Environmental Sciences

The major in Environmental Sciences is based in the physical and biological sciences, but also includes course work in selected areas of the social sciences. The major leads to a Bachelor of Science degree, and may be adopted by students in either the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources or the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. This curriculum offers a comprehensive approach to the study of environmental problems, including not only a rigorous scientific background, but also detailed analyses of the social and economic implications of environmental issues. The complexity and interdisciplinary nature of environmental science is reflected in the core requirements of the major. These courses, assembled from several different academic departments representing two colleges, provide both breadth and depth, preparing students for careers that deal with environmental issues and for graduate study in environmental sciences and related fields.

Required courses in Basic (Natural) Sciences

ARE 1150; ECON 1200 or 1201; ERTH 1050; GEOG 2300E; and MARN 1002 are prerequisites for several upper division course concentration options. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that all pre-requisites in the catalog for concentration courses have been satisfied.

Required Sophomore Seminar Course

ENVS 2000

Required Capstone Course

NRE 4000W (three credits). Completion of NRE 4000W satisfies the writing in the major and information literacy exit requirements.

Required Internship or Research Experience

1-6 credits of internship and/or research experience. Internship and/or research experience must be approved by the student’s advisor.

Students are required to complete a minimum of 36 credits of approved courses, at the 2000-level or higher. Approved courses include: ENVS 2000; NRE 4000W; 1-6 credits of internship or research experience, and a minimum of 24-credits within a declared concentration.

Area of Concentration

All students majoring in Environmental Sciences must declare and fulfill the requirements of a concentration in a discipline associated with the program before graduation. Approved concentrations are listed below:

Sustainable Systems Concentration

Students must complete at least two courses from each of the following Knowledge Competencies. The same course cannot be used to fulfill more than one knowledge competency.

Resource Management

EEB 2208; GEOG 3340; MARN 3030; NRE 2010, 2215E, 2345, 2600E3105, 3125, 3305, 3335, 3345/W, 3500, 3535, 4255, 4335, 4575; SPSS 2100E.

Ecological Systems

EEB 2100E, 2222, 2244/W, 3247, 4230W; EEB 3230/MARN 3014; NRE 2455, 4205, 4340.

Students must complete at least one course from each of the following Knowledge Competencies.

Built Systems

AH 3175; ENVS/EVST/ENVE 3110; GEOG 2400; LAND 3230WE; NRE 3265, 4425; SPSS 3550.

Governance and Policy

AH 3174; ARE 2325, 3434E, 3437E, 4438E, 4462E; ECON/MAST 2467; ENVS/EVST/ENVE 3100; GEOG 3320W; MAST/POLS 3832; NRE 3000, 3201, 3245E; POLS 3412; SOCI 3407/W.

Ethics, Values, and Culture

ANTH 3339; ENGL 2635E, 3240E, 3715E; GEOG 3410; GERM 2400HIST 3540E, 3542; HIST/MAST 2210EJOUR 3046E; LAND 2210E; PHIL 3216; SOCI 2701, 2705, 2709W, 3407/W.

Economics and Business

ARE 2235, 4305, 4438E, 4444, 4462E; ECON/MAST 2467; ECON 3466E, 3473.

Global Change Concentration

Students must complete at least two courses from each of the following Knowledge Competencies. The same course cannot be used to fulfill more than one knowledge competency.

Climate Change and its Impacts

ERTH 3010, 4850; GEOG 3400, 4300; MARN 3000E; NRE 2600E, 3115, 3146, 4170; SPSS 2100E, 2500E.

Land and Ocean Use and its Impacts

EEB 2100E, 2222, 2208; ERTH 3020; ERTH/MARN 3230; GEOG 3310, 3410; MARN 3001, 3030, 4066; NRE 2215E, 2345, 2600E3105, 3115, 3155, 4340; NRE 4135/ERTH 4735.

Natural Science

CHEM 4370, 4371; EEB 2244/W, 2245/W, 3247; EEB 3230/MARN 3014; EEB/ERTH 4120; ERTH 4110, 4210, 4720; GEOG 2300E; MARN 2002, 2060, 4030W, 4060, 4202Q; NRE 2455, 3125, 3145, 4205; SPSS 2120, 3420.

Students must complete at least one course from each of the following Knowledge Competencies.

Methods

CE 2251; CE/ENVE 3530/ERTH 3710; EEB 3266, 4100, 4230W, 4262; ERTH 4430, 4510, 4710, 4810; ERTH/NRE 4735GEOG 3500Q; GEOG/ERTH 4230; GEOG/MARN 3505; MARN 4202Q; NRE 2000, 2010, 3305, 3345/W, 3535, 4335, 4475, 4535, 4544, 4545, 4575, 4665; PHYS 2400; STAT 2215Q, 3025Q.

Governance and Policy

AH 3174; ARE 2235, 3434E, 3437E, 4438E, 4462E; ECON/MAST 2467; ENVS/EVST/ENVE 3100EVST/POLS 3412; GEOG 3320W; MAST/POLS 3832; NRE 3000, 3201, 3245E; SOCI 3407/W.

Environmental Health Concentration

Students must pass all of the following: AH 3021, 3175; ANSC 4341; NRE 4340.

Students must pass two of the following: AH 3275; ENVS/EVST/ENVE 3110; ERTH 4710; MARN 3030MCB 2400; NRE 3115, 3155; PATH 3700, 4300; SPSS 2120.

Students must pass one of the following: AH 3570, 3571, 3573, 3574; PSYC 3105.

Students must pass at least one of the following: EEB 3245; ECON 2451/W; GEOG 3240.

Note: A B.S. in Environmental Sciences can also be earned through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. For a complete description of the major in that college, refer to the Environmental Sciences description in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section of this Catalog.

Environmental Sciences Department

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