Undergraduate Program
BS in Environmental Science (EVS)
The BS in environmental science provides students with a strong foundation in the natural sciences and mathematics, and a broad background in earth sciences. The program also helps students develop strong analytical, quantitative, and communication skills needed to solve problems related to Earth systems and resources.
Students in our program acquire knowledge and skills for graduate research in a variety of fields (e.g., hydrology, geochemistry, oceanography, environmental geophysics, and atmospheric science) and careers in environmental and geological consulting, environmental law, or governmental advising.
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
*Students taking more than one 100-level core course may count the additional courses as technical electives, so long as they have not already taken an upper-level course in the same area of study.
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 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 251: Introduction to GIS
- STAT 212: Applied Statistics for the Biological and Physical Sciences
- EESC 221: Quantitative Environmental Problem Solving
*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.
| Course | Biology emphasis | Chemistry emphasis | Geology emphasis | Climate emphasis |
| BIOL 110 or 112: Principles of Biology I | X | |||
| BIOL 190: Genetics and the Human Genome or BIOL 198: Principles of Genetics | X | |||
| BIOL 205(W): Evolution | X | |||
| BIOL 225: Ecology and Evolutionary Biology | X | |||
| BIOL 247: Environmental Animal Physiology | X | |||
| BIOL 250: Biochemistry | X | X | ||
| BIOL 253: Computational Biology | X | |||
| BIOL 260(W): Animal Behavior | X | |||
| BIOL 263: Ecology | X | |||
| BIOL 265: Molecular Evolution | X | |||
| BIOL 266: Tree of Life | X | |||
| MBI 220: Introduction to Microbiology | X | |||
| PM 415: Principles of Epidemiology | X | |||
| CHEM 204/208: Organic Chemistry II plus Lab | X | |||
| CHEM 211: Inorganic Chemistry | X | |||
| CHEM 231: Chemical Instrumentation | X | |||
| CHEM 251: Physical Chemistry I | X | |||
| CHEM 252: Physical Chemistry II | X | |||
| CHEM 286: Energy, Science, Technology, Society | X | |||
| CHE 150: Green Energy | X | X | ||
| CHE 225: Thermodynamics | X | |||
| CHE 243: Fluid Dynamics | X | X | ||
| CHE 244: Heat and Mass Transfer | X | |||
| EESC 102/202: Plate Tectonics and Active Geologic Processes | X | |||
| EESC 201: Evolution of Earth | X | |||
| EESC 203(W): Sedimentology and Stratigraphy | X | |||
| EESC 204(W): Earth Materials | X | X | ||
| EESC 205: Solid Earth Geophysics | X | X | ||
| EESC 206: Petrology | X | X | ||
| EESC 207(W): Paleontology | X | |||
| EESC 208: Structural Geology | X | |||
| EESC 209: Intro to Geochemistry | X | X | ||
| EESC 219: Energy and Society | X | |||
| EESC 220: Intro to Geobiology | X | X | ||
| EESC 222: Energy Resources | X | |||
| EESC 231: Ice Sheets, Glaciers, Climate Change (2 credits) | X | |||
| EESC 232: Seminar in Marine Biogeochemistry (2 credits) | X | X | X | |
| EESC 233: Marine Ecosystems and Carbon Cycling Modeling | X | X | X | |
| EESC 234: Fundamentals of Atmospheric Modeling | X | X | ||
| EESC 249(W): Chemical Evolution of the Earth | X | X | ||
| EESC 252: Marine Geology | X | |||
| EESC 255(W): Planetary Science: Geologic Evolution | X | |||
| EESC 265: Paleoclimate | X | X | X | |
| EESC 266: Ice Core Records of Climate and Environmental Change | X | X | ||
| EESC 270(W): Vertebrate Paleontology | X | X | ||
| EESC 274: Seminar in Paleoceanography | X | X | ||
| EESC 283: Sedimentary Basin Analysis | X | |||
| EESC 288(W): Geometry and Mechanics of Thrust Faults | X | |||
| PSCI 239: International Environmental Law | X | X | X | X |
| PSCI 243: Environmental Politics | X | X | X | X |
| PSCI 246: Environmental Law and Policy | X | X | X | X |
| PSCI 247: Green Markets | X | X | X | X |
| STAT 203: Introduction to Mathematical Statistics | X | X | X | X |
| STAT 213: Elements of Probability and Mathematical Statistics | X | X | X | X |
| STAT 226: Introduction to Linear Models | X | X | X | X |
| STAT 241: Applied Multivariate Analysis | X | X | X | X |
Closure Courses
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 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 319(W): Energy Decisions
EESC 320(W): Sustainable Systems
EESC 360: Environmental Geology in the Field and Laboratory
EESC 391(W): Independent Research
EESC 393(W): Senior Thesis
EESC 394: Internship in Environmental Sciences
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 closure course or elective
Closure 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 171Q and 173Q 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.