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Departments & Programs

Environmental Science Program
Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science

(Granted by Indiana University)

Degree Requirements

First-Year Experience Course  Beginning freshmen and transfer students with fewer than 19 credit hours are required to take SCI-I120 Windows in Science (1 cr.) or an equivalent first-year experience course.

Area I English Composition and Communication Competency (9 cr.) See the School of Science requirements under “Undergraduate Programs” in this bulletin. The second semester of English composition may be satisfied by ENG-W270, ENG-W231, ENG-W320 or ENG-W350. GEOL-G205 may be used to fulfill the second writing course requirement, but the 3 credit hours cannot then also be counted as part of the core and concentration credit hours required in Area IV.

Area II World Language  No world language proficiency is required for a Bachelor of Science degree.

Area IIIA Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences, and Cultural Understanding Competencies (12 cr.)  See the School of Science requirements under “Undergraduate Programs” in this bulletin.

For the most current list of courses in the areas of Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences and Cultural Understanding, please refer to the IUPUI General Education Curriculum.

Area IIIC Life and Physical Sciences Competency (26 cr.)  BIOL-K101 / BIOL-K103, CHEM-C105 / CHEM-C106, PHYS-P201 / PHYS-P202. No grade below C- will be accepted in any of these courses.

Area IIID Analytical Reasoning Competency (12 cr.)  MATH 22100 / MATH 22200, CSCI-N207 or another CSCI course approved by the Department of Earth Sciences;  and STAT 30100, SPEA-K300, or a course in statistics approved by the Department of Earth Sciences. No grade below C- will be accepted in any of these courses.

Note: Computer Science CSCI-N100 level courses and CIT 10600 do not count for credit toward any degree in the School of Science. Also, CSCI-N241 and CSCI-N299 do not count in Area IIID, but may count as an elective.

Area IV Major Core and Concentration Requirements

Thirty-three (33) credit hours of environmental science core courses including:

  • GEOL-G107 / GEOL-G117 Environmental Geology Lecture and Laboratory or GEOL-G110 / GEOL-G120 Physical Geology Lecture and Laboratory
  • GEOL-G205 Reporting Skills in Geoscience
  • GEOG-G303 Weather and Climate
  • GEOL-G306 Earth Materials
  • GEOL-G334 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy or GEOG-G338 Introduction to GIS
  • BIOL-K341 Principles of Ecology and Evolution
  • CHEM-C341 Organic Chemistry I
  • GEOL-G436 Earth Observation from Space
  • GEOL-G415 Principles of Geomorphology, or GEOL-G490 Climate Change
  • GEOG-G315 Environmental Conservation, or GEOG-G310 Human Impact on the Environment, or SPEA-V311 Natural Resources and Environmental Policy

No grade below C- will be accepted in any of these courses.

Concentration Requirements  Fifteen (15) credit hours of courses within one of three Environmental Science concentrations. Students select one of the Environmental Science Concentrations – Earth and Water Resources, Environmental Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis, or Environmental Management.

A. Earth and Water Resources  Fifteen (15) credit hours, including:

  • GEOL-G430 Principles of Hydrology
  • GEOL-G406 Introduction to Geochemistry
  • GEOL-G482 Environmental Microbiology
  • One (1) focus course

For a Water Resources focus, take one (1) of the following:

  • GEOL-G431 Wetland Ecosystems or GEOL-G432 Stream Ecosystems or GEOL-G451 Principles of Hydrogeology

For a Biogeochemistry focus, take one (1) of the following:

  • GEOL-G486 Soil Biogeochemistry or GEOL-G483 Isotope Geochemistry

Capstone Requirement: GEOL-G488 Global Cycles

No grade below C- will be accepted in any courses in the Earth and Water Resources concentration.

B. Environmental Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis  Fifteen (15) credit hours, including

  • GEOG-G336 Environmental Remote Sensing or GEOG-G338 Geographic Information Science
  • GEOG-G337 Computer Cartography and Graphics or GEOL-G487 Remote Sensing of Global Change
  • Two (2) courses chosen from:
    • GEOG-G436 Advanced Remote Sensing
    • GEOG-G438 Advanced Geographic Information Science
    • GEOG-G442 Seminar in Remote Sensing
    • GEOG-G488 Applied Spatial Statistics
    • GEOL-G487 Remote Sensing of Global Change
  • Capstone Requirement: GEOG-G439 GIS and Environmental Analysis

No grade below C- will be accepted in any courses in the Environmental Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis concentration.

C. Environmental Management Fifteen (15) credit hours, including:

  • PBHL-A424 Environmental Health Science and Technology: Managing Water and Waste
  • PBHL-A451 Air Pollution and Control
  • PBHL-A400 Public Health Risk Analysis, Communication and Management
  • Focus Course and Capstone (2 courses):
    • For Pollution Assessment focus:
      • PBHL-A433 Industrial Hygiene
      • Required Capstone: PBHL-A460 Techniques in Environmental Science and Health Science and Health
    • For Policy and Planning focus:
      • GEOG-G438 Advanced GIS
      • Required Capstone: PBHL-A416 Environmental Health Policy
    • For Occupational Safety and Health focus;
      • PBHL-A410 Introduction to Environmental Toxicology
      • Required Capstone: PBHL-A433 Industrial Hygiene

No grade below C- will be accepted in any courses in the Environmental Management concentration.

D. Other Requirements  See the School of Science requirements under “Undergraduate Programs, Baccalaureate Degree, General Requirements” in this bulletin.

Environmental Science Plans of Study

There is no single semester-by-semester plan of study for the B.S.E.S. degree because of the flexibility encouraged within the program and the three concentration options. However, a possible plan for courses is given below. Variations from this sample plan of study should be made in consultation with the academic and concentration advisors.

Bachelor of Science Environmental Science Sample Programs  (120 hours required)

  • Freshman Year
    First Semester

    GEOL-G110 Physical Geology or GEOL-G107 Environmental Geology

    3
    GEOL-G120 Physical Geology Laboratory or GEOL-G117 Environmental Geology Laboratory 1
    CHEM-C105 Principles of Chemistry I 3
    MATH 22100 Calculus for Technology I 3
    ENG-W131 Reading, Writing and Inquiry 3
    SCI-I120 Windows on Science 1
    Total 14
    Second Semester 
    CHEM-C106 Principles of Chemistry II   3
    GEOL-G306 Earth Materials 4
    MATH 22200 Calculus for Technology II   3
    COMM-R110 Fundamentals of Speech Communication   3
    2nd written communication course 3
    Total 16
    Sophomore Year
    Third Semester
    GEOL-G205 Reporting Skills in Geoscience   3
    BIOL-K101 Concepts of Biology I    5
    PHYS-P201 General Physics I 5
    CSCI-N207 Data Analysis Using Spreadsheets 3
    Total 16
    Fourth Semester 
    GEOG-G303 Weather and Climate 3
    BIOL-K103 Concepts of Biology II 5
    PHYS-P202 General Physics II 5
    SPEA-V211, GEOG-G315 or GEOG-G310 3
    Total 16
    Junior Year - EARTH AND WATER RESOURCES CONCENTRATION
    Fifth Semester
    GEOL-G334 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy 4
    BIOL-K341 Principles of Ecology and Evolution 3
    GEOL-G406 Geochemistry 3
    GEOL-G430 Hydrology 3
    Cultural Understanding (choose from list) 3
    Total 16
    Sixth Semester  
    GEOL-G482 Environmental Microbiology 3
    CHEM-C341 Organic Chemistry I 3
    GEOL-G415 Geomorphology 3
    Arts and Humanities (choose from list) 3
    Elective 3
    Total 15
    Senior Year - EARTH AND WATER RESOURCES CONCENTRATION
    Seventh Semester
    STAT 30100 or SPEA-K300 or STAT-N501 3
    GEOL-G486 Soil Biogeochemistry 3
    GEOL-G436 Earth Observation from Space 3
    Social Sciences (choose from list) 3
    Elective  3
    Total 15
    Eighth Semester
    GEOL-G488 Global Cycles 3
    Arts and Humanities/Social Sciences (choose from list) 3
    Electives 6
    Total

    12

    Junior Year - ENVIRONMENTAL REMOTE SENSING AND SPATIAL ANALYSIS CONCENTRATION
    Fifth Semester
    GEOL-G334 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy 4
    BIOL-K341 Principles of Ecology and Evolution 3
    GEOL-G436 Earth Observation from Space 3
    GEOG-G338 Introduction to GIS 3
    Cultural Understanding (choose from list) 3
    Total 16
    Sixth Semester  
    GEOG-G475 Climate Change 3
    CHEM-C341 Organic Chemistry I 3
    GEOG-G336 Environmental Remote Sensing 3
    GEOG-G438 Advanced GIS 3
    Arts and Humanities (choose from list) 3
    Total 15
    Senior Year - ENVIRONMENTAL REMOTE SENSING AND SPATIAL ANALYSIS CONCENTRATION
    Seventh Semester
    STAT 30100 or SPEA-K300 or STAT-N501 3
    GEOG-G439 Seminar in GIS 3
    Social Sciences (choose from list) 3
    Electives 6
    Total 15
    Eighth Semester
    GEOL-G487 Remote Sensing of Global Change 3
    GEOG-G488 Spatial Statistics or GEOG-G436 Advanced RS 3
    Arts and Humanities/Social Sciences (choose from list) 3
    Elective 3
    Total

    12

    Junior Year - ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT CONCENTRATION
    Fifth Semester
    GEOL-G334 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy 4
    BIOL-K341 Principles of Ecology and Evolution 3
    GEOL-G436 Earth Observation from Space 3
    STAT 30100 or SPEA-K300 or STAT-N501 3
    Cultural Understanding (choose from list) 3
    Total 16
    Sixth Semester  
    GEOG-G475 Climate Change 3
    CHEM-C341 Organic Chemistry I 3
    PBHL-A424 Environmental Health Science 3
    PBHL-A400 Public Health Risk Analysis 3
    Elective 3
    Total 15
    Senior Year - ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT CONCENTRATION
    Seventh Semester
    PBHL-A451 Air Pollution and Control 3
    Focus Course 3
    Arts and Humanities (choose from list) 3
    Social Sciences (choose from list) 3
    Elective  3
    Total 15
    Eighth Semester
    Focus Capstone 4
    Arts and Humanities/Social Sciences (choose from list) 3
    Electives 5
    Total

    12