Environmental Science - Ecoscience Concentration (BS)

College Breadth Requirements:

The College Breadth Requirements are taken in addition to the University Breadth Requirement. Up to three credits from each of the University Breadth Requirement categories may be used to simultaneously satisfy these College Breadth Requirements. College Breadth courses must be completed with a minimum grade of C-.  Coursework in each category must represent two different disciplines. If all but one course in a group has been taken in one department or program, a course cross-listed with that program will not satisfy the distribution requirement.

*note: three credits in each category below can be used to fulfill the University Breadth requirement

• Six credits of Creative Arts and Humanities .
  • Understanding and appreciation of the visual and performing arts, of aesthetic forms, designs, or craftsmanship, or of literary, philosophical, and intellectual traditions. Courses may focus on a single aesthetic form or intellectual tradition, or cross-cultural comparisons.
• Six credits of History and Cultural Change .
  • Understanding of the sources and forces of historical changes in ideas, beliefs, institutions, and cultures. Courses may address social, cultural, intellectual, economic, technological, artistic, scientific, and political development, changes in a discipline, or globalization and its effects.
• Six credits of Social and Behavioral Sciences .
  • Understanding of the behavior of individuals and social groups in the context of their human and natural environments. Courses emphasize the empirical findings, applications, and methods of the social and behavioral sciences.

Foreign Language:

• Completion of the intermediate-level course (107,112, or 202) in an ancient or modern language with minimum grades of D-.
  • The number of credits (0-12) needed and initial placement will depend on the number of years of high school study of foreign language.
    • Students with four or more years of high school work in a single foreign language, or who have gained proficiency in a foreign language by other means, may attempt to fulfill the requirement in that language by taking an exemption examination  through the Languages, Literatures and Cultures Department.

Second Writing Requirement:

This course must be taken after completion of 60 credit hours, completed with a minimum grade of C-, and the section enrolled must be designated as satisfying the requirement in the academic term completed.

Choose one of the following:

• ENSC 450 - Proseminar in the Environment Credit(s): 3
• ENVR 450 - Proseminar in the Environment Credit(s): 3
• GEOG 346 - Urban Cultural Geography Credit(s): 3
• GEOG 445 - Capstone in Geography Credit(s): 3
• GEOL 401 - Senior Seminar: Topics in Geoscience Credit(s): 3
• MAST 406 - Technical Writing for the Marine Sciences Credit(s): 3
• College of Arts and Sciences approved second writing course .

Core:

• A minimum grade of C- is required in each of the Core courses, the Field Experience, Concentration coursework, and Capstone Course.
• A minimum grade of D- is required in Supporting Math and Science requirements.

• ENSC 101 - Introduction to the Environment Credit(s): 1-3

• or

• ENSC 102 - Introduction to Environmental Science Credit(s): 3

•  

• GEOG 220 - Meteorology Credit(s): 3
• ENSC 300 - Earth Systems: Science and Policy Credit(s): 3

•  

• GEOG 372 - Introduction to GIS Credit(s): 3

• or

• APEC 480 - Geographic Information Systems in Natural Resource Management Credit(s): 4

•  

• STAT 200 - Basic Statistical Practice Credit(s): 3

• or

• ENSC 475 - Environmental Statistics Credit(s): 3

•  

• Human-environment interactions (take 2 of the following):

• GEOG 229 - Climate Change and Food Security Credit(s): 3
• GEOG 236 - Humans and Environmental Sustainability Credit(s): 3

•  

• APEC 150 - Economics of Agriculture and Natural Resources Credit(s): 3

• or

• POSC 350 - Politics and the Environment Credit(s): 3

•  

• ENWC 201 - Wildlife Conservation and Ecology Credit(s): 3

• or

• GEOG 235 - Conservation of Natural Resources Credit(s): 3

•  

• Earth (take 1 from each group):

• Group 1:

• GEOL 105 - Geological Hazards and Their Human Impact Credit(s): 3

• and

• GEOL 115 - Geological Hazards Laboratory Credit(s): 1

• or

• GEOL 107 - Geology of Dynamic Earth Credit(s): 4

• or

• GEOL 113 - Earth Science Credit(s): 4

•  

• Group 2:

• PLSC 170 - Soils and Sustainability Credit(s): 3

• or

• PLSC 204 - Introduction to Soil Science Credit(s): 3

• and

• PLSC 205 - Introduction to Soil Science Laboratory Credit(s): 1

•  

• Water:

• GEOG 320 - Water and Society Credit(s): 3

• or

• MAST 200 - The Oceans Credit(s): 3

• or

• MAST 382 - Introduction to Ocean Sciences Credit(s): 3

•  

• Climate:

• GEOG 341 - Climate and Climate Change Credit(s): 3

• or

• GEOG 412 - Physical Climatology Credit(s): 4

Supporting Math and Science:

• BISC 207 - Introductory Biology I Credit(s): 4
• CHEM 103 - General Chemistry Credit(s): 3
• CHEM 133 - General Chemistry Laboratory Credit(s): 1

•  

• MATH 241 - Analytic Geometry and Calculus A Credit(s): 4

• or

• MATH 232 - Integrated Calculus IB Credit(s): 3

•  

• MATH 242 - Analytic Geometry and Calculus B Credit(s): 4

•  

• PHYS 201 - Introductory Physics I Credit(s): 3 *
• PHYS 221 - Introductory Physics Laboratory I Credit(s): 1

• or

• PHYS 207 - Fundamentals of Physics I Credit(s): 3 *
• PHYS 227 - Fundamentals of Physics Laboratory I Credit(s): 1

Field Experience:

An approved 3-6 credit science field experience in which the student integrates the components of their concentration in an experiential learning environment. Experience MUST include data collection, manipulation of data sets, and weekly reports/field notes. This requirement could be fulfilled by an internship, study abroad experience, and/or a research experience so long as the above criteria are met. The following courses can be used to fulfill the field experience:

• BISC 432 - Field Ecology Credit(s): 3
• ENWC 408 - Insect Field Taxonomy Credit(s): 3
• ENWC 315 - Wildlife Techniques Credit(s): 3
• ENSC 425 - Environmental Field Methods Credit(s): 3
• ENSC 426 - Alpine Environmental Field Methods Credit(s): 3
• ENSC 464 - Environmental Internship Credit(s): 1-6
• ENSC 468 - Honors: Directed Research Credit(s): 3-6
• ENVR 464 - Environmental Internship Credit(s): 1-6
• ENVR 468 - Honors: Directed Research Credit(s): 3-6
• GEOG 300 - Research Design and Mixed Methods Credit(s): 3
• GEOG 430 - Food Geographies & Food Justice Credit(s): 3
• GEOL 306 - Geoscience Field Methods Credit(s): 4
• GEOL 434 - Geology of Coasts Credit(s): 3
• MAST 421 - Coastal Field Biology Credit(s): 3
• MAST 432 - Environmental Field Robotics Credit(s): 4
• MAST 468 - Undergraduate Research Credit(s): 1-6
• PLSC 405 - Environmental Forensics and Society Credit(s): 3
• UNIV 364 - Experiential Internship Credit(s): 3
• Other field course approved by the faculty director of the ENSC program.

Capstone Course:

This three-credit capstone course serves as a culminating experience and is to be completed during the last semester of the senior year. This course will engage students in an exploration and discussion of the history and state of environmental studies and its connection to local, regional, national and global scale environmental issues. Students will develop and refine critical thinking skills and interdisciplinary problem-solving strategies. It serves to be a culminating experience for students on the “science-side” and the “studies-side” to collaboratively solve problems and discuss issues in the current environmental literature.

• ENSC 450 - Proseminar in the Environment Credit(s): 3
• GEOG 445 - Capstone in Geography Credit(s): 3