Environmental Geosciences (BS)

This degree program is designed to prepare students for scientific careers or graduate study in geology and/or environmental science. The degree requires successful completion of 120 semester hours, including: (1) the General Education Program (a foreign language is recommended but not required); (2) the multidisciplinary Core Requirements in geology, chemistry, and mathematics listed below (49-55 hours); and (3) one of the three elective concentrations listed below (8-16 hours). Students interested in graduate study in geology should complete the Physical Sciences option since most graduate programs will require one year of chemistry, one year of physics, and one year of calculus; many will also require a foreign language. Students interested in the major should begin and complete coursework in mathematics and chemistry as soon as possible.

Environmental Geosciences Major Requirements

57-71 Hours

Core Requirements:

Geology

34 Hours

Note:

Six hours of upper-level coursework in CHEM or PHYS (numbered between 300-449) may be substituted for any one GEOL course; twelve hours may be substituted for two GEOL courses.

Chemistry

8 Hours

CHEM 101 General Chemistry I (3)
and
CHEM 111 General Chemistry Laboratory I (1)
CHEM 102 General Chemistry II (3)
and
CHEM 112 General Chemistry Laboratory II (1)

Mathematics

7-13 Hours

MATH 103 College Algebra (3) *
MATH 104 College Trigonometry (3) *

7 or more hours (2 or 3 courses) of mathematics and/or computer science selected from:

*MATH 105 or higher and/or CS 151 or higher*

Elective Concentration

Students must choose one of three options listed below:

8-16 hours

(1) Geography and Geographic Information Systems

16 Hours

10 hours from any of the following (including at least 6 hours in GEOG):

GEOG 300 Sustainable Development (3)
GEOG 312 Geographic Data Analysis (3)
GEOG 339 Geography of Soils (4)
GEOG 359 Climatology (4)
GEOG 412 Advanced Methods in Geospatial Analysis (3)
or any electives in GEOL beyond those used to satisfy Core Requirements.

(2) Ecology and Life Sciences

16 Hours

BIOL 121 Foundations of Biology I (4)
BIOL 122 Foundations of Biology II (4)
BIOL 201 Ecology and Field Methods (4)
4 hours electives from any other course(s) in BIOL 201 or above (BIOL 315 Freshwater Ecology recommended).

(3) Physical Sciences

8-10 Hours***

PHYS 201 University Physics with Calculus, Part 1 (4)
and
PHYS 202 University Physics with Calculus, Part 2 (4)
OR
PHYS 101 Introductory Physics (4)
and
PHYS 102 Intermediate Physics (4)
and
2 hours from any courses numbered 200 or higher in CHEM, GEOL, or PHYS beyond those used to satisfy the Core Requirements.

Notes:

*MATH 103 and/or MATH 104 will be waived for those students establishing "equivalent proficiency" as defined by the Department of Mathematics (Math ACT 25 or 28).

**MATH 253 and MATH 254 recommended for geology graduate school applicants.

*** MATH 253 must be selected as part of the mathematics Core Requirement to satisfy this elective concentration.