee will evaluate the proposals, and if approved, students can continue in the honors thesis program. Required courses:

• EEPS 401: SEMINAR: UNDERGRADUATE HONORS THESIS
• EEPS 481: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH IN EARTH, ENVIRONMENTAL AND PLANETARY SCIENCES

Spring Semester of Senior Year

A mid-semester progress report must be submitted to the thesis committee for feedback. At the end of the spring semester, students submit their final theses, and give public oral exit talks. To complete the honors thesis program, student theses must be approved by the honors thesis committee. Required courses:

• EEPS 401: SEMINAR: UNDERGRADUATE HONORS THESIS
• EEPS 481: UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH IN EARTH, ENVIRONMENTAL AND PLANETARY SCIENCES