Information for First-Year Students

Welcome!  As you begin your college career, you may have found yourself on this page because you are interested in majoring in environmental science. There is a wealth of information on this site to help you plan for this potential major. But we also encourage you to reach out to a faculty member in the Faculty Directory if you would like to chat in person about the major. We would love to meet with you and answer any questions you may have!

If you are interested in majoring in environmental science, good courses to take in your first year at St. Lawrence are 100-level lab-based courses in Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Physics, and/or Psychology. Four of these courses are required for the major, and you must have taken at least two prior to taking the 200-level environmental science course.

Other courses you might get started with during your first year are ENVS 101 (Our Shared Environment) and STAT 113 (Applied Statistics).

FAQ

Below are a list of frequently asked questions. But again, please feel free to reach out to a faculty member if you would like to talk about the major in person!

Q: When are the recommended courses to take in your first-year offered?

ENVS 101, STAT 113, and PSYC 101 with lab are offered every semester. Many of the lab-based science courses are offered in sequence: BIOL 101, CHEM 103, and PHYS 103, and PHYS 151 are offered in fall semesters while their follow-up courses (BIOL 102, CHEM 104, PHYS 104, and PHYS 152) are offered in the spring. Note that you cannot take BIOL 102 without first taking BIOL 101, you cannot take CHEM 104 without first taking CHEM 103, etc.

Q: I'm interested in majoring in something that has to do with the environment, but I'm not sure if I should major in Environmental Studies or Environmental Science. What's the difference?

In addition to the environmental science major, St. Lawrence also offers a major in environmental studies. In general, the environmental science major requires more lab-based science courses and more courses with the primary purpose of data analysis (STAT 113 and GEO 233: GIS). The degree earned from majoring in environmental science is a Bachelor of Science. On the other hand, environmental studies majors weave together science, policy, and humanities-based thinking. Lab-based courses from BIOL, CHEM, GEOL, and PHYS are not required, but courses in Environmental Science and Policy and in Nature and Society are required. The degree earned from majoring in environmental studies is a Bachelor of Arts.

Q: I see on the website that there are different "pathways." What's the deal with those?

There are 6 different pathways for the environmental science major. You can think of these as informal "tracks" that you can use to help guide your particular interest in the field. We do encourage students to think about a pathway that most closely matches their interests and to tailor the courses they choose to fulfill the major requirements to their chosen pathway. However, following a pathway is not required to complete the major requirements, which can be found here.

Q: If I have AP or IB credit, will that apply for any of the courses required by the environmental science major?

Yes. See below.

• Students who scored a 4 or higher on the AP Biology exam should still take BIOL 101.
• Students that scored a 4 or higher on the AP Chemistry exam or a 5 or higher on the upper-level IB exam may get credit for CHEM 103 and enroll in CHEM 104 in the spring.
• Students who scored a 4 or higher on the AP Environmental Studies exam may receive credit for ENVS 101, though they may consider taking the course anyway if they are interested in majoring in Environmental Studies or in Environmental Science.
• Students who scored a 4 or higher on an AP Physics exam may receive credit for a Physics course. Please see the table at the bottom of this page  for a conversion chart.
• Students who scored a 4 or higher on the AP Psychology exam only receive credit for PSYC 101 without lab. This course does not count toward the environmental science major because it does not have a lab component.
• Students who scored a 4 or higher on the AP Statistics exam may receive credit for STAT 113.