BS in Environmental Science (EVS)


This degree program is no longer being offered. Students who declared this as their program of study prior to the summer of 2025 can continue in this major or change to one of the other majors offered by the department. New students will not be able to declare this major.


Requirements

Prerequisite Courses

Biology:

  • BIOL 111: Principles of Biology II

Chemistry:

  • CHEM 131: Chemical Concepts, Systems, and Practices I
  • CHEM 132: Chemical Concepts, Systems, and Practices II

Mathematics:

  • MATH 161: Calculus IA
  • MATH 162: Calculus IIA
  • MATH 165: Linear Algebra with Differential Equations

Physics:

  • PHYS 113 or 121: General Physics I/Mechanics
  • PHYS 114 or 122: General Physics II/Electricity and Magnetism

Core Courses

Choose one of the following introductory core courses*:

  • EESC 100: Introduction to Oceanography
  • EESC 101: Introduction to Earth Sciences
  • EESC 103: Introduction to Environmental Science
  • EESC 105: Introduction to Climate Change

*One additional 100-level EESC course may be acceptable as a technical elective if it was taken in the first year.

Choose three of the following*:

  • EESC 201: Evolution of the Earth
  • EESC 212: A Climate Change Perspective to Chemical Oceanography [MATH 161, CHEM 131]
  • EESC 213(W): Hydrology and Water Resources
  • EESC 216(W): Environmental Geochemistry [MATH 141, CHEM 131, EESC 101]
  • EESC 218: Atmospheric Geochemistry [MATH 161, CHEM 131, one 100-level EESC course]
  • EESC 223: Earth Surface Processes: The Science of Scenery
  • EESC 235: Physical Oceanography [MATH 165, PHYS 121]
  • EESC 236: Physics of Climate [MATH 165, PHYS 121]

*If more than three courses are taken, the additional courses will be counted as technical elective(s).

Skills Courses

Choose two of the following*:

  • CHEM 203/207: Organic Chemistry plus Lab
  • CSC 161: Introduction to Programming
  • EESC 214: Earth Science Data Analysis
  • EESC 221: Quantitative Environmental Problem Solving
  • EESC 251: Introduction to GIS
  • STAT 180: Introduction to Applied Statistical Methodology (previously STAT 212)

*If more than two courses are taken, the additional courses may be counted as technical electives.

Technical Electives

A minimum of 16 credit hours of technical electives are required, chosen from the courses listed below. Only one of the political science courses may be counted as a technical elective for the major. We recommend, but do not require, that the courses come from a single track. Substitutions are permitted with prior approval from the program advisors.

Technical Electives Emphasis
CourseBiology EmphasisChemistry EmphasisGeology EmphasisClimate Emphasis
BIOL 110 or 112: Principles of Biology IX
BIOL 190: Genetics and the Human Genome or BIOL 198: Principles of GeneticsX
BIOL 205(W): EvolutionX
BIOL 225: Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyX
BIOL 247: Environmental Animal PhysiologyX
BIOL 250: BiochemistryXX
BIOL 253: Computational BiologyX
BIOL 260(W): Animal BehaviorX
BIOL 263: EcologyX
BIOL 265: Molecular EvolutionX
BIOL 266: Tree of LifeX
MBI 220: Introduction to MicrobiologyX
PM 415: Principles of EpidemiologyX
CHEM 204/208: Organic Chemistry II plus LabX
CHEM 211: Inorganic ChemistryX
CHEM 231: Chemical InstrumentationX
CHEM 251: Physical Chemistry IX
CHEM 252: Physical Chemistry IIX
CHEM 286: Energy, Science, Technology, SocietyX
CHE 150: Green EnergyXX
CHE 225: ThermodynamicsX
CHE 243: Fluid DynamicsXX
CHE 244: Heat and Mass TransferX
EESC 201: Evolution of EarthX
EESC 203(W): Sedimentology and StratigraphyX
EESC 204(W): Earth MaterialsXX
EESC 205: Solid Earth GeophysicsXX
EESC 206: PetrologyXX
EESC 207(W): PaleontologyX
EESC 208: Structural GeologyX
EESC 209: Intro to GeochemistryXX
EESC 211: Nature’s FuryX
EESC 219: Energy and SocietyX
EESC 220: Intro to GeobiologyXX
EESC 232: Current Topics in OceanographyXXX
EESC 233: Marine Ecosystems and Carbon Cycling ModelingXXX
EESC 234: Fundamentals of Atmospheric ModelingXX
EESC 252: Marine GeologyX
EESC 255(W): Planetary Science: Geologic EvolutionX
EESC 261(W): Stable Isotope GeochemistryX
EESC 262: Radioisotope GeochemistryXX
EESC 265: PaleoclimateXXX
EESC 266: Ice Core Records of Climate and Environmental ChangeXX
EESC 274(W): Paleooceanography and Climate ChangeXX
PSCI 239: International Environmental LawXXXX
PSCI 243: Environmental PoliticsXXXX
PSCI 246: Environmental Law and PolicyXXXX
PSCI 247: Green MarketsXXXX
STAT 203: Introduction to Mathematical StatisticsXXXX
STAT 213: Elements of Probability and Mathematical StatisticsXXXX
STAT 226: Introduction to Linear ModelsXXXX
STAT 241: Applied Multivariate AnalysisXXXX

Closure Requirement

Four credit hours are required. This requirement can be fulfilled by one of the courses chosen from the following list or by finishing a senior project with environmental content (selected in consultation with the Advising Committee). The senior project can be carried out in any department willing to offer such a project, but must have prior approval from an earth and environmental studies (EESC) faculty member.

EESC 306: Atmospheric Research
EESC 307: Advanced Seminar on Climate and Environmental Change
EESC 312(W): Research in Ocean Biogeochemistry
EESC 313(W): Research in Ocean Biogeochemistry II (2 credits)
EESC 320(W): Sustainable Systems
EESC 391(W): Independent Study
EESC 393(W): Senior Thesis
EESC 394: Internship in Environmental Sciences
EESC 395: Independent Research

Writing Requirement

Two of the courses for the major must be taken as upper-level writing courses, indicated by a “W” after the course number.

Suggested Course Sequence

Note: This is a suggested sequence only, which can readily be changed in the first two years. An alternative sequence would be, for example, to take biology in the first year and to start with the initial EESC courses in the second year.

First Year

MATH 161 and MATH 162
CHEM 131 and CHEM 132
EESC 100-level course or elective EESC 100-level course or elective
Elective, and a writing course

Second Year

MATH 165 and BIOL 111
EESC core course and PHYS 121 or 113
Skills course EESC core course
Two electives

Third Year

PHYS 122 or 114 and an EESC core course or technical elective
EESC core course or technical elective and a technical elective
Skills course and an elective
Two electives

Fourth Year

Technical elective and capstone course or elective
Capstone course or elective and a technical elective
Four electives

Acceptable course substitutions:

  • MATH 141–142 for MATH 161 or MATH 141–143 for MATH 161–162
  • CHEM 171 and 173 for CHEM 203 and 207

AP credit for prerequisites and the introductory core course can be found in the College Center for Advising Services Advising Handbook.

Transfer credit for required courses is accepted in accordance with rules of the department offering the course, and for technical electives on a case-by-case basis after consultation with a faculty advisor.