The Department of Environmental, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences offers a B.A. and B.S. in Environmental Science and a B.S. in Meteorology and Atmospheric Science.
Environmental Science Major (B.A.)
The B.A. in Environmental Science, Sustainability option prepares students for careers in the private and public sector including in environmental policy, governance, social equity, environmental sustainability, and climate change mitigation and resilience. The major builds the skills and knowledge needed to understand a complex world and change it for the better. The B.A. gives a strong foundation in environmental and sustainability science and the policy know-how to translate science into action. The B.A. is highly cross-disciplinary with courses in natural and political sciences, economics, public health, and legal studies and designed for students interested in social-environmental aspects of environmental problems and climate change. The major provides high flexibility to focus studies through 11 sustainability and free electives.
View the complete Degree Pathway.
Environmental Science Major (B.S.)
Students majoring in Environmental Science prepare for a variety of careers in the private and public sector. Environmental scientists perform environmental impact analyses, water/soil pollution assessment and remediation, water resource management, resource exploration and development, and air quality monitoring and control. This major is highly interdisciplinary and provides strong foundations in physics, biology, mathematics, and chemistry. Upper-level electives allow students to tailor the program to acquire the tools to work in a wide range of environmental consulting and careers.
The major has two options:
- Environmental Science
- Geoscience
The Environmental Science option is for students focused on addressing human impacts on the environment and major environmental challenges including climate change, pollution, and sustainability. The Geoscience option is for students interested in the geologic environment including mineral resources, geochemistry, and paleoclimatology. Both Environmental Science and Geoscience options provide training in hydrogeology, soil sciences, biogeochemistry, and geographic information systems (GIS).
View the complete Degree Pathway.
Meteorology and Atmospheric ScienceMajor (B.S.)
The Meteorology and Atmospheric Science major is for students interested in meteorology, weather forecasting, climatology and air pollution, and fulfills the education requirements for federally employed meteorologists. Students in this program conduct forecasting of weather, extreme events and climate, assess climate change impacts and climate variability, and study air pollution sources, forecasting and control. The work of meteorologists and atmospheric scientists is concentrated on the effort to understand the physical causes of weather and climate and to apply this knowledge to the solution of practical problems ranging from forecasting of weather and climate, assessing influence of weather and climate on public health, agriculture, engineering, industry and commerce, and national defense. Meteorologists and atmospheric scientists are employed by commercial aviation companies, private consulting firms, agencies of the federal government (such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Weather Service, and the Department of Defense) as well as agencies of state and local governments.
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Bachelor's-To-Master's
Students are encouraged to enroll in the Bachelor’s to Master’s program to acquire both BS and MS degrees in only five years. The option is open to students with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.000 or above. In the BS/MS program, six credits of graduate-level coursework (5000 or higher) may be used toward both of the student’s graduate and undergraduate degrees. An additional six credits of graduate-level coursework may be taken during the student’s undergraduate career and then transferred to the MS degree, for a total of 12 transferred credits. Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores are not required and the application fee is waived. The program provides the benefit of acquiring master’s level skills and credentials in as little as one additional year and provides students with a competitive advantage for the work place. For more information, see the graduate catalog.
For additional information about programs, contact the Department of Environmental, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences.