EVSC - Environmental Science Major (BS)
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Program Description
Effective: Fall 2018
Modifications Made to Curriculum: Fall 2023, Fall 2024
The Environmental Science major emphasizes appropriate skills and experiences for science-oriented careers and graduate study. Students are introduced to the major in course, take core courses in Biology and Chemistry, Environmental Science courses, and electives offered in other majors. Students complete the curriculum by taking course with Environmental Studies and Sustainability majors and Environmental Science majors.
The major is designed with considerable flexibility so that students may pursue a wide range of interests and careers, such as research, environmental law, non-profit work, consulting, and work with state and federal environmental agency work at the state or federal level.
Some graduate school programs and other career options have specialized requirements such as Statistics, Organic Chemistry, or Economics; thus students are urged to seek advising from an ESS faculty member early in their academic careers.
Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations
A score of 4 or 5 on the AP Environmental Science exam exempts ESS majors and minors and ENV majors from course. See the Registrar's Office website for more information about AP credits.
Requisites
Requirements for the Major (56 credits)
I. Core Required Courses (40 credits)
Complete all of the following:
course - Great Challenges in Environmental Science
course - Principles of Physical Geology
course - Ecology and Evolution
course - Principles of Chemistry I OR course - Principles of Chemistry I, Advanced Section
course - Principles of Chemistry II OR course - Principles of Chemistry II, Advanced Section
course - Introduction to Statistics
course - Advanced Environmental Science [WRMJ]
course - Environment, Society and Sustainability
course - Geographic Information Systems
course - Environmental Studies and Sustainability Capstone Seminar
II. Environmental Science Electives (12 credits)
Complete 12 credits from the following, including at least 8 credits at the upper level:
course - Climate Change and Global Sustainability
course - Energy and Environment
course - Topics in Environmental Science:
course - Agroecology
course - Advanced Topics in Environmental Science
course - Advanced GIS
course - Research in Environmental Science
course - Immersive Research or Project
course - Specialized Honors I
course - Specialized Honors II
course - Conservation Biology
course - Animal Behavior
course - Freshwater Ecology
course - Tropical Marine Ecology
course - Forest Ecology
course - Ornithology
course - Organic Chemistry I
course - Fundamentals of Analytical Chemistry
course - Advanced Analytical Chemistry
course - Environmental Chemistry
course - Data Science: Introduction, History, and Case Studies
course - Intermediate Statistics
course - Environmental Health
course - Topics in Public Health: Bioscience
Note: Some courses listed above may have prerequisites that must be met prior to registration.
III. Environmental Studies Elective (4 credits)
Select 4 credits from the following:
course - Indigenous Environments: Literature and Film
course - Environmental Writing and Eco-Criticism
course - Nature Writing
course - Graphic Lit and Environment
course - Environmental Security & Climate Change
course - Environmental History
course - Topics in Environmental Humanities
course - Topics: Environment & Society
course - Independent Study in Environmental Studies and Sustainability
course - Environmental Justice Literature
course - Food, Justice, and U.S. Literature
course - Topics in Economics and the Environment
course - Archaeology and Sustainable Culture
course - Wildlife and Culture
course - Environmental Aesthetics
course - Advanced Topics in Environmental Humanities
course - Advanced Topics: Environment and Society
course - Environmental Economics
course - Economics of Business and Sustainability
course - U.S. Food Cultures
course - Environmental Policy and Politics
course - International Environmental Policy and Politics
course - Self, Place and the Environment in the Hispanic World