Math, Science and Technology Department
Academic Affairs
- Requirements for this program are current for Fall 2011.
- Required credits to graduate with this degree: 120.
- Required credits within the major: 120.
- This program requires summer terms.
- Degree: Bachelor of Science.
The B.S. in environmental sciences is designed to provide students with the scientific background and practical skills needed to successfully address environmental issues and the background required to be successful applicants to graduate programs. Students may choose from advanced courses designed to emphasize studies in biological remediation technologies, water quality, or agriculture while participating in a common core of courses which provide knowledge in the basic principles relevant to all areas.
For information about University of Minnesota admission requirements, visit the Office of Admissions Web site.
All students are required to complete general University and college requirements. For more information, see the graduation requirements.
Environmental Sciences Core Requirements (30 cr)
BIOL 1009 - General Biology, BIOL SCI, PEOPLE/ENV (4.0 cr)
BIOL 2032 - General Microbiology, LIB ED ELC (4.0 cr)
BIOL 3420 - Ecotoxicology, LIB ED ELC (3.0 cr)
BIOL 3899 - Pre-Internship Seminar (0.5 cr)
BIOL 3900 - Internship (1.0-2.0 cr)
BIOL 3901 - Post-Internship Seminar (0.5 cr)
ENSC 3124 - Environmental Science and Remediation Techniques (3.0 cr)
ENSC 3720 - Fate of Chemicals in the Environment (4.0 cr)
ENSC 4022 - Risk Assessment and Environmental Impact Statements (3.0 cr)
ENSC 4100 - Capstone in Environmental Science (3.0 cr)
NATR 1226 - Environmental Science and Sustainability, ETH/CIV RE, PEOPLE/ENV (3.0 cr)
Chemistry Core Requirements (13 cr)
(some courses may also count towards the Liberal Education Requirements)
CHEM 1021 - Chemical Principles I, PHYS SCI, PEOPLE/ENV (4.0 cr)
CHEM 1022 - Chemical Principles II, LIB ED ELC (4.0 cr)
CHEM 2301 - Organic Chemistry I, LIB ED ELC (3.0 cr)
CHEM 2310 - Organic Chemistry Laboratory I, LIB ED ELC (2.0 cr)
Math and Physics Core Requirements (7 cr)
(some courses may also count towards the Liberal Education Requirements)
MATH 1150 - Elementary Statistics, MATH THINK (3.0 cr)
PHYS 1101 - Introductory College Physics I, PHYS SCI (4.0 cr)
Liberal Education Requirements
A minimum of 40 liberal education credits required. Students must complete the 10 goal areas of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum with the following specific liberal education courses required:
COMM 3303 - Writing in Your Profession, LIB ED ELC (3.0 cr)
COMP 1011 - Composition I, COMMUNICAT (3.0 cr)
COMP 1013 - Composition II, COMMUNICAT (3.0 cr)
ECON 1010 - Global Trade Economics, GLOB PERSP (3.0 cr)
ECON 2101 - Microeconomics, HI/BEH/SSC (3.0 cr)
SPCH 1101 - Public Speaking, COMMUNICAT (3.0 cr)
Technology Requirement (3 cr)
Students must take 3 credits of any CA courses.
Take 1 or more course(s) totaling 3 or more credit(s) from the following:
· CA 1xxx
Agricultural Environmental Stewardship Emphasis | view sample plan
The B.S. in environmental sciences with an emphasis in agricultural environmental stewardship will train students with the scientific background and practical skills needed to successfully address environmental issues, by providing them with the background of agricultural operations that will enable them to understand the fate of chemicals in the environment and the impact agriculture can have on the fate and transport of chemicals in the environment. This will also enable students to learn about techniques in various fields of agriculture that minimize the impact on the environment while still producing the food, energy, shelter, and other commodities needed to sustain the human population.
- Graduates of this emphasis area would be ideally suited to bridge the gap between agricultural production and environmental science.
- Graduates would be ideally suited for employment with government agencies such as NRCS, USDA, EPA and others.
Agricultural Environmental Stewardship Requirements
Agricultural Environmental Stewardship Requirements - 24 to 25 credits
AGRO 1183 - Field Crops: Production Principles (3.0 cr)
AGRO 3030 - Research Techniques (3.0 cr)
AGRO 3640 - Weed Science (3.0 cr)
ANSC 3004 - Livestock Facilities and Environmental Systems (3.0 cr)
ASM 2200 - Introduction to Renewable Energy Systems (3.0 cr)
NATR 2630 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (3.0 cr)
SOIL 1293 - Soil Science (3.0 cr)
MATH 1142 - Survey of Calculus, MATH THINK (3.0 cr)
or MATH 1271 - Calculus I, MATH THINK (4.0 cr)
Agricultural Environmental Stewardship Electives
Students must complete enough electives credits from the following courses to satisfy the 120 credit requirement for graduation.
Take 15 or more credit(s) from the following:
· AGRO 3130 - Forages (3.0 cr)
· AGRO 3444 - Crop Production (4.0 cr)
· ANSC 1205 - Beef and Dairy Production Techniques (2.0 cr)
· ANSC 2104 - Feeds and Feeding (4.0 cr)
· ANSC 3204 - Dairy Production (4.0 cr)
· ASM 3009 - Surveying (4.0 cr)
· ASM 3202 - Solar, Wind, and Geo-Thermal Systems (3.0 cr)
· ASM 3360 - Applications in Precision Agriculture (3.0 cr)
· NATR 3344 - Land Use Planning (3.0 cr)
· NATR 3635 - Geographic Information Systems Applications (3.0 cr)
· SOIL 3414 - Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition (4.0 cr)
· SWM 3009 - Hydrology and Water Quality (4.0 cr)
· SWM 3224 - Soil and Water Conservation (4.0 cr)
· SWM 3225 - Watershed Management (3.0 cr)
Environmental Ecology Emphasis | view sample plan
The B.S. in environmental sciences with an emphasis in environmental ecology is designed to not only provide students with the scientific background and practical skills need to successfully address environmental issues, but also to provide graduating students with an ecological perspective on the relationships and interdependence of organisms in terrestrial and aquatic habitats. Students electing to pursue this emphasis area will become familiar with water quality issues, soil quality issues, research techniques and analytical techniques used to analyze various substrates for environmental contaminants. These students will learn not only the impact that human activities can have on these biota, but also how the biota can be used in biological remediation techniques to remove the contamination caused by human activities.
- Graduates of this emphasis area would be ideally suited for environmental consulting firms
- Graduates of this emphasis area will understand the ecological relationships between biota and also how the ecosystems can be impacted by human activities.
- Graduates of this emphasis area will also understand how to protect sensitive ecosystems and how to restore ecosystems that have already been impaired by human activities.
Environmental Ecology Requirements (35 cr)
AGRO 3030 - Research Techniques (3.0 cr)
BIOL 2022 - General Botany, LIB ED ELC (3.0 cr)
CHEM 3022 - Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy (4.0 cr)
GEOL 1001 - Introductory Geology, PHYS SCI, PEOPLE/ENV (3.0 cr)
MATH 1271 - Calculus I, MATH THINK (4.0 cr)
NATR 3374 - Ecology, BIOL SCI (4.0 cr)
NATR 3699 - Integrated Resource Management (3.0 cr)
SOIL 1293 - Soil Science (3.0 cr)
SOIL 3414 - Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition (4.0 cr)
SWM 3009 - Hydrology and Water Quality (4.0 cr)
Environmental Ecology Electives
Students must complete enough electives credits from the following courses to satisfy the 120 credit requirement for graduation.
Take 5 or more credit(s) from the following:
· AGRO 3640 - Weed Science (3.0 cr)
· ANSC 3004 - Livestock Facilities and Environmental Systems (3.0 cr)
· BIOL 3131 - Plant Physiology, LIB ED ELC (3.0 cr)
· NATR 2630 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (3.0 cr)
· NATR 3364 - Plant Taxonomy (3.0 cr)
· NATR 3376 - Wetland and Riparian Ecology and Management (3.0 cr)
· NATR 3660 - Prairie Ecosystem Management (2.0 cr)
· NATR 3699 - Integrated Resource Management (3.0 cr)
· PHYS 1102 - Introductory College Physics II, PHYS SCI (4.0 cr)
· SWM 3224 - Soil and Water Conservation (4.0 cr)
The B.S. in environmental sciences with an emphasis in environmental health will train students with the scientific background and practical skills needed to successfully address environmental issues while also providing them with an understanding of how environmental or occupational factors (physical, chemical, and biological) interact with a human body causing an adverse impact on human health or the ecological balances essential to long-term human survivorship.
- Graduates of this emphasis area will understand how environmental or occupational factors impact human health.
- These graduates could make recommendations as to when an environmental or occupational hazard needs to be remediated due to its impacts on human health.
- These graduates would also be ideal candidate for environmental health graduate programs, government health officials, and environmental health and safety specialists within any organization.
Environmental Health Requirements (33 cr)
AGRO 3030 - Research Techniques (3.0 cr)
BIOL 2012 - General Zoology(4.0 cr)
BIOL 2103 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I (4.0 cr)
BIOL 2104 - Human Anatomy and Physiology II (4.0 cr)
CHEM 3022 - Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy (4.0 cr)
ENSC 3104 - Toxicology (3.0 cr)
MATH 1271 - Calculus I, MATH THINK (4.0 cr)
NATR 3374 - Ecology, BIOL SCI (4.0 cr)
PUBH 3102 - Issues in Environmental and Occupational Health (UMTC) (3.0 cr)
Environmental Health Electives
Students must complete enough electives credits from the following courses to satisfy the 120 credit requirement for graduation.
Take 7 or more credit(s) from the following:
· AGRO 3640 - Weed Science (3.0 cr)
· CHEM 3021 - Biochemistry, LIB ED ELC (3.0 cr)
· ENSC 3132 - Air, Water, and Human Health (3.0 cr)
· ENSC 3524 - Global Climate Change and Human Health (3.0 cr)
· FSCN 1123 - Fundamentals of Nutrition (3.0 cr)
· PHYS 1102 - Introductory College Physics II, PHYS SCI (4.0 cr)
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Emphasis | view sample plan
The B.S. in environmental sciences with an emphasis in environmental toxicology and chemistry will train students with the scientific background and practical skills needed to successfully address environmental issues while also providing them with an understanding of the impacts of environmental contaminants on the biota. Emphasis on the chemical and toxicological aspects of environmental science will be emphasized.
- Graduates of this emphasis area will understand what factors (chemical, biological, physical) impact the fate and transport of chemicals in the environment.
- These students will understand phase partitioning and how to determine the ultimate fate of a chemical released into the environment.
- These graduates would be ideally suited for environmental consulting firms, pharmaceutical companies, government agencies such as EPA, USGS, and others.
- The graduates of this emphasis area would also be well training for graduate programs in environmental toxicology, chemistry, ecotoxicology, or any other science based graduate program.
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Requirements
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Requirements - 28 to 29 credits
AGRO 3030 - Research Techniques (3.0 cr)
CHEM 2302 - Organic Chemistry II, LIB ED ELC (3.0 cr)
CHEM 2311 - Organic Chemistry Laboratory II, LIB ED ELC (2.0 cr)
CHEM 3021 - Biochemistry, LIB ED ELC (3.0 cr)
CHEM 3022 - Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy (4.0 cr)
ENSC 3104 - Toxicology (3.0 cr)
MATH 1271 - Calculus I, MATH THINK (4.0 cr)
SOIL 1293 - Soil Science (3.0 cr)
BIOL 2012 - General Zoology, LIB ED ELC (4.0 cr)
or BIOL 2022 - General Botany, LIB ED ELC (3.0 cr)
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Electives
Students must complete enough electives credits from the following courses to satisfy the 120 credit requirement for graduation.
Take 11 or more credit(s) from the following:
· AGRO 3640 - Weed Science (3.0 cr)
· ENSC 3133 - Global Change and Biogeochemistry (3.0 cr)
· ENSC 3143 - Environmental Microbiology (3.0 cr)
· ENSC 4608 - Biodegradation and Bioremediation (3.0 cr)
· GEOL 1001 - Introductory Geology, PHYS SCI, PEOPLE/ENV (3.0 cr)
· NATR 3374 - Ecology, BIOL SCI (4.0 cr)
· NATR 3699 - Integrated Resource Management (3.0 cr)
· PHYS 1102 - Introductory College Physics II, PHYS SCI (4.0 cr)
· SOIL 3414 - Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition (4.0 cr)
· SWM 3009 - Hydrology and Water Quality (4.0 cr)
Individualized Environmental Science Emphasis | view sample plan
The B.S. in environmental sciences with an emphasis in individualized environmental sciences allows students and advisors to select courses from the entire list of environmental science electives for the environmental sciences major. This allows students to work out an individual plan of study in cooperation with their academic advisors to prepare them for any particular aspect of environmental sciences that may not be covered by one of the existing emphasis areas. This emphasis area also allows great flexibility for individual students while maintaining the strong background in the sciences needed to be a successful environmental scientist.
Individualized Environmental Sciences Electives
Students must complete enough electives credits from the following courses to satisfy the 120 credit requirement for graduation.
Take 40 or more credit(s) from the following:
· AGRO 3130 - Forages (3.0 cr)
· AGRO 3444 - Crop Production (4.0 cr)
· AGRO 3640 - Weed Science (3.0 cr)
· ANSC 1205 - Beef and Dairy Production Techniques (2.0 cr)
· ANSC 2104 - Feeds and Feeding (4.0 cr)
· ANSC 3004 - Livestock Facilities and Environmental Systems (3.0 cr)
· ANSC 3204 - Dairy Production (4.0 cr)
· ASM 3009 - Surveying (4.0 cr)
· ASM 3202 - Solar, Wind, and Geo-Thermal Systems (3.0 cr)
· ASM 3360 - Applications in Precision Agriculture (3.0 cr)
· BIOL 3131 - Plant Physiology, LIB ED ELC (3.0 cr)
· CHEM 2302 - Organic Chemistry II, LIB ED ELC (3.0 cr)
· CHEM 2311 - Organic Chemistry Laboratory II, LIB ED ELC (2.0 cr)
· CHEM 3021 - Biochemistry, LIB ED ELC (3.0 cr)
· CHEM 3022 - Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy (4.0 cr)
· ENSC 3104 - Toxicology (3.0 cr)
· ENSC 3132 - Air, Water, and Human Health (3.0 cr)
· ENSC 3133 - Global Change and Biogeochemistry (3.0 cr)
· ENSC 3143 - Environmental Microbiology (3.0 cr)
· ENSC 3524 - Global Climate Change and Human Health (3.0 cr)
· ENSC 4608 - Biodegradation and Bioremediation (3.0 cr)
· FSCN 1123 - Fundamentals of Nutrition (3.0 cr)
· NATR 2630 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (3.0 cr)
· NATR 3344 - Land Use Planning (3.0 cr)
· NATR 3364 - Plant Taxonomy (3.0 cr)
· NATR 3376 - Wetland and Riparian Ecology and Management (3.0 cr)
· NATR 3635 - Geographic Information Systems Applications (3.0 cr)
· NATR 3660 - Prairie Ecosystem Management (2.0 cr)
· NATR 3699 - Integrated Resource Management (3.0 cr)
· PHYS 1102 - Introductory College Physics II, PHYS SCI (4.0 cr)
· SOIL 3414 - Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition (4.0 cr)
· SWM 3009 - Hydrology and Water Quality (4.0 cr)
· SWM 3103 - Meteorology and Climatology (3.0 cr)
· SWM 3224 - Soil and Water Conservation (4.0 cr)
· SWM 3225 - Watershed Management (3.0 cr)
The B.S. in environmental sciences with an emphasis in water quality will train students with the scientific background and practical skills needed to successfully address environmental issues while also providing them with an understanding of water movement in terrestrial and aquatic systems and how this water movement impacts pollutant movement. In addition students will understand how the presence of pollutants in aquatic systems impacts the water quality and how watersheds can be managed to minimize the presence of pollutants and their impact on human and environmental health.
- Graduates of this emphasis area would understand water movement and how water movement impacts pollutant movement.
- These graduates would be ideally suited for environmental consulting firms, government agencies such as USGS, and others.
Water Quality Requirements
Water Quality Requirements - 34 credits
AGRO 3030 - Research Techniques (3.0 cr)
BIOL 2022 - General Botany, LIB ED ELC (3.0 cr)
BIOL 3722 - Limnology, LIB ED ELC (3.0 cr)
CHEM 3022 - Analytical Chemistry and Spectroscopy (4.0 cr)
GEOL 1001 - Introductory Geology, PHYS SCI, PEOPLE/ENV (3.0 cr)
MATH 1271 - Calculus I, MATH THINK (4.0 cr)
NATR 3374 - Ecology, BIOL SCI (4.0 cr)
NATR 3699 - Integrated Resource Management (3.0 cr)
SOIL 1293 - Soil Science (3.0 cr)
SWM 3009 - Hydrology and Water Quality (4.0 cr)
Water Quality Electives
Students must complete enough electives credits from the following courses to satisfy the 120 credit requirement for graduation.
Take 6 or more credit(s) from the following:
· AGRO 3640 - Weed Science (3.0 cr)
· ENSC 3133 - Global Change and Biogeochemistry (3.0 cr)
· ENSC 3143 - Environmental Microbiology (3.0 cr)
· ENSC 4608 - Biodegradation and Bioremediation (3.0 cr)
· NATR 2630 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (3.0 cr)
· NATR 3376 - Wetland and Riparian Ecology and Management (3.0 cr)
· PHYS 1102 - Introductory College Physics II, PHYS SCI (4.0 cr)
· SOIL 3414 - Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition (4.0 cr)
· SWM 3103 - Meteorology and Climatology (3.0 cr)
· SWM 3224 - Soil and Water Conservation (4.0 cr)
· SWM 3225 - Watershed Management (3.0 cr)
Math, Science and Technology Department
Academic Affairs
- Minor Related to a Major
- Requirements for this program are current for Fall 2011.
- Required credits in this minor: 20.
The environmental sciences minor introduces the student to the core concepts of environmental sciences. This guarantees that students will gain an overall understanding of environmental sciences and its importance in today's society. This minor also meshes well with major courses of study in Biology, Agronomy, Horticulture, Animal Science, and Natural Resources giving these students a feel for how their disciplines interact with environmental sciences. It will also help develop critical thinking skills in applying science-based decision making as it pertains to the environment.
Minor Requirements
Minor Requirements - 20 credits
BIOL 3420 - Aquatic Toxicology, LIB ED ELC (3.0 cr)
ENSC 3124 - Environmental Science and Remediation Techniques (3.0 cr)
ENSC 3720 - Fate of Chemicals in the Environment (4.0 cr)
ENSC 4022 - Risk Assessment and Environmental Impact Statements (3.0 cr)
NATR 1226 - Environmental Science and Sustainability, ETH/CIV RE, PEOPLE/ENV (3.0 cr)
SWM 3009 - Hydrology and Water Quality (4.0 cr)
