ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Biology Major
Chemistry Major
Geoscience Major

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE STEERING COMMITTEE

Biology: Michael Delong, Neal Mundahl
Pasteur Hall, Room 215 (507-457-5165)
Chemistry: Mark Engen, Jeanne Franz
Pasteur Hall, Room 312 (507-457-5290)
Geoscience: Jennifer L. B. Anderson, Toby Dogwiler
Pasteur Hall, Room 120 (507-457-5260) 

PURPOSE

The Environmental Science Program is an interdisciplinary program sponsored by the Biology, Chemistry, and Geoscience Departments. This broadly based program is composed of a common set of introductory courses; an in-depth set of option courses in the biology, chemistry, or geoscience areas; and a capstone experience, which involves an individual research problem and a group seminar course. Depending on the set of in-depth option courses chosen for their program, students graduate with one of following degrees:
• B.S. Biology - Environmental Science Option
• B.S. Chemistry - Environmental Science Option
• B.S. Geoscience - Environmental Science Option
Graduates of this program are broadly educated and prepared for graduate school or entry-level positions in a variety of environmental science fields. The Environmental Science Program is designed to provide students with a basic understanding of the environmental challenges that face modern society and to provide students with the skills necessary to address these challenges through a successful career in an environmental science field. The common set of introductory courses provides students with the strong, interdisciplinary science background necessary to understand, critically evaluate, and mitigate environmental problems. While pursuing the common set of introductory courses, students have additional time to choose the option portion of their programs and the department in which they will declare their major. The option portion of the program allows students to develop an in-depth understanding of an area of environmental science of their choice.
The capstone research experience fosters independent thought and hones problem-solving skills while integrating the common set of environmental courses and the option area studies with a real-life environmental problem. Field work is an integral part of the environmental science curriculum and the capstone research project in particular. Students participate in ongoing research projects, including nearby field stations and localities, often in cooperation with governmental agencies, private landowners, or environmental advocacy groups. The capstone seminar course sharpens communication skills and encourages interactions between students from different majors and faculty from different environmental science areas by providing a forum for discussing, analyzing, and debating environmental issues and topics related to any branch of environmental science.
Students are encouraged to maintain a broad perspective and to augment their in-depth study with an understanding of the connections among public policy, economics, law, and the adjustment to social needs, which can result in the destruction or the preservation of the environment.

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE CORE
REQUIREMENTS - ALL OPTIONS
48-50 S.H.
(These courses are listed again under each department option.)

* CHEM 212 Principles of Chemistry I (4)
* CHEM 213 Principles of Chemistry II (4)
CHEM 320 Environmental Chemistry (4)
* BIOL 241 Basics of Life (4)
* BIOL 242 Organismal Diversity (4)
BIOL 312 General Ecology (3)
BIOL 313 General Ecology Laboratory (1)
* GEOS 120 Dynamic Earth (4)
* GEOS 130 Earth and Life Through Time (4)
GEOS 240 Watershed Science (4)
The following two courses (6 S.H.)
ECON 315 Environmental and Natural Resource Economics (3)
POLS 340 Environmental Policy (3)
One of the following courses not within the major discipline of the elected option:
# BIOL 315 Environmental Biology (3)
BIOL 335 Plant Ecology (4)
BIOL 360 Entomology (4)
# BIOL 415 Ecology of Large Rivers (4)
BIOL 420 Limnology (4)
CHEM 425 Analytical Chemistry I (4)
# CHEM 436 Topics in Environmental Chemistry (3)
GEOS 325 Environmental Geoscience (3)
# GEOS 415 Advanced Geomorphology (4)
# GEOS 370 GIS and Imaging Techniques (3)
# GEOS 420 Applied Hydrogeology (4)
GEOS 425 Global Climate Change (3)
A research capstone course from the major discipline of the elected option:
# BIOL 499 Capstone Project (1-3)
# CHEM 430 Individual Problems in Chemistry (2-3)
GEOS 400 Directed Research in Geoscience (2-3)
A seminar capstone course from the major discipline of the elected option:
BIOL 495 Seminar in Biology – Environmental Science (1)
# CHEM 475 Seminar in Chemistry – Environmental Science (1)
GEOS 475 Geoscience Seminar – Environmental Science (1)
B.S. MAJOR BIOLOGY - ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE OPTION (BIES)
94-95 S.H. (No Minor required)

BIOLOGY CORE COURSES - BIOL (18 S.H.)
241 Basics of Life (4)
242 Organismal Diversity (4)
# 308 Cell Biology (3)
# 310 Genetics (3)
312 General Ecology (3)
313 General Ecology Lab (1)

REQUIREMENTS - BIOL (12 S.H.)
318 Invertebrate Zoology (4) OR
319 Vertebrate Biology (4)
335 Plant Ecology (4) OR BIOL 350 Plant Taxonomy (4)
# 315 Environmental Biology (3)
495 Seminar – Environmental Science (1)

ELECTIVES - BIOL (7 S.H.)
318 Invertebrate Zoology (4)
319 Vertebrate Biology (4)
320 Ornithology (4)
335 Plant Ecology (4)
350 Plant Taxonomy (4)
360 Entomology (4)
380 Evolution (3)
405 Fishery Biology (3)
409 Microbiology (4)
# 415 Ecology of Large Rivers (4)
420 Limnology (4)
# 423 Ecosystem Ecology (3)
424 Biogeography (3)
425 Animal Behavior (3)

BIOLOGY CAPSTONE REQUIREMENT (3 S.H.)
# 499 Capstone Project (1-3)

OTHER REQUIRED COURSES (54-55 S.H.)
Chemistry (16 S.H.)
CHEM*212,*213 Principles of Chemistry I, II (8)
CHEM 320 Environmental Chemistry (4)
CHEM 340 Organic Chemistry Survey (4)
Geoscience (12 S.H.)
* GEOS 120 Dynamic Earth (4)
* GEOS 130 Earth and Life Through Time (4)
GEOS 240 Watershed Science (4)
Mathematics (9 S.H.)
MATH 150 Modeling Using Precalculus and Statistics (3)
MATH 155 Calculus Based Modeling (3)
MATH 305 Biometry (3)
Note: Calculus I, II (MATH 160, 165) may be submitted for MATH 150, 155.
Physics (8 S.H.)
PHYS *201, *202 General Physics (8)
Note: University Physics I, II (*221, *222) may be submitted for General Physics I, II (201, 202).
The following two courses (6 S.H.):
ECON 315 Environmental and Natural Resource Economics (3)
POLS 340 Environmental Policy (3)
One of the following five courses (3-4 S.H.):
CHEM 425 Analytical Chemistry I (4)
# CHEM 436 Topics in Environmental Chemistry (3)
GEOS 325 Environmental Geoscience (3)
# GEOS 415 Advanced Geomorphology (4)
# GEOS 420 Applied Hydrogeology (4)
GEOS 425 Global Climate Change (3)

B.S. MAJOR CHEMISTRY -
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE OPTION (CHES)
92-93 S.H.

CHEMISTRY CORE COURSES - CHEM (29 S.H.)
212 Principles of Chemistry I (4)
213 Principles of Chemistry II (4)
350 Principles of Organic Chemistry I (4)
351 Principles of Organic Chemistry II (5)
# 412 Physical Chemistry I (3)
# 413 Physical Chemistry I Lab (1)
425 Analytical Chemistry I (4)
# 426 Analytical Chemistry II (4)

REQUIREMENTS - CHEM (10 S.H.)
320 Environmental Chemistry (4)
# 430 Individual Problems (2)
# 436 Topics in Environmental Chemistry (3)
# 475 Chemistry Seminar (1)

ELECTIVES - CHEM (4 S.H.)
400 Biochemistry I (4)
401 Biochemistry II (3)
410 Polymer Chemistry (3)
# 414 Physical Chemistry II (3)
# 415 Physical Chemistry Lab II (2)
420 Topics in Industrial Chemistry (2)
427 Topics in Instrumental Chemistry (2)
428 Chemical Separations (3)
450 Advanced Organic Chemistry (2)
470 Isotope, Nuclear and Radiochemistry (2)
# 475 Seminar in Chemistry (1) OR other advanced chemistry electives as approved by the Chemistry Department

OTHER REQUIRED COURSES (49-50 S.H.)
Biology (12 S.H.)
* BIOL 241 Basics of Life (4)
* BIOL 242 Organismal Diversity (4)
BIOL 312, 313 General Ecology lecture and lab (4)
Geoscience (12 S.H.)
* GEOS 120 Dynamic Earth (4)
* GEOS 130 Earth and Life through Time (4)
GEOS 240 Watershed Science (4)
Mathematics (8 S.H.)
MATH 160, 165 Calculus I, II (8)
Physics (8 S.H.)
PHYS *221, *222 University Physics I, II (8)
The following two courses (6 S.H.):
ECON 315 Environmental and Natural Resource Economics (3)
* POLS 340 Environmental Policy (3)
One of the following courses (3-4 S.H.):
# BIOL 315 Environmental Biology (3)
BIOL 335 Plant Ecology (4)
BIOL 360 Entomology (4)
BIOL 420 Limnology (4)
# GEOS 415 Advanced Geomorphology (4)
GEOS 325 Environmental Geoscience (3)
# GEOS 370 GIS and Imaging Techniques (3)
# BIOL 415 Ecology of Large Rivers (4)
# GEOS 420 Applied Hydrogeology (4)
GEOS 425 Global Climate Change (3)

B.S. MAJOR - GEOSCIENCE: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE OPTION (GEES)
92 - 96 S.H. (No Minor Required)

GEOSCIENCE CORE COURSES - GEOS (23 S.H.)
* 120 Dynamic Earth (4)
* 130 Earth and Life through Time (4)
220 Minerals and Rocks (4)
# 280 Field and Analytical Methods I (2)
330 Structural Geology (4)
# 340 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy (4)
475 Geoscience Seminar (1)
Note: Majors in all options are urged to take a geology summer field course prior to graduation. This can satisfy an upper-division elective.

REQUIREMENTS - GEOS (20-21 S.H.)
240 Watershed Science (4)
325 Environmental Geoscience (3)
# 370 GIS and Imaging Techniques (3)
400 Directed Research in Geoscience (2-3)
# 415 Advanced Geomorphology (4)
# 420 Applied Hydrogeology (4)

OTHER REQUIRED COURSES (43-44 S.H.)
Biology - BIOL (12 S.H.)
* 241 Basics of Life (4)
* 242 Organismal Diversity (4)
312, 313 General Ecology, Ecology Lab (4)
Chemistry - CHEM (12 S.H.)
*212, *213, Principles of Chemistry I, II (8)
320 Environmental Chemistry (4)
Mathematics - MATH (6 S.H.)
150 Modeling Using Precalculus and Statistics (3)
155 Calculus Based Modeling (3) OR may substitute 120 and MATH 160 or MATH 160 and MATH 165
Physics - PHYS (4 S.H.)
One of the following three courses:
* 115 Conceptual Physics (4)
* 201 General Physics I (4)
* 221 University Physics I (4)
The following two courses (6 S.H.):
ECON 315 Environmental and Natural Resource Economics (3)
POLS 340 Environmental Policy (3)
One of the following courses (3-4 S.H.):
# BIOL 315 Environmental Biology (3)
BIOL 335 Plant Ecology (4)
BIOL 360 Entomology (4)
†#BIOL 415 Ecology of Large Rivers (4) (See Note below.)
† BIOL 420 Limnology (4) (See Note below.)
* CHEM 425 Analytical Chemistry I (4)
# CHEM 436 Topics in Environmental Chemistry (3)

†If students take BIOL 415 or BIOL 420 as their elective from this group of courses, they may not choose the same course as an elective course under “ Electives” below.
ELECTIVES (6-8 S.H.)
(See note below.)
Courses totaling 6-8 S.H. to be chosen from:
Geoscience - GEOS
# 320 Optical Mineralogy and Petrology (4)
385 Geology of North America (3)
405 Current Topics in Geoscience (1-3)
425 Global Climate Change (3)
450 Travel Study in Costa Rica (3)
470 Geologic Research Strategies (2)
Biology - BIOL
# 415 Ecology of Large Rivers (4) OR
420 Limnology (4)
Chemistry - CHEM
340 Organic Chemistry Survey (4)
350 Principles of Organic Chemistry I (4)
Statistics - STAT
* 210 Statistics (3)
Note: The courses selected as “Electives” must not duplicate the courses selected under “Other Required Courses” above. At least two courses must be used to fulfill the elective requirement.