PROGRAM OF EMPHASIS

Department: Environmental Science

Title: Environmental Science

This curriculum has nine divisions: Core ESS courses, Core science courses, Ecology course, Environmental Studies courses, Statistics course, Quantitative courses, Advanced Science electives (300-400 level), and Independent Project. Credit total is 73-79. This is an interdisciplinary designated POE; some distribution credits can be filled with some of the POE requirements.

Core ESS Courses: to provide integration across environmental science and studies.  Semester long interacted project or research courses (e.g. Marine Science in India) can substitute for ESS 400 or ESS 401 with departmental presentation of work.  Credits: 11

Course Number

Title

Credits

Prerequisites

Dist.

Skills

ESS 100

Intro. to Environmental Science

3

 

N

 

ESS 310

Hydrology I

3

ESS 100 & GL 101

N

QS

ESS 301

Environmental Methods

3

ESS 100

 

ESS 400

Senior Capstone

3

ESS 100 & senior standing

CW

Core Science Courses: to provide basic scientific knowledge in science.  Credits: 30

BI 111/BI 105

Biology I

3

 

N

 

BI 121

Biology Lab I

1

Corequisite BI 111/BI 105

N

QS

GL 100

Introduction to Geology

3

 

N

 

GL 101

Introduction to Geology Lab

1

 

N

 

 

Three semesters of Chemistry with at least two semesters of lab*

 

 

 

 

CH 105

Organic Chemistry Concepts I

3

Corequisite CH 121

N

 

CH 121

Chemistry Lab 1

1

Corequisite CH 105

N

QS

CH 106

Organic Chemistry Concepts II*

3

CH 105, minimum grade C

N

 

CH 122

Chemistry Lab II

1

Corequisite CH 106

N

QS

CH 114

Intro Physical Inorganic Chem I

4

 

N

QS

CH 115

Intro Physical Inorganic Chem II

4

CH 114

N

QS

CH 230

Intro. to Bioinorganic Chemistry

3

CH 105

N

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One year of Physics with lab**

 

 

 

 

PC 200

General Physics I

3

Corequisite PC 206

N

QM

PC 201

General Physics I

3

Corequisite PC 206

N

QM

or

 

 

 

 

 

PC 202

Introductory Physics I

3

Corequisite PC 206 & MA 130

N

QM

PC 203

Introductory Physics II

3

PC 202, corequisite PC 207

N

QM

 

Lab:

 

 

 

 

PC 206

Physics Lab I

1

Corequisite PC 202

N

 

PC 207

Physics Lab II

1

Corequisite PC 203

N

 

*Alternate sequences: OCCI, Physical Inorganic Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry (with labs as applicable), or, OCCI, Physical Inorganic Chemistry, Geochemistry of Natural Waters (with labs as applicable).  These later two choices would be appropriate for students with interest in the physical environmental sciences (including geology).   Chem and Art cannot be used for this requirement.
** Geophysics (GL 399) may be substituted for General Physics II.

 Ecology Courses: The definition of 'environmental science' and the definition of 'ecology' differs only by one word: human. Many of the methods and approaches are the same, only the questions being asked may be different. Therefore an ecology course is central to an environmental science POE.  Credits: 4 (these credits count towards Advanced Electives requirement)

 

Ecology Course (one of the following including laboratory):

 

 

 

 

BI 300

General Ecology

3

BI 113 & BI 122 or permission

N

 

BI 301

General Ecology Laboratory

1

Corequisite BI 300

N

 

BI 325

Plant Ecology & Systematics

2

1 yr. of college biology & junior/senior standing

N

CW

BI 326

Plant Ecology & Systematics Lab

2

corequisite BI 325

N

CW

BI 328

Limnology

3

Junior/senior standing

N

 

BI 329

Limnology Laboratory

1

Corequisite BI 328

N

 

Environmental Studies Electives: Three required.  Credits: 9-10

AR 120

Art of Environmentalism

3

 

FS

CW

EB 305/ESS 305

Economics of the Environment

3

ESS 100 or EES 100 &, EB 105 or EB 223

S

 

GL 110

Death & Destruction by Nature

3

 

HN

CW

HS 262

North American Environmental History

3

 

H

CW

PACS 105

Introduction to Conflict Resolution

3

 

S

 

PACS 108

Mediation

1-3

 

S

 

PACS 110

Intro. to Peace & Conflict Studies

4

 

I

CW

PACS 205

Conflict Intervention

3

PACS 105, 108 or permission

S

CW

PS 132

Public Interest Groups & Political Participation

3

 

S

CW

PL 299

Environmental Ethics

3

 

H

 

 

Marine Science in India:

 

 

 

 

ESS 364

Culture, Class & Gender

3

 

SI

 

ESS 269

Art as Sustainable Development

3

 

FI

 

Quantitative Electives: Statistics and Calculus. Statistical analysis is at the heart of most environmental analyses. Calculus provides a method to understand rates of change, another quantitative tool at the heart of understanding environmental change.  Credits: 7-8

MA 130

Calculus I (required course)

4

 

N

QM

 

One of the following courses in applied statistics is required:

 

 

 

 

BI 305

Biostatistics

3

BI 222 or ESS 100

N

QS

ESS 399

Environmetrics

3

SN

MA 220 

Applied Statistics

3

MA 130

N

QS

ND.SS 214

Statistics for Social Science

4

 

S

QS

Additional Quantitative Electives: one of the following

Advanced Electives (300-400 level) in Environmental and Natural Science. You must have two laboratory-based courses at this level and the total number of credits must be 18. [Note that 7 of these credits come from the Hydrology and Ecology requirement]. This requirement builds your base of skills in environmental science.  Credits: 18

BI 350

Invertebrate Zoology

2

BI 113, corequisite BI 351

N

 

BI 351

Invertebrate Zoology Lab

2

Corequisite BI 350

N

 

BI 360

Vertebrate Zoology

2

Junior/senior standing; corequisite BI 361

N

CW

BI 361

Vertebrate Zoology Lab

2

Corequisite BI 360

N

BI 432

Environmental Toxicology

3

BI 113 & CH 106 or CH 130 & 1 of the following: BI 222, BI 300, CH 230/240

N

CW

ESS 310

Hydrology I

3

ESS 200 & GL 101

N

QS

ESS 325

Conservation Biology

3

ESS 200

NS

 

ESS 326

Conservation Biology Lab

1

Corequisite ESS 325

N

 

ESS 330

Geographical Info. Systems

4

 

 

 

ESS 299

Environmental Education Practicum

3

 

N

 

ESS 410

Hydrology II

3

ESS 310, MA 130

N

QS

GL 305

Hydrogeology

3

GL 100, 101, 202 & 203;
MA 130

N

 

GL 315

Principles of Stratigraphy

4

GL 202 or GL 203

N

CW

MA 303

Mathematical Modeling

3

MA 130

N

QM, CW

PC 330

Nuclear Physics

3

PC 300, PC 301

N

CW

Independent Project: This requirement provides hands-on, independent experience in environmental science. Paid or unpaid summer internships, for credit or not for credit, approved by the advisors, can fulfill this requirement, as can research experiences in any science department or study-abroad research experience such as in the Marine Science Program. Completing ESS 350 (Field Research Methods or any research or senior thesis course) will also complete this requirement. The sequence of BI 289-BI 389 (or CH 289-CH 389) is suggested for background information about research.

Note: Appropriate job or internship experiences for which you have not received academic credit may also fulfill this requirement. A plan of action should be in place by the beginning of the senior year explaining how you intend to fulfill this requirement.
Credits: up to 4 (count towards Advanced Elective requirement)

 Note: All environmental science POEs must have a total of six laboratory courses, two of which must be at the 300-400 level.

STUDY ABROAD AND FOREIGN LANGUAGES: