Program Overview

Environmental Science Program

The Environmental Science program at Baylor University offers a comprehensive curriculum that explores the complex relationships between human societies and the natural environment. The program is designed to provide students with a deep understanding of the scientific, social, and cultural factors that shape environmental issues and to equip them with the knowledge and skills necessary to address these challenges.

Program Description

The Environmental Science program is an interdisciplinary major that draws on courses from the departments of Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Philosophy, and Sociology. The program is designed to provide students with a broad-based education in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities, as well as specialized training in environmental science and policy.

Program Requirements

To graduate with a major in Environmental Science, students must complete a minimum of 124 semester hours of credit, including:

• 40 hours of general education courses
• 40 hours of environmental science core courses
• 20 hours of environmental science elective courses
• 24 hours of free electives

Environmental Science Core Courses

The environmental science core courses provide students with a foundation in the scientific principles and methods that underlie environmental science. These courses include:

• ENV 1101: An Introduction to Environmental Analysis (Lab)
• ENV 1301: Exploring Environmental Issues
• ENV 1303: Wildlife Ecology
• ENV 2307: Ecology for a Changing World
• ENV 2376: Environment and Society
• ENV 3301: Team Research in Environmental Studies
• ENV 3302: Data Analysis for Environmental Studies
• ENV 3310: Field Techniques for Environmental Science
• ENV 3314: Introduction to Environmental Health
• ENV 3387: Environmental Chemistry

Environmental Science Elective Courses

The environmental science elective courses provide students with the opportunity to specialize in a particular area of environmental science. These courses include:

• ENV 3100: Environmental Health Seminar
• ENV 3103: Seminar on Environmental Topics
• ENV 3106: Conserving Biodiversity (Lab)
• ENV 3108: Marine Environments Laboratory
• ENV 3133: Analytical Analysis of Water Quality
• ENV 3137: Wildlife Management Methods
• ENV 3187: Environmental Chemistry Laboratory
• ENV 3188: Laboratory Methods in Environmental Assessment and Monitoring
• ENV 3300: The Environment and Political Processes
• ENV 3303: Directed Reading in Environmental Studies
• ENV 3306: Conserving Biodiversity
• ENV 3308: Marine Environments and Biodiversity
• ENV 3316: Introduction to Air Quality
• ENV 3317: Air Quality and Monitoring Laboratory
• ENV 3320: Environment and Human Behavior
• ENV 3333: Watershed Assessment
• ENV 3337: Principles of Wildlife Management
• ENV 3370: Managing Environmental Health and Safety
• ENV 3387: Environmental Chemistry
• ENV 4302: Team Problem Solving in Environmental Studies
• ENV 4304: Aquatic Chemistry
• ENV 4305: Research Methods in Sustainable Design
• ENV 4306: Economic Anthropology
• ENV 4307: Environmental Law
• ENV 4308: Air Quality Regulation
• ENV 4309: Environmental Justice
• ENV 4310: World Food Problems
• ENV 4313: Agricultural Ecology
• ENV 4315: Research Methods
• ENV 4318: Heavy Metals & Global Public Health
• ENV 4320: Fundamentals of Industrial Hygiene
• ENV 4322: Climate Anthropology
• ENV 4323: The Environment and Economic Analysis
• ENV 4325: Human Health Risk Assessment
• ENV 4327: Human Catastrophe and Cultural Response
• ENV 4330: Urban Political Processes
• ENV 4331: Social Demography
• ENV 4332: Science Leadership: Community Environmental Research
• ENV 4333: Coastal Zone Management
• ENV 4335: Applied Environmental Impact Analysis
• ENV 4337: Environmental Sustainability and Religion
• ENV 4340: Environmental Archaeology
• ENV 4344: Fundamentals of Toxicology
• ENV 4345: Water Management
• ENV 4349: Pollution Abatement and Prevention Systems
• ENV 4350: Development and Indigenous Peoples
• ENV 4351: Futuristics
• ENV 4354: Water Treatment
• ENV 4355: Sustainable Development and Natural Resources
• ENV 4362: Applied Anthropology
• ENV 4365: The Environment and Energy
• ENV 4369: Seminar in Anthropology
• ENV 4370: Fundamentals of Ecotoxicology
• ENV 4371: Wetlands
• ENV 4373: Global Soil Systems
• ENV 4374: Global Soil Systems
• ENV 4375: Natural Landscape Evaluation and Planning
• ENV 4377: Advanced Studies in Wilderness, Parks, and Nature Reserves
• ENV 4379: Ecosystem Planning and Management
• ENV 4380: Restoration Ecology
• ENV 4386: Remote Sensing
• ENV 4389: American Environmental History
• ENV 4390: Chemical Investigation and Remediation
• ENV 4393: Environmental Ethics
• ENV 4394: Internship in Environmental Education
• ENV 4397: Tropical Environments: Ecology and Sustainable Management
• ENV 43C2: Environmental Capstone
• ENV 4410: Humans and Environmental Change
• ENV 4430: Mathematical Modeling of Environmental Quality Systems
• ENV 4440: Statistics for Environmental Scientists
• ENV 4450: Applied Forest Ecology
• ENV 4485: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
• ENV 4487: Advanced GIS Analysis
• ENV 4613: Field School in Environmental Studies
• ENV 4680: Field School in Cultural Anthropology
• ENV 4V13: Special Topics in Field and Laboratory Methodologies
• ENV 4V50: Problems
• ENV 4V90: Advanced Individual Research Problems
• ENV 4V93: Internship in Environmental Planning or Management
• ENV 4V9R: Research

Research Areas

The Environmental Science program at Baylor University offers a wide range of research opportunities for students, including:

• Air and water quality
• Climate change
• Conservation biology
• Ecological restoration
• Environmental chemistry
• Environmental health
• Environmental policy
• Geographic information systems (GIS)
• Hydrology
• Soil science
• Sustainable development
• Toxicology
• Wildlife management

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the Environmental Science program at Baylor University are prepared for a wide range of career opportunities, including:

• Air and water quality specialist
• Climate change analyst
• Conservation biologist
• Ecological restoration specialist
• Environmental consultant
• Environmental educator
• Environmental health specialist
• Environmental policy analyst
• Geographic information systems (GIS) analyst
• Hydrologist
• Soil scientist
• Sustainable development specialist
• Toxicologist
• Wildlife manager

Admission Criteria

To be admitted to the Environmental Science program at Baylor University, students must meet the following criteria:

• High school diploma or equivalent
• Minimum GPA of 2.5
• Minimum SAT score of 1050 or ACT score of 22
• Completion of required high school courses, including biology, chemistry, and mathematics

Tuition Fees

The tuition fees for the Environmental Science program at Baylor University vary depending on the student's residency status and the number of credit hours taken. For the 2022-2023 academic year, the tuition fees are as follows:

• Full-time tuition (12-18 credit hours): $53,842 per year
• Part-time tuition (1-11 credit hours): $1,494 per credit hour
• Summer tuition: $1,494 per credit hour