Environmental Science Major and Minor Requirements

Requirements for the Major in Environmental Science

The requirements listed below reflect Mount Union’s new curriculum for the 2012-2013 Academic Year.  For information regarding major or minor requirements for current students, please refer to the University Catalogue of your entering year.

Environmental Science Courses

Required Courses

• Introduction to Environmental Science
• Hydrology and Water Resources
• Case Studies in Environmental Science
• Environmental Practicum

Breadth Experience

Required Courses

• Environmental Ethics
• Environmental Policy
• Statistics or Calculus I
• Calculus I for Life Science

Depth Experience

Students will pick one area – biology, chemistry or geology – and fulfill the following course requirements.

Biology Depth Experience

Required Courses for students chosing the Biology Depth Experience

• The Unity of Life
• The Diversity of Life
• Ecology
• Aquatic Ecology
• Concepts in Chemistry
• Environmental Chemistry

Any from the Following Courses Totaling 16 Hours Semester Hours

• Evolutionary Biology
• Tropical Biology
• Tropical Biology with Field Experience
• Conservation Biology
• Field Botany
• Marine Biology
• Vertebrate Zoology
• Microbiology
• Physiological Ecology
• Ecotoxicology
• Environmental Soil Science
• Directed Study
• Research
• GIS: An Environmental Approach

Chemistry Depth Experience

Required Chemistry Courses

• Concepts in Chemistry
• Environmental Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry I
• Organic Chemistry I
• Physical Chemistry I
• Calculus II
• Physics I
• Physics II

Any from the Following Courses Totaling Eight Semester Hours

• Inorganic Chemistry I
• Organic Chemistry II
• Analytical Chemistry II
• Biochemistry
• Biochemistry Laboratory
• Inorganic Chemistry II
• Physical Chemistry II

Geology Depth Experience

Required Geology Courses

• Physical Geology
• Historical Geology
• Mineralogy
• Stratigraphy and Sedimentation
• The Diversity of Life
• Foundations of Chemistry or Concepts in Chemistry

Any from the following courses totaling at least 14 hours

• Regional Geology
• Petrology
• Paleontology
• Structural Geology
• Research
• Ecotoxicology
• Environmental Soil Science
• GIS: An Environmental Approach
• Environmental Chemistry
• Or another appropriate course approved by the director of the Environmental Science Program

Requirements for the Minor in Environmental Science

Environmental Science Courses

• Introduction to Environmental Science
• Hydrology and Water Resources
• Case Studies in Environmental Science

Depth Experience
The minor in environmental science also requires the completion of at least eight hours of coursework in one depth experience area. For science majors, these eight hours must be outside of the major.

Required Biology Depth Experience Courses

• The Diversity of Life
• At least four hours of BIO coursework from the list of approved Biology Depth Experience courses for the Environmental Science Major

Required Chemistry Depth Experience Courses

• Concepts in Chemistry
• At least four hours of CHE coursework from the list of approved Chemistry Depth Experience courses for the Environmental Science Major

Required Geology Depth Experience Courses

• Physical Geology
• At least four hours of GEO coursework from the list of approved Geology
• Depth Experience courses for the Environmental Science Major