College of Geosciences

Curriculum in Environmental Geoscience

The increasing demands that population growth puts on the natural resources and the Earth's environment require greater numbers of trained professionals and informed citizens. The B.S. degree in Environmental Geoscience embraces all the disciplines of geosciences to give the student a rigorous interdisciplinary education including issues associated with environmental policy. The degree technically trains students for employment by industry, environmental and engineering consulting firms, non-governmental organizations, and governmental regulatory agencies, among other entities. Students focus coursework in a particular environmental theme: coastal studies, water in the environment, human interaction with the land or climate change.

FRESHMAN YEAR

First Semester (Th-Pr) Cr   Second Semester (Th-Pr) Cr
ENGL 104 Composition and Rhetoric (3-0) 3   HIST 105 History of U.S. I (3-0) 3
GEOG 203 Planet Earth
or
GEOL 101 Principles of Geology		 (3-3) 4   MATH 152 Engineering Math. II (3-2) 4
GEOS 105 Intro. to Environ. Geoscience (3-0) 3   OCNG 251 Oceanography (3-0) 3
MATH 151 Engineering Math. I (3-2) 4   OCNG 252 Oceanography Lab. (0-2) 1
    14   POLS 206 American Natl. Govt. (3-0) 3
        *KINE 198 Health and Fitness Activity (0-2) 1
            15

SOPHOMORE YEAR

First Semester (Th-Pr) Cr   Second Semester (Th-Pr) Cr
CHEM 101 Fund. of Chemistry I (3-0) 3   ATMO 201 Atmospheric Science (3-0) 3
CHEM 111 Fund. of Chemistry I Lab. (0-3) 1   ATMO 202 Atmospheric Science Lab. (0-2) 1
GEOG 201 Intro. to Human Geography (3-0) 3   CHEM 102 Fund. of Chemistry II (3-0) 3
HIST 106 History of U.S. II (3-0) 3   CHEM 112 Fund. of Chemistry II Lab. (0-3) 1
Science elective5   4   POLS 207 State and Local Govt. (3-0) 3
*KINE 199 Required Physical Activity (0-2) 1   Science elective 5   4
    15       15

JUNIOR YEAR

First Semester (Th-Pr) Cr   Second Semester (Th-Pr) Cr
GEOG 330 Resources and the Environ. (3-0) 3   GEOL 420 Environmental Geology (2-2) 3
GEOS 481 Seminar1 (1-0) 1   Communication elective6   3
STAT 303 Statistical Methods (3-0) 3   Environmental policy elective 2   3
Environmental theme elective3   3   Environmental theme elective 3   3
Technical elective 4   3   Technical elective4   3
Visual and performing arts elective7   3       15
    16        

SENIOR YEAR

First Semester (Th-Pr) Cr   Second Semester (Th-Pr) Cr
Environmental policy elective2   3   GEOS 405 Environmental Geosciences (2-2) 3
Environmental theme elective3   3   Environmental policy elective2   3
Humanities elective8   3   Environmental theme elective3   6
Technical elective 4   6   Technical electives 4   3
    15       15
             
Total Hours
120
NOTES:
  1. GEOS 481 can be repeated up to four times in this degree plan. Ideally, it should be taken in your junior and senior years, but can also be taken in your sophomore year.
  2. To be selected in consultation with faculty academic advisor from AGEC 350; ECON 203, 323, 412, 435; GEOG 309, 360, 406, 430; URSC 301, 460; POLS 329, 331, 340, 342, 347, 440; RENR 420; SOCI 312, 328. (GEOS 444 can either be taken as an environmental policy elective or an environmental theme elective, but not both.)
  3. Environmental theme electives: 15 hours of coursework are taken in one of the thematic areas. Select from list in consultation with faculty academic advisor. Environemental themes include: coastal studies (ATMO 463; GEOG 331, 370; GEOL 440; OCNG 410, 451), water in the environment (ATMO 463, 475; GEOG 324, 400, 434; GEOL 410, 451; GEOP 413; OCNG 410, 420), human interaction with the land (ATMO 463; GEOG 301, 305, 311, 320, 321, 323, 325, 326, 330, 331, 360, 400, 430; GEOL 320, 321, 400), and climate change (ATMO 324, 363, 463; GEOG 324; GEOS 410, 411; OCNG 410, 451).
  4. Select in consultation with faculty academic advisor and see Environmental Programs Web site for guidance.
  5. Select either PHYS 201 and 202 or BIOL 101 and BIOL 111. PHYS 201 and 202 are the appropriate science electives for the climate change theme.
  6. Communication elective to be selected from the University Core Curriculum.
  7. Visual and performing arts electives to be selected from the University Core Curriculum.
  8. Humanities electives to be selected from the University Core Curriculum.

*See University Core Curriculum, item 7.