UW-River Falls Accounting Academic Plan

Environmental Science . . .

is study of the natural environment, integrating the sciences with knowledge of our impacts on the planet and a desire to solve environmental problems. This interdisciplinary major is designed to prepare students to face increasingly complex challenges in the context of environmental quality management and sustainable development.

Department of Plant and Earth Science
324 Agriculture Science Hall
(715) 425-3345

Undergraduate Catalog

Our Goal

To provide students with the necessary foundation to pursue either a general or specialized career in the multidisciplinary field of environmental science. This is accomplished through a curriculum that provides a core of essential courses as well as courses chosen to prepare the student for the chosen academic area. Elective courses allow for as broad or specific a focus as desired. The academic program includes lecture, hands-on and field-oriented laboratories and an optional internship to provide the necessary knowledge, skills and experience to begin a career in environmental science.

Why major in Environmental Science?

Students major in environmental science to:

develop a personal environmental commitment into a professional career;
maintain a high quality environment for this and future generations;
pursue a flexible curriculum that enables them to specialize in a particular area of interest.
turn a longtime interest in a particular area of environmental science into a professional
career;
acquire the interdisciplinary training necessary to many environmental science careers or for
graduate school.

What Do Environmental Scientists Do?

Graduates pursue careers in environmental consulting, regulatory agencies or corporations. They may choose field-oriented positions in pollution monitoring and remediation including air, water or soil quality assessment and remediation. Environmental scientists also control and minimize the impacts of technology and waste on the environment. Graduates may choose specialized positions in environmental policy, environmental risk assessment, ecological assessment or computer modeling. Corporations and government agencies require environmental science graduates to ensure compliance with applicable law and regulations intended to preserve the environment. Students with environmental research interests are also prepared to pursue advanced degrees.

Faculty

The environmental science and management unit within the plant and earth science department is home to the environmental science major. There are five full-time faculty who form the instructional and student advising core for the major. Since environmental science is such a diverse discipline, numerous faculty from other departments and units provide support courses for the major.

Bachelor of Science Degree. Environmental Science. Academic Advising Plan.

Semester 1 (Fall)

Semester 1 (Fall)
ES 100 Freshman Seminar ~ 1
ESM 105 Introduction to Environmental Studies 3
ENGL 111 Academic Reading and Writing ~ 3
CHEM 121 General Chemistry I ~ 5
MATH 146 or Social science course ~ 3
Total semester credits ~ 15

Semester 5 (Fall)

ESM 303 Environmental Policies and Administration 3
ESM 360 Hydrology and Water Quality ~ 4
PHYS 101,106 Physics I and Lab ~ 5
Statistics course ~ 3
Total semester credits ~ 15

Semester 2 (Spring)

ESM 151 Introduction to Land Use
Theory and Practice ~ 3
ENGL 112 Persuasive Reading and Writing ~ 3
CHEM 122 General Chemistry II ~ 5
MATH 147 College Algebra and Trigonometry (3)
or MATH 149 Precalculus (4) ~ 3-4
Total semester credits ~ 14-15

Semester 6 (Spring)

ESM 305 Environmental Impact Assessment ~ 2
ENGL 367 Technical Writing ~ 3
ESM 307 Multi-Cultural Perspectives on the
Environment ~ 3
Foundation course in agriculture ~ 3
Directed elective course ~ 3
Total semester credits ~ 14

Semester 3 (Fall)

BIOL 150 General Biology ~ 4
Geography course ~ 3
MATH 166 Calculus I ~ 4
GEOL 101,102 Intro to Geology and Lab ~ 4
Total semester credits ~ 15

Semester 7 (Fall)

ESM 412 Chemical Fate and Transport ~ 3
ESM 485 Seminar in Resource Management ~ 1
Biology courses ~ 6
P ED 108 Health and Fitness for Life ~ 1
Physical education activity courses (2) ~ 1
Directed elective course ~ 3
Total semester credits ~ 15

Semester 4 (Spring)

ESM 220 Environmental Sustainability ~ 3
ENGL 241-245 English literature course ~ 3
P ED 108 Health and Fitness for Life ~ 1
SOIL 210 Introductory Soil Science ~ 3
CHEM 231,236 Organic Chemistry I and Lab (4)
or CHEM 251,256 Analytical Chemistry (3) ~ 3-4
SCTA 101 Fundamentals of Oral Communication ~ 3
Total semester credits ~ 16-17

Semester 8 (Spring)

ESM 413 Environmental Analysis ~ 4
ISSC 496 Social Science ~ 2
ISCI 497 Science ~ 2
IHUM 498 Humanities ~ 2
Directed elective courses ~ 9
Total Semester credits ~ 19

Summary of Degree Requirements

General Education ~ 41-43 cr.
Environmental Science Core ~ 28 cr.
Required Supporting Courses ~ 29-30 cr.
Directed Electives ~ 18 cr.
Credits to Degree ~ 120 cr.

PDF version

Updated January 2004