Environmental Science Major Requirements

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The environmental science major includes 14 courses plus a capstone requirement, which can be fulfilled through approved experiences such as internships or research projects. Though the major is very flexible, we encourage students to consider the pathways described at Pathways and focus their studies on a particular area of interest.

Requirements

Foundational Lab-Based Courses (4 courses)

Four lab-based courses from the following list, including at least two disciplines (note: students should plan carefully with their advisor, as many upper-level STEM courses require specific foundational courses as pre-requisites).

  • Bio 101, Bio 102.
  • Chem 103, Chem 104 (or Chem 106 instead of Chem 104).
  • Geol 103, Geol 104, Geol 110, Geol 115.
  • Phys 103, Phys 104, Phys 151, Phys 152.
  • Psych 101 (with lab).

Core Courses (4 courses)

Each of the following four courses are required for all majors:

  • Envs 101.
  • Stat 113.
  • Geol 233 (GIS).
  • Environmental Science 2XX (offered Fall semesters only).

Upper Level Courses (6 courses)

These courses give more flexibility with how a student completes the environmental science major. We again encourage students to examine the Pathways page and consider an area of focus for their major.

  • 2 lab courses at the 200-level or higher, chosen from BIOL, CHEM, GEOL, PHYS, and STAT (STAT 213 and STAT 234 count as lab-type courses).
  • 2 ENVS ESP (Environmental Science and Policy) courses at the 200-level or higher.
  • Two additional courses at the 300-level or higher, selected from BIOL, CHEM, ENVS, GEOL,
    PHYS, or STAT.

Capstone Experience

The capstone experience can take many forms, including approved internships, summer research
fellowships, SYE projects, or SYE seminars (if applicable). All opportunities will be reviewed and
approved by the faculty serving on the advisory committee for the Environmental Science major. Please consult with your academic advisor to discuss what your capstone experience might be and how your capstone experience might complement your interests.

A Note for Double Majors

Students wishing to double major in environmental science and one of the following fields or major in environmental science and minor in one of the following fields should examine the double-counting restrictions at Ensci Double Counting Rules.

Fields with restrictions on how many courses can double-count for both majors include: Biology, Biochemistry, Biomedical Sciences, Chemistry, Conservation Biology, Environmental Studies, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, Neuroscience, and Statistics.

Other Notes

  • BIOL courses that do not count toward the biology major also do not count toward the environmental science major.
  • Courses that are 0.5 units (e.g., PHYS 317 and PHYS 318) should both be taken to count as a single unit for either the lab requirement or the elective requirement.
  • With the faculty advisor's approval, students may count an SYE in BIOL, CHEM, GEOL, PHYS, or STAT as the capstone for the environmental science major.
  • If fulfilling the capstone requirement through a means other than an SYE (e.g., through an internship), an SYE can count as a 300+ level elective toward the environmental science major.