The environmental science major is an interdisciplinary program designed to develop an understanding of environmental processes and issues, and an awareness of our role as humans within the environment. The environmental science major encompasses several interrelated fields, including biology, ecology, chemistry, resource management, policy making, and natural science. Students graduating with this degree can expect to either proceed to graduate level study or enter the environmental workplace. A degree in environmental science presents numerous opportunities in the fields of resource management, ecological risk assessment, conservation biology and environmental education.
Students who declare environmental science majors must complete NATSC 103 and Lab with a grade of C- or higher in order to continue in the program.
Environmental Science majors pursuing the I degree must complete two semesters of calculus and one semester of Biostatistics. The Bachelor of Arts degree requires MATH 250 and MATH 136 or above. A paper or other evidence of the student’s ability to conduct investigations, use library resources, and write a report following a standard format is required in each advanced-level course. A 200 - level Critical Writing course is prerequisite to advanced courses and should be completed prior to the junior year.
Environmental Science majors must satisfy all University Core Curriculum requirements and the College speech requirement, COMM 210. In addition, environmental science majors must successfully complete the following courses and sufficient electives to total 120 credits. Majors are encouraged to apply electives toward a minor or second major.
Foundation Requirements:
| NATSC | 103 | Earth Systems Science and Lab | |
| NATSC | 203 | Humans, Environmental Change and Sustainability | |
| NATSC | 204 | Principles of Oceanography | |
| BIO | 104 | Biology II and Lab | |
| CHEM | 191, 192 | Principles of Chemistry I and II and Labs | |
| MATH | 250 | Introduction to Biostatistics | |
| and | |||
| MATH | 213, 214 | Calculus I & II and Labs (B.S. degree) | |
| or | |||
| MATH | 136 | Precalculus or above (B.A. degree) |
Intermediate Level Requirements:
| *BIO | 240 | Concepts of Ecology | |
| *BIO | 360 | Limnology and Lab | |
| CHEM | 201, 202 | Environmental Chemistry I and II and Labs | |
| PHYS | 201, 202 | Principles of Physics I and II and Labs (B.S. degree) | |
| or | |||
| PHYS | 109, 110 | Physics I and II and Labs (B.A. degree) | |
and
Environmental Science Upper Level Electives: Select five (5) courses chosen from
list:
| ANTH | 222 | Environmental Anthropology | ||||
| BIO | 230 | Microbiology and Lab | ||||
| BIO | 312 | Conservation Biology | ||||
| CHEM | 312 | Instrumental Methods of Analysis | ||||
| CHEM | 434 | Advanced Environmental Chemistry | ||||
| ENGR | 320 | Environmental Engineering | ||||
| ENGR | 405 | Air Pollution and Control | ||||
| ENGR | 407 | Solid and Hazardous Waste Management | ||||
| LS | 200 | Environmental Law | ||||
| NATSC | 301 | Marine Resource Management | ||||
| NATSC | 305 | Marine Geology | ||||
| NATSC | 310 | Biogeochemical Cycling | ||||
| NATSC | 315 | Meteorology and Climatology | ||||
| NATSC | 333 | Environmental Monitoring and Lab | ||||
| NATSC/BIO | 375 | Soil Ecology and Lab | ||||
| NATSC | 401 | Environmental Toxicology and Lab | ||||
| NATSC | 469 | Environmental Science Internship | ||||
| And | ||||||
| Three Free Electives for B.S. | ||||||
| Or | ||||||
| Four Free Electives for B.A. | ||||||
*Note: BIO 240- Concepts of Ecology and BIO 360- Limnology, cannot count toward Minors in Biology and Marine Biology. Consequently, Environmental Science Majors will be required to take at least three courses to get minors in those subjects.