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:

• BIO 111: Principles of Biology II

Chemistry:

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

Mathematics:

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

Physics:

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

Core Courses

Choose one of the following introductory core courses*:

• EES 100: Introduction to Oceanography
• EES 101: Introduction to Geological Sciences
• EES 103: Introduction to Environmental Science
• EES 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*:

• EES 201: Evolution of the Earth
• EES 212: A Climate Change Perspective to Chemical Oceanography [MTH 161, CHM 131]
• EES 213(W): Hydrology and Water Resources
• EES 216(W): Environmental Geochemistry [MTH 141, CHM 131, EES 101]
• EES 218: Atmospheric Geochemistry [MTH 161, CHM 131, one 100-level EES course]
• EES 235: Physical Oceanography [MTH 165, PHY 121]
• EES 236: Physics of Climate [MTH 165, PHY 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*:

• CHM 203/207: Organic Chemistry plus Lab
• CSC 161: Introduction to Programming
• EES 251: Introduction to GIS
• STT 212: Applied Statistics for the Biological and Physical Sciences
• EES 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.

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 (EES) faculty member.

EES 307: Advanced Seminar on Climate and Environmental Change
EES 312(W): Research in Ocean Biogeochemistry
EES 313(W): Research in Ocean Biogeochemistry II (2 credits)
EES 319(W): Energy Decisions
EES 320(W): Sustainable Systems
EES 360: Environmental Geology in the Field and Laboratory
EES 391(W): Independent Research
EES 393(W): Senior Thesis
EES 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 EES courses in the second year.

First Year

MTH 161 and MTH 162
CHM 131 and CHM 132
EES 100-level course or elective EES 100-level course or elective
Elective, and a writing course

Second Year

MTH 165 and BIO 111
EES core course and PHY 121 or 113
Skills course EES core course
Two electives

Third Year

PHY 122 or 114 and an EES core course or technical elective
EES 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:

• MTH 141–142 for MTH 161 or MTH 141–143 for MTH 161–162
• CHM 171Q and 173Q for CHM 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.