Environmental Science (BS)

Environmental science is a joint major offered by the Departments of Biology and Chemistry. This major recognizes the importance of environmental problems and human-caused climate change in the contemporary world, and the resulting expansion of career opportunities as well as graduate programs in this area. Environmental science is a broad interdisciplinary field working to understand the interactions among physical, chemical, biological, and human factors. A comprehensive understanding of how the environment functions and the influence of human actions, has the potential for improved conservation, sustainable development, environmental justice, and restoration of natural resources. Concerns about environmental degradations and climate change are ever more pressing in the 21st century and have led to a growing demand for specialists in this field as well as programs to train these specialists.

Tracks

There are two tracks within the Environmental Science major:

  1. the Environmental Biology Track, which emphasizes both laboratory and field components as well as broad interdisciplinary alternatives (see description of Environmental Biology Track below) and
  2. the Environmental Chemistry Track which emphasizes an analytical laboratory approach to environmental problems (see Chemistry Department for details on Environmental Chemistry Track).

Biology Track

First Year

BIOL 113General Biology

4

 

CHEM 109Chemistry and Society: General, Organic, and Biochemistry for Public Health

4

OR

CHEM 111Introduction to Chemistry: Inorganic

4

AND

CHEM 112Introduction to Chemistry: Organic

4

 

BIOL 104Introduction to Environmental Science

4

Sophomore Year

STAT 118Introductory Statistics

4

OR

MATH 227Statistical Design and Analysis

4

OR

MATH 229Regression Models

4

 

BIOL 218Principles of Zoology

4

OR

BIOL 221Microbiology

4

 

ECON 100Principles of Microeconomics

4

Junior Year

BIOL 245Principles of Ecology

4

ENVI 200Environmental Forum

2

ENVI 200: This course is offered through the Colleges of the Fenway and may be listed as CR-101.

Senior Year

BIOL 322Evolutionary Biology

4

PHIL 139Environmental Ethics

4

BIOL 245, BIOL 322: Please note these courses are offered every other year. Take care to plan course sequence accordingly.

Electives:

In consultation with and with approval of the Environmental Biology concentration advisor, the student selects a total of five electives in addition to the core courses. With approval of the concentration advisor courses not included in this list can be selected as electives if consistent with the student’s subfield concentration.

Two electives courses from the Science list (at least one at the 300-level):

BIOL 222Animal Physiology

4

BIOL 333Marine Biology

4

BIOL 336Genetics

4

BIOL 340Plant Biology

4

BIOL 347Human Development and Genetics

4

CHEM 227Energy & Global Warming

4

CHEM 242Mechanistic Toxicology

4

HON 308Energy & Global Warming

4

SURV 150Overview of Surveying Technology (Wentworth) – GIS skills

MATH 120Calculus I

4

MATH 227Statistical Design and Analysis

4

NUTR 150International Nutrition Issues

4

PHYS 110Introductory Physics I

4

PHYS 111Introductory Physics II

4

Three elective courses from the Arts and Humanities course list:

ART 245American Art

4

ECON 145Economics of Sustainability and Resource Use

4

ECON 239Government Regulation of Industry

4

ECON 247Environmental Economics

4

HIST 205/HON 205Global Environmental History

4

MGMT 224Socially-Minded Leadership

4

POLS 101Introduction to American Politics

4

POLS 102Introduction to International Politics

4

POLS 217American Public Policy

4

POLS 220International Organization and Law

4

SOCI 241Health, Illness & Society

4

SOCI 321Sociology of Food

4

SOCI 267Globalization

4

Independent Learning

The independent learning requirement (eight semester hours) is usually met in the senior year in either the biology department through BIOL 350 Independent Laboratory Research, BIOL 355 Thesis or BIOL 370 Internship or in the chemistry department through CHEM 355 Independent Study with Thesis and CHEM 390 Chemistry Seminar. 

Chemistry Track

First Year

BIOL 113General Biology

4

 

CHEM 113Principles of Chemistry

4

OR

CHEM 111Introduction to Chemistry: Inorganic

4

 

MATH 120Calculus I

4

MATH 121Calculus II

4

Sophomore Year

STAT 118Introductory Statistics

4

CHEM 224Organic Chemistry I

4

PHYS 112Fundamentals of Physics I

4

PHYS 113Fundamentals of Physics II

4

Junior Year

BIOL 104Introduction to Environmental Science

4

OR

BIOL 245Principles of Ecology

4

 

ENVI 201Environmental Chemistry

4

 

CHEM 227Energy & Global Warming

4

OR

HON 308Energy & Global Warming

4

OR

CHEM 331Thermodynamics & Kinetics

4

Senior Year

PHIL 139Environmental Ethics

4

CHEM 390Chemistry Seminar

1

PHIL 139: 2 credits

Electives (8 credits) – choose two:

CHEM 225Organic Chemistry II

4

CHEM 341Advanced Analytical Chemistry

4

CHEM 242Mechanistic Toxicology

4

Independent Learning

The independent learning requirement (eight semester hours) is usually met in the senior year in either the biology department through BIOL 350 Independent Laboratory Research, BIOL 355 Thesis or BIOL 370 Internship or in the chemistry department through CHEM 350 Independent Study in Chemistry.