Earth and Environmental Sciences Degree Programs

Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science Degree Programs in Earth and Environmental Sciences. The department offers both Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degree programs. The Bachelor of Science program is recommended for students who have made an early decision to enter the earth science and environmental science professions or to attend graduate school in geology, geophysics, geochemistry, environmental science, hydrology, atmospheric science or oceanography. The Bachelor of Arts program is recommended for students who are less certain of their career objectives or who seek greater flexibility in their undergraduate tenure so they can pursue preparation for a career in education or prepare for a professional school or environmental law.

Learning goals:

  • Understand the scientific method and how it is applied in the context of a discipline.
  • Understand the earth system, the connections between abiotic and biotic systems, and the effect of the human society on the natural system. Understand the historical context of environmental awareness.
  • Application of classification systems: vocabulary, observation and categorization.
  • Scale interaction within space and time on earth science processes and outcomes.
  • Geographic relationships of Earth, science processes, landforms and materials and comprehension of methods to relate these relationships.
  • Data, plot and map interpretation and construction.
  • Discipline-appropriate methods for observation, classification, characterization and description using relevant technologies and telemetries.
  • Development of discipline-appropriate synthesis of readings, laboratory work and course material to produce original scientific understanding.

Requirements for the Major in Earth and Environmental Sciences. All majors must complete the department foundation courses, a choice of distribution courses, and the corollary science and mathematics courses listed below. To satisfy degree requirements, courses in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences must be completed with grades of C- or higher. Students who change majors after completing EENV:102, EENV:103, EENV:104 or EEVN:213 may substitute that course in place of EENV:101 in the introductory sequence.

semester hours

16

Department Introductory Sequence

 

4

EENV:101 Environmental Science

 

4

EENV:113 Geology and the Environment

 

4

EENV:220 Water Resources

 

4

EENV:240 Introduction to Meteorology

12

Distribution Requirements (four semester hours from each category)

 

4

Geology Distribution:

 

4

EENV:260 Mineralogy/Petrology

 

4

EENV:283 Sedimentology/Stratigraphy

 

4

EENV:370 Environmental Geophysics

 

4

EENV:491 Geological Mapping

 

4

Hydrology Distribution:

 

4

EENV:270 Chemistry of Natural Waters

 

4

EENV:380 Wetlands Analysis

 

4

EENV:383 Soil Science

 

4

EENV:420 Groundwater Hydrology

 

4

EENV:440 Groundwater Pollution and Monitoring

 

4

Meteorology Distribution:

 

4

EENV:242 Climate and Global Change

 

4

EENV:332 Sustainable Energy Resources

 

4

EENV:373 Air Quality

 

4

EENV:443 Tropical Meteorology

For Bachelor of Arts candidates, a minimum of 28 semester hours, including the following:

semester hours

8

Electives

 

One EENV course at the 400 level. Remaining credits are chosen from either the distribution list or the department elective list.

16

Corollary Courses

 

4

MATH:111 Calculus I

 

4

CHEM:101 General Chemistry I or CHEM:103 General Chemistry I Teams

 

4

CHEM:102 General Chemistry II or CHEM:104 General Chemistry II Teams

 

4

PHYS:204 Introductory Physics I

4

Capstone Experience

 

Students must select four semester hours from:

 

2

EENV:590 Environmental Internship and EENV:591

 

2

EENV:591 Environmental Internship Seminar (must be completed in the fall following EENV:590)

 

2

EENV:595 Research in Earth and Environmental Sciences (fall) and EENV:596

 

2

EENV:596 Research Seminar in Earth and Environmental Sciences (spring)

 

4

EENV:597 Field Program and EENV:591

 

4

Four semester hours from an approved capstone experience in another department

For Bachelor of Science candidates, a minimum of 36 semester hours, including the following:

12

Electives

 

One EENV course at the 400 level. Remaining credits are chosen from either the distribution list or the following elective courses:

 

4

ECOL:201 Ecosystems

 

4

EENV:213 Oceanography

 

4

EENV:250 Topics

 

4

EENV:335 Environmental Laws and Regulations

 

4

EENV:360 Geographic Information Systems

 

4

BIOL:408-409 Aquatic Ecology

20

Corollary Courses

 

4

MATH:112 Calculus II

 

4

CHEM:101 General Chemistry I or CHEM:103 General Chemistry I Teams

 

4

CHEM:102 General Chemistry II or CHEM:104 General Chemistry II Teams

 

4

PHYS:204 Introductory Physics I

 

4

One option from the following:

 

4

MATH:201 Linear Algebra

 

4

MATH:211 Multivariate Calculus

 

4

MATH:353 Differential Equations

 

4

CHEM:221 Organic Chemistry I

 

4

PHYS:205 Introductory Physics II

4

Capstone Experience

 

Students must select four semester hours from:

 

2

EENV:590 Environmental Internship and EENV:591

 

2

EENV:591 Environmental Internship Seminar (must be completed in the fall following EENV:590)

 

2

EENV:595 Research in Earth and Environmental Sciences (fall) and EENV:596

 

2

EENV:596 Research Seminar in Earth and Environmental Sciences (spring)

 

4

EENV:597 Field Program and EENV:591

 

4

Four semester hours from an approved capstone experience in another department

For the purposes of calculating the required 2.0 minimum GPA in the major, the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department uses all of the major courses with the EENV prefix.

Minor in Earth and Environmental Sciences. The minor requires 20 semester hours, with grades of C- or better, from among the courses in the major. Only one of EENV:101, EENV:102, EENV:103 or EENV:104 may be used toward the minor.

Honors in Earth and Environmental Sciences. The departmental honors program encourages and recognizes superior academic performance in earth and environmental sciences. To graduate with departmental honors, earth and environmental sciences majors do the following:

Candidates for academic honors must:

  • Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.25 and a GPA of 3.5 in major courses to qualify for academic honors.
  • Take the department comprehensive exam and score 75 percent or better during their senior year.

Candidates for research honors must:

  • Be nominated by a member of the earth and environmental sciences faculty by Feb. 15 of their senior year.
  • Submit an acceptable research thesis based upon two semesters of student research (EENV:595 and EENV:596), and earn a grade of B or better in these courses.
  • Pass an oral comprehensive examination of their thesis in their final semester.