Beverly K. Fine School of the Sciences
Chair: Wendy L. Kimber, Ph.D.
Description
The environmental science program is designed to prepare students to address the integral relationship between humankind and the environment. There is a growing recognition of the impact of humans on organisms, landforms, the atmosphere, and ecosystems. This program will engage students in a study of the principles, methodologies, and practices of the life, physical, and mathematical sciences as they relate to the environment. The foundational concepts of human systems, such as businesses, governments, and communities, and their impact on the environment will also be studied. An emphasis on experiential and lifelong learning will also prepare graduates to meet the needs of today’s society.
Objectives
Upon completion of the Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science, graduates will be able to:
- Solve environmental problems by integrating knowledge from the natural and social sciences.
- Evaluate the effects of humans on the biosphere.
- Apply field and laboratory research skills and techniques to the investigation of scientific questions.
- Evaluate environmental issues and advances using scientific literature.
- Communicate scientific findings in written and oral formats appropriate to the specific audience.
- Conduct himself or herself in a manner consistent with the professional and ethical standards of the discipline.
- Practice environmental stewardship.
- Apply academic preparation to professional experiences outside the classroom.
Policies
Students must earn a minimum GPA of 2.00 in the major, and the lowest acceptable grade is a "C" in all major and Stevenson Educational Experience (SEE) courses. No student, regardless of major, will be permitted to take a science or math course unless he/she earns a grade of "C" or better in all prerequisite courses.
A student may not earn a grade of “C-” or lower in any science or math course more than three times during the program. If a fourth grade of “C-” or lower is earned in any science or math course, the student will be automatically dismissed from the environmental science major.
Probation : The student who earns any combination of two grades of “C-” or lower in a science or math course will be notified, in writing, by the department chair that he or she is on probation in the Beverly K. Fine School of the Sciences.
Final Probation: The student who earns any combination of three grades of “C-” or lower in a science or math course will be notified, in writing, by the department chair that he or she is on final probation in the Beverly K. Fine School of the Sciences.
Dismissal: If a fourth grade of “C-” or lower in any science or math course is earned, the student will be notified, in writing, by the department chair that he or she has been dismissed from the major.
Requirements
The courses listed below are required for completion of the bachelor’s degree in environmental science. Students must also complete the requirements for the Stevenson Educational Experience (SEE).
Specific pre- and co-requisites for each course are listed in the course descriptions.
Major Requirements:
| FYS 100 | First Year Seminar | 1 credit |
| | or | |
| SCI 100 | School of the Sciences Transfer Student Seminar | 1 credit |
| BIO 113 | General Biology I: Cell Biology and Genetics | 3 credits |
| BIO 113L | General Biology I Laboratory: Cell Biology and Genetics | 1 credit |
| BIO 114 | General Biology II: Structure and Function of Organisms | 3 credits |
| BIO 114L | General Biology II Laboratory: Structure and Function of Organisms | 1 credit |
| BIO 115 | General Biology III: Ecology and Evolution | 3 credits |
| CHEM 115 | General Chemistry I | 3 credits |
| CHEM 115L | General Chemistry I Laboratory | 1 credit |
| CHEM 115S | General Chemistry I SoLVE | 0 credits |
| CHEM 116 | General Chemistry II | 3 credits |
| CHEM 116L | General Chemistry II Laboratory | 1 credit |
| CHEM 116S | General Chemistry II SoLVE | 0 credits |
| CHEM 203 | Environmental Chemistry | 3 credits |
| CHEM 203L | Environmental Chemistry Laboratory | 1 credit |
| ENV 255 | Techniques in Environmental Science | 3 credits |
| ENV 275 | Environmental Science | 3 credits |
| ENV 285 | Geographic Information Systems | 3 credits |
| ENV 375 | Environmental Ethics | 3 credits |
| MATH 136 | Introduction to Statistics | 4 credits |
| MATH 220 | Calculus I | 4 credits |
| PHYS 210 | General Physics I | 4 credits |
| | or | |
| PHYS 215 | General Physics I with Calculus | 4 credits |
| PHYS 211 | General Physics II | 4 credits |
| | or | |
| PHYS 216 | General Physics II with Calculus | 4 credits |
| SCI 215 | Writing in the Sciences | 3 credits |
Select ONE of the following two-course sequences:
| EC 202 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 credits |
| EC 440 | Environmental Economics | 3 credits |
| | OR | |
| POSCI 102 | American Government: Political Institutions and Procedures | 3 credits |
| LAW 375 | Environmental Law | 3 credits |
| | OR | |
| POSCI 102 | American Government: Political Institutions and Procedures | 3 credits |
| POSCI 3xx | Environmental Policy | |
Senior Capstone Experience (Select ONE of the six):
| ENV 450 | Senior Research Capstone | 5 credits |
| ENV 455 | Senior Internship Capstone | 5 credits |
| ENV 460 | Senior Research Capstone | 9 credits |
| ENV 460H | Honors Senior Research Capstone | 9 credits |
| ENV 465 | Senior Internship Capstone | 9 credits |
| ENV 465H | Honors Senior Internship Capstone | 9 credits |
NOTE: Students selecting one of the 9 credit senior capstone options can take one less upper level Group 2 elective.
Environmental Science Electives:
NOTE: Students may choose to take up to two biology and/or chemistry courses to fulfill ENV electives.
Group 1 (Select THREE):
| ENV 213 | Ecology | 4 credits |
| ENV 270 | Animal Behavior | 3 credits |
| ENV 260 | Forest Ecology and Management | 4 credits |
| ENV 280 | Environmental Soil Science | 4 credits |
Group 2 (Select THREE):
| ENV 307 | Marine Biology | 4 credits |
| ENV 310 | Freshwater Ecosystems | 4 credits |
| BIO 315 | Evolution | 3 credits |
| ENV 330 | Conservation Biology | 3 credits |
| ENV 340 | Landscape Ecology | |
| ENV 360 | Wildlife Ecology and Management | 4 credits |
| ENV 410 | The Chesapeake Bay Ecosystem | 3 credits |
| ENV 420 | Restoration Ecology | |
| ENV 430 | Ecosystem Delineation and Mitigation | |
Group 3:
Any 2 additional BIO, CHEM, and/or ENV courses.
Suggested Course Sequence
Suggested Course Sequence Environmental Science
Minor in Environmental Science
Environmental Science studies the connections between humans and the environment. Therefore, a minor in Environmental Science is an excellent addition to many liberal arts majors and is particularly relevant to students interested in the environmental aspects of business, economics, policy, law, health, or for those simply interested in understanding our responsibility as caretakers of planet Earth.
The minor in environmental science requires successful completion of a minimum of six courses and 18 credits with an ENV prefix. Courses ineligible for the environmental science minor include:
- ENV 150 Society and the Environment
- ENV 165 Science of the Chesapeake Bay
Please see the Chair of the Department of Biological Sciences for further information regarding this minor. General guidelines regarding minors may be found in the Minors section of the catalog.
Other Options
Biology Department Honors Requirements: Eligible students majoring in environmental science may elect to pursue honors within the Department of Biological Sciences. The intention to pursue biology department honors must be declared no later than the end of the first semester of the junior year. To declare the intent to pursue departmental honors, a student must have earned a science GPA of 3.50 or higher.
Students graduating with biology department honors will have this distinction noted on their official university transcript. In order to graduate with departmental honors, the following requirements must be met:
- Completion of a 400-level capstone experience with a grade of “B” or better
- Completion of BIO 440 Seminar Topics in Biology with a grade of “B” or better
- Completion of an Honors Contract Project in an upper-level biology or environmental science course. A grade of “B” or better must be earned in the course in which an Honors Contract Project is completed. The student must submit a contract project proposal to be approved by department faculty before beginning the project. The final project must be approved by department faculty in order to receive honors credit.
- A science GPA of 3.50 or higher at the time of graduation
BS/MAT Option: The BS/MAT option is available for students majoring in biology who wish to combine their bachelor's coursework with work toward a Stevenson University master's degree in teaching. Please see Additional Enrollment Options in the Admissions section of this catalog for more information.
Course Descriptions
See Environmental Science Course Descriptions