Environmental Science Major, B.S.

General Degree Requirements

To earn a degree, students must satisfy all requirements in each of the four areas below, in addition to their individual major requirements. 

• Degree and Certificate Requirements  
• General Studies Requirements  
• Multicultural Graduation Requirements  
• Senior Experience Graduation Requirements  

Program Requirements

• A total of 120 semester hours are required for graduation. 
• A grade of C- or better is required for each course in this program to count toward the bachelor’s degree. Students should note that programs differ in the minimum grade required. 
• A minor is not required for this program. 

General Studies Requirements: 33 credits

Students should consult the General Studies Requirements  for a list of courses that fulfill the General Studies Requirements for degree completion.  

• Written Communication (6 credits) 
• Oral Communication (3 credits) 
• Quantitative Literacy (3 credits) 
  • Recommended: Students may use the required course MTH 1210 - Introduction to Statistics  to fulfill this requirement. 
• Arts and Humanities (6 credits) 
• Historical (3 credits) 
• Natural and Physical Sciences (6 credits) 
  • Recommended: Several General Studies courses are required for the Environmental Science major and those courses can also count here.  Those courses include, ENV 1200 - Introduction to Environmental Science , BIO 1080 - General Biology I , BIO 1081 - General Biology II , BIO 1090 - General Biology Laboratory I , BIO 1091 - General Biology Laboratory II , CHE 1800 - General Chemistry I , CHE 1810 - General Chemistry II , CHE 1801 - General Chemistry I Laboratory CHE 1801 - General Chemistry I Laboratory , CHE 1811 - General Chemistry II Laboratory 
• Social and Behavioral Sciences (6 credits) 
• Global Diversity (0 or 3 credits**)

** Students will fulfill the global diversity requirement by taking an approved course within one of the following categories: arts and humanities; historical; natural and physical sciences; or social and behavioral sciences. 

Multicultural Requirement: 0 or 3 credits

• Students should consult the Multicultural Graduation Requirements  for a list of courses that fulfill the Multicultural Requirement for degree completion.  
• Many programs include courses that meet this requirement. Students should consult with their advisor to determine what program courses may fulfill this requirement. 

Additional Requirements: 22 credits

All students must complete the following courses:

• BIO 1080 - General Biology I Credits: 3
• BIO 1081 - General Biology II Credits: 3
• BIO 1090 - General Biology Laboratory I Credits: 1
• BIO 1091 - General Biology Laboratory II Credits: 1
• CHE 1800 - General Chemistry I Credits: 4
• CHE 1810 - General Chemistry II Credits: 4
• CHE 1801 - General Chemistry I Laboratory Credits: 1
• CHE 1811 - General Chemistry II Laboratory Credits: 1
• MTH 1410 - Calculus I Credits: 4

Environmental Science Core Requirements: 27 credits

This list of courses is designed to expose students to each of the various aspects of Environmental Science.

• ENV 1200 - Introduction to Environmental Science Credits: 3
• ENV 2100 - Environmental Sampling and Analysis Credits: 3
• ENV 3420 - Soil Resources Credits: 3
• ENV 3422 - Methods of Soil Analysis and Sampling Credits: 1
• ENV 4200 - Environmental Policy and Planning Credits: 3
• MTH 1210 - Introduction to Statistics Credits: 4
• GIS 2250 - Geographic Information Systems Credits: 4

•  

  Students are required to take one ecosystem/ecology course from the following list:

• ENV 3300 - Principles of Ecological Restoration Credits: 3

• -or-

• ENV 3700 - Mountain Environments Credits: 3

• -or-

• ENV 4420 - Wetlands Credits: 3

• -or-

• ENV 4440 - Limnology Credits: 3

• -or-

• ENV 4450 - Stream Ecology Credits: 3

•  

  Students are required to take one waste/remediation course from the following list:

• ENV 3010 - Applied Pollution Science Credits: 3

• -or-

• ENV 3710 - Environmental Remediation Credits: 3

• -or-

• ENV 3720 - Waste Management Credits: 3

Environmental Science Electives: 15 credits

Students are required to take 15 credits of Environmental Science Electives and can choose any upper division ENV course to satisfy this requirement. Before choosing electives, students should see an advisor to discuss particular courses and associated career paths. All courses must be passed with at least a C- to count towards degree completion. Directed Study and Internship credits may only be used towards 6 credits combined of elective credits.

• ENV 3000-4999 Any Upper Division ENV Course
• ENV 300X-499X Any Upper Division ENV Variable Topic or Omnibus Course

Environmental Science Senior Experience: 3 credits

Students may choose one of the two following senior experience courses in Environmental Science.

• ENV 4960 - Global Environmental Challenges Credits: 3

• -or-

• ENV 4970 - Environmental Field Studies Credits: 3

Summary of Requirements

Required courses for the major may also count for General Studies and Multicultural requirements, so the total credits listed may be greater than the number required to complete the degree. Therefore, it is important that you work with your advisor to make sure you are meeting requirements for your degree.