2025-2026 Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog

Earth Science B.S.: Environmental Earth Science Specialization

The Environmental Earth Science Specialization is designed for students who want to study geological sciences with an environmental focus but who are not intending to work as professional geologists. This Specialization is appropriate for students planning a career in public policy relating to environmental issues, environmental education, resource management, business (environmental consulting), environmental hazards, environmental law, or environmental medicine.

A minor is not required.

Major Requirements

36 credits in Earth Science and related courses, and 22-24 credits of related requirements.

Earth Sciences Core (19 credits)

ESCI 121The Dynamic Earth

3

or

ESCI 131Environmental Earth Science

3

 

ESCI 125Earth Science Laboratory

1

 

ESCI 141Earth and Life History

3

ESCI 145Earth and Life History Lab

1

ESCI 221Mineralogy

4

ESCI 221Mineralogy

4

ESCI 223Sedimentary Geology

4

ESCI 260Communicating the Earth and Space Sciences

1

ESCI 290Field Methods in the Earth Sciences

2

Environmental Earth Science Specialization (17 credits)

Required Courses (4 credits):

ESCI 129Meteorology: Earth's Weather

4

Electives (13 credits)

selected from the following:

BIO 132Introductory Ecology

3

BIO 434Ecology of Inland Waters

4

BIO 436Environmental Resources and Management

3

BIO 438/BIO 538Aquatic Pollution

4

CHEM 406Environmental Chemistry

3

CHEM 456Toxicology

3

ESCI 350Computer Methods in the Earth and Space Sciences

3

ESCI 424Geomorphology

4

ESCI 425Glacial Geology and Ice Ages

3

ESCI 431Hydrogeology

4

ESCI 441Environmental Geochemistry

3

ESCI 455Energy Science and Technology

3

ESCI 490Topics in Earth Sciences

3-4

or additional courses as approved by the student's advisor.

Related Requirements (22-24 credits)

CHEM 161General Chemistry

3

CHEM 162General Chemistry Laboratory

1

CHEM 201Fndtns of Analytical Chem Lab

1

and

CHEM 260Foundations of Inorganic Chem

3

or

BIO 121General Biology I

4

MATH 152Calculus I

4

or

MATH 124Applied Calculus with Trig

4

or

MATH 119Pre-Calculus with Trigonometry

4

or

MATH 115Trigonometry

3

MATH 221Calculus II

4

or

MATH 125Applied Calculus

3

or

MATH 116Pre-Calculus Mathematics

3

or

STAT 104Elementary Statistics

3

PHYS 125University Physics I

4

or

PHYS 121General Physics I

4

PHYS 126University Physics II

4

or

PHYS 122General Physics II

4