Environmental Science Major Requirements
Required Courses (27 credits):
Co-requisites (3-4 credits):
Take one of the following:
Elective Courses (4 courses total - 14 credits)
Up to 4 courses (12 cr.) may be taken at the graduate (5000) level. Similarly, only one research-based course (BIO 3996, BIO 3997, BIO 4495) can count towards the major. To qualify for any 5000-level course, students must have completed a minimum of 2 elective courses with a grade of B+ or better, applicable pre-requisites for the course must have been completed with a B+ or better, minimum science GPA is a 3.2, and overall GPA is a minimum of 3.4, and must demonstrate advanced writing and laboratory skills above that of an undergraduate, along with approval of the Division Chair and the faculty member teaching the course.
Capstone Course (3 credits)
| BIO 3400 | Research Methods in the Life Sciences | 3 |
Optional active research courses:
BIO 3996: Team Biology Research (3 credits) or
BIO 3997: Independent Biology Research (3 credits)
BIO 1001, BIO 1002: are prerequisites for all biology courses above the 2000 level. Note: If a C - or below is received in either of these foundational classes, it must be retaken and passed with a minimum grade of C before students can progress to 3000-level electives. All upper level major courses must be completed with a minimum grade of C-.
CHM 1001, CHM 1003, CHM 1002, CHM 1004: completed with a minimum grade of C-. Note: these classes are prerequisites for some biology courses above the 2000 level.
Prospective majors and students interested in enrolling in Principles of Biology I (BIO 1001), or Principles of Biology II (BIO 1002) need to complete the Biology Placement Exam. Prospective majors and students interested in enrolling in Principles of Chemistry I with Lab (CHM 1001 and CHM 1003) or Principles of Chemistry II with Lab (CHM 1002 and CHM 1004 need to complete the Chemistry Placement Exam. Placement exams are located on Blackboard. If a student does not pass the placement exam(s), they should start with Intro to Biology (BIO 1000) during the fall semester of their first year and/or Intro to Chemistry (CHM 1000) during the fall or spring semester of their first year.
It is strongly recommended that students majoring in Environmental Science take Principles of Biology and Principles of Chemistry in their first year.
Note: All upper-level major courses must be completed with a minimum grade of C-.
All of the biology faculty members have on-going and short-term research projects that allows for scholarship development for both faculty and students. Students often have the opportunity to present their undergraduate research projects at local, regional and national conferences, and some projects are ultimately published in peer-reviewed journals. To partake in a research project as BIO 3997, students must have a 3.0 minimum GPA, have completed BIO 1001, BIO 1002, CHM 1001, CHM 1002, CHM 1003 and CHM 1004, have completed BIO 3400 with a B or better, and have their research proposal approved by their mentor.