Environmental Science

The Environmental Science major is designed for students with a strong interest in the life and physical sciences, and a desire to improve the quality of their environment by working toward sustainable development and environmental protection. The program offers a multi-disciplinary approach with its core curriculum firmly based in the lecture and laboratory experiences of foundation courses in Biology, Chemistry, and the Physical Sciences. The major also requires courses from the economic and political sciences to introduce the student to the economic and political influences that lend complexity to environmental decision making and the implementation of environmental solutions.

Students majoring in Environmental Science will select courses with the assistance of a faculty advisor and are required to take a minimum of 5 basic science courses and 8 environmental courses (see below). A research or internship experience is also strongly recommended. The program is designed to provide the fundamental background necessary to understand environmental issues, while providing students with the skills to both investigate these issues and to design and implement actions aimed at solving environmental problems. Overall, this program enhances students’ problem solving abilities, quantitative methods, modeling skills, ability to critically review scientific literature and information, field methods, critical thinking, and communication skills. In addition, the program should foster a stronger personal environmental ethic.

Major requirements include:

Students majoring in Environmental Science are required to take:

Basic Science Courses:

Environmental Core Courses:

One Organismal Course:

Two Methods Courses:

One Social Science course:

EC 141 - Principles of Economics: Micro
EC 250 - Environmental Economics
HI 109 - Environmental History
PO 108 - Environmental Politics
PO 260 - Political Theories of the Environment
Note that courses marked with an asterisk (*) are typically taught alternate years so students will need to plan accordingly.

Students must also successfully complete a written comprehensive examination. The examination is the Educational Testing Service Major Field Test in Biology and is administered twice annually, once in November and once in February.

Additional Experience:

Each Environmental Science student is encouraged to gain additional laboratory or field experience by (1) enrolling in either Directed Research in Biology (BI 421 - BI 422 or BI 423 ) or Research and Seminar in Chemistry (CH 420 - CH 421 ), (2) developing an individual internship program with direction from the Internship Facilitator (BI 451, 452, 453, 454 ), or (3) participating in the Washington Internship Program (BI 450 ). With permission of the chair, up to 2 upper-level major elective courses on topics other than those listed above may be transferred in from study abroad or from domestic institutions.

Course Sequence Outline

Freshman Year

Fall

Spring

Sophomore Year

Fall

BI 345 - Biostatistics
Language 2
Core
Social Science

Spring

BI 205 - Biosphere at Risk
Language 3
Core
Elective

Junior and Senior Year

Junior and senior years should focus on finishing core requirements and upper level departmental requirements. Students should take Conservation Biology and Ecology the same fall, and Aquatic Ecology in the opposite fall due to alternation of courses.

Note:

See Biological Sciences Overview for additional information.