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. BS Environmental Science students are encouraged to take the Themed Learning Community (TLC) SCI-BE499 Sustainabilty - Thriving Communities, Thriving Planet, which includes SCI-I120, GEOL-G107, and SPEA-V222.
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-W230, TCM 22000 or TCM 32000. 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. If a student chooses to take the SCI-BE499, Sustainability TLC, SPEA-V222 will count as one Social Science course.
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-K341 / BIOL-K342, CHEM-C105 / CHEM-C106, CHEM-C341 / CHEM-C343, and 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, or MATH 23100 / MATH 23200 or MATH 16500 / MATH 16600, 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-two (32) credit hours of environmental science core courses including:
- GEOL-G107 / GEOL-G117 Environmental Geology Lecture and Laboratory
- GEOL-G205 Reporting Skills in Geoscience (or 300+ GEOL, PBHL, SPEA, or GEOG with approval if G205 is used as the second composition course.
- GEOG-G208 Environment & Society or PBHL-A115 Environment and Human Health
- PBHL-P237 Environmental Ethics
- GEOG-G303 Weather and Climate
- GEOL-G306 Earth Materials
- GEOL-G436 Earth Observation from Space
- GEOL-G477 Climate Change and Society
- GEOG-G315 Environmental Conservation or SPEA-V311 Natural Resources and Environmental Policy
- HIST-A410 American Environmental History
No grade below C- will be accepted in any of these courses.
Concentration Requirements Seventeen to Eighteen (17 - 18) 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 Seventeen (17) credit hours, including:
- GEOL-G334 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
- GEOL-G430 Principles of Hydrology
- GEOL-G406 Introduction to Geochemistry
One (1) concentration elective course, chosen from the following:
- GEOL-G486 Soil Biogeochemistry
- GEOL-G483 Isotope Geochemistry
- BIOL-K411 Global Change Biology
- GEOL-G415 Geomorphology
- Other applicable topic courses in GEOL-G as approved by advisor
One (1) capstone course, chosen from the following
- GEOL-G488 Global Cycles
- GEOL-G467 GeoHealth: When our Health Collides with our Environment
- GEOL-G460 Internship
- GEOL-G495 Senior Thesis
No grade below C- will be accepted in any courses in the Earth and Water Resources concentration.
B. Environmental Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis Eighteen (18) credit hours, including:
- GEOG-G336 Environmental Remote Sensing
- GEOL-G338 Introduction to GIS
- GEOG-G337 Computer Cartography and Graphics or GEOL-G415 Geomorphology
- Two (2) courses chosen from:
- GEOG-G436 Advanced Remote Sensing
- GEOG-G438 Advanced Geographic Information Science
- GEOL-G487 Remote Sensing of Global Change
- GEOG-G311 Research Methods in Geography
- One capstone course, chosen from the following
- GEOG-G439 GIS and Environmental Analysis
- GEOL-G460 Internship
- GEOL-G495 Senior Thesis
No grade below C- will be accepted in any courses in the Environmental Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis concentration.
C. Environmental Management Seventeen (17) credit hours, including:
- PBHL-A316 Environmental Health Science
- SPEA-E476 Environmental Law and Regulation
- One (1) course in Spatial Analysis, chosen from the following:
- GEOG-G338 Introduction to GIS
- GEOG-G438 Advanced GIS
- GEOG-G439 GIS and Environmental Analysis
- PBHL-A441 Public Health Applications of GIS
- Two (2) concentration elective courses, chosen from the following:
- GEOG-G315 Environmental Conservation
- PBHL-A415 Explosions, Collapses, and Toxic Spills
- PBHL-A430 eWaste, Toxic Materials and Conflict Minerals
- PBHL-A435 Energy, Climate Change, Resilience and Health
- PBHL-A445 Global Health and Sustainable Development
- SPEA-V310 Environmental Justice
- SPEA-V311 Natural Resources and Environmental Policy
- One (1) capstone course, chosen from the following:
- GEOL-G460 Internship
- GEOL-G467 GeoHealth: When our Health Collides with our Environment
- GEOL-G488 Global Cycles
- GEOL-G495 Senior Thesis
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)
Sample Plan of Study
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Freshman Year
First Semester SCI-BE499 Sustainability TLC (GEOL-G107, SPEA-V222, SCI-I120)
7 GEOL-G117 Laboratory: Earth and Our Environment 1 CHEM-C105 Principles of Chemistry I 3 ENG-W131 Reading, Writing and Inquiry 3 1 credit elective 1 Total 15 Second Semester CHEM-C106 Principles of Chemistry II 3 GEOG-G208 Environment & Society or PBHL-A115 Environment & Human Health 3 Calculus I 3 COMM-R110 Fundamentals of Speech Communication 3 Cultural Understanding Course 3 Total 15 Sophomore Year
Third Semester GEOL-G205 Reporting Skills in Geoscience (as 2nd composition course) 3 PBHL-P237 Environmental Ethics 3 Calculus 2 3 CSCI-N207 Data Analysis Using Spreadsheets 3 GEOG-G303 Weather and Climate 3 Total 15 Fourth Semester GEOL-G306 Earth Materials 4 PHYS-P201 Physics 1 5 Social Science or Arts and Humanities Course 3 Arts and Humanities Course 3 Total 15 Junior Year - EARTH AND WATER RESOURCES CONCENTRATION
Fifth Semester GEOL-G334 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy 5 BIOL-K341 Principles of Ecology and Evolution Lecture 3 BIOL-K342 Principles of Ecology and Evolution Lab 2 PHYS-P202 Physics 2 5 1 credit elective 1 Total 16 Sixth Semester GEOL-G477 Climate and Society 3 CHEM-C341 Organic Chemistry I Lecture 3 CHEM-C343 Organic Chemistry I Lab 2 SPEA-V311 or GEOG-G315 3 Upper Level GEOL, GEOG, SPEA, or PBHL elective (replace GEOL-G205 as 2nd composition) 3 Total 14 Senior Year - EARTH AND WATER RESOURCES CONCENTRATION
Seventh Semester STAT 30100 or SPEA-K300 3 GEOL-G430 Hydrology 3 GEOL-G436 Earth Observation from Space 3 GEOL-G406 Geochemistry 3 Elective 3 Total 15 Eighth Semester Concentration Elective 3 Concentration Capstone 3 HIST-A410 American Environmental History 3 Electives 6 Total 15
Junior Year - REMOTE SENSING CONCENTRATION
Fifth Semester BIOL-K341 Principles of Ecology & Evolution Lecture 3 BIOL-K342 Principles of Ecology & Evolution Lab 2 PHYS-P202 Physics 2 5 GEOG-G338 Introduction to GIS 3 GEOG-G336 Introduction to Remote Sensing 3 Total 16 Sixth Semester CHEM-C341 Organic Chemistry I Lecture 3 CHEM-C343 Organic Chemistry I Lab 2 GEOL-G477 Climate and Society 3 SPEA-V311 or GEOG-G315 3 GEOG-G337 or GEOL-G415 3 Total 14 Senior Year - REMOTE SENSING CONCENTRATION
Seventh Semester STAT 30100 or SPEA-K300 3 Concentration Elective 3 GEOL-G436 Earth Observation from Space 3 Electives 6 Total 15 Eighth Semester Concentration Elective 3 Concentration Capstone 3 HIST-A410 American Environmental History 3 Upper Level GEOL, GEOG, SPEA, or PBHL elective (replace GEOL-G205 as 2nd composition) 3 Elective 3 Total 15
Junior Year - ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT CONCENTRATION
Fifth Semester BIOL-K341 Principles of Ecology and Evolution Lecture 3 BIOL-K342 Principles of Ecology and Evolution Lab 2 PHYS-P202 Physics 2 5 SPEA-E476 Environmental Law and Regulation 3 PBHL-A316 Environmental Health Science 3 Total 16 Sixth Semester CHEM-C341 Organic Chemistry I Lecture 3 CHEM-C343 Organic Chemistry I Lab 2 GEOL-G477 Climate and Society 3 SPEA-V311 or GEOG-G315 3 Concentration Elective 3 Total 14 Senior Year - ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT CONCENTRATION
Seventh Semester SPEA-K300 or STAT 30100 3 Concentration Elective (Spatial Analysis) 3 GEOL-G436 Earth Observation from Space 3 Elective 3 Elective 3 Total 15 Eighth Semester Concentration Elective 3 Concentration Capstone 3 HIST-A410 American Environmental History 3 Upper Level GEOL, GEOG, SPEA, or PBHL elective (replace GEOL-G205 as 2nd composition) 3 Elective 3 Total 15
