Environmental Science Major, Bachelor of Science

Department of Biology

Protecting what matters

Coordinator: Dr. Jason Doll

The Environmental Science program seeks to educate and train the next generation of environmental professionals. By using critical thinking skills and understanding environmental issues from an interdisciplinary perspective, students learn how to understand and solve current and future environmental challenges. The Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science is for students wishing to pursue careers in conservation biology, environmental science, natural resource management and related fields. The Environmental Science major requires the completion of 120 total credit hours, including the General Education courses, core Environmental Science classes, and interdisciplinary courses related to Environmental Science.

General Education Requirements

Communications (9 hours)

Social Sciences (9 hours)

Humanities (12 hours)

  • Literature (ENGL) (3)
  • History (HIST) (3)
  • Fine Art Appreciation (ART 101, MUSI 101, or THEA 101) (3)
  • One elective course in Art (ART), Literature (ENGL), History (HIST), Music (MUSI), Theater (THEA), or Philosophy & Religious Studies (PRS) or AAAS 200: Introduction to African American Studies or GNDR 200: Gender Studies (3)
    • Honors (HNRS) courses 260-269 will also fulfill this requirement.

Mathematics (6 hours)

  • A minimum of 6 hours of mathematics courses MATH 111 or higher.
    • Most environmental science majors take:

Natural Sciences (12 hours)

  • Environmental Science majors fulfill this General Education requirement automatically.
  • A minimum of 12 hours of science courses with laboratories.
    • Biology (BIOL) or Environmental Science (ENVR) (4)
    • Chemistry (CHEM), Physics (PHYS), or Physical Science (PSCI) (4)
    • Astronomy (ASTR), Biology (BIOL), Chemistry (CHEM), Environmental Science (ENVR), Physics (PHYS), Physical Science (PSCI), Psychology (PSYC 206/216) (4)
      • Honors (HNRS) courses 280-289 will also fulfill this requirement.

Major Requirements

Environmental Science Core (14 hours)

  • ENVR 101: Introduction to Environmental Science (4)
  • ENVR 102: Introduction to Sustainability (3)
  • ENVR 201: Water Quality and Water Resource Management (3)
  • ENVR 250: Introduction to Environmental Law (3)
  • ENVR 499: Environmental Science and Studies Capstone Seminar (1)

Biology Courses (20 hours)

  • One course from Introductory Group I: (4)
    • BIOL 105/BIOL 115L: Biological Sciences I
      • BIOL 103 and BIOL 104 may substitute for BIOL 105/115L with permission from the Department.
    • BIOL 107: Integrated Biological Concepts I
  • One course from Introductory Group II: (4)

Chemistry (16 hours)

Physical Science (4 hours)

Interdisciplinary Courses (15 hours)

  • English
  • Economics
    • ECON 340: Environmental and Natural Resource Economics (3)
  • Geography
    • Choose one from the following:
      • GEOG 105: Physical Geography (3)
      • GEOG 215: Introduction to Mapping and GIS (3)
  • Sociology
    • Choose one from the following:
      • SOCI 331: Environment, Power, and Opportunity (3)
      • SOCI 351: Crimes Against the Environment (3)
      • SOCI 388: Disasters and Extreme Events (3)
  • Political Science
    • Choose one from the following:
      • POLI 202: State and Local Government (3)
      • POLI 203: International Relations (3)
      • POLI 205: Comparative Government (3)
      • POLI 206: Introduction to the Law (3)
      • POLI 215: Introduction to Public Administration (3)
      • POLI 351: U.S. Environmental Policy and Politics (3)
      • POLI 355: Global Environmental Policy and Politics (3)

Minor/Collateral Requirements

FMU students are required to complete either a minor or two collaterals in addition to their major for graduation.

  • A minor in another discipline requires at least 18 hours of coursework in that discipline.
    • Some restrictions may apply, please check minor requirements for other disciplines.
    • Many environmental science students choose to take 2 more chemistry courses to complete the Chemistry Minor.
  • Collaterals in other disciplines require 12 hours of coursework in those disciplines.
    • Some restrictions may apply, please check collateral requirements in other disciplines.
    • Environmental science students earn a Chemistry Collateral automatically when they complete the major requirements. 

Additional Information

  • Additional elective courses in any discipline may be needed to reach the total 120 hours required for graduation.
    • Many environmental science students choose to earn credit from research projects or internships. Talk to your advisor for more information.
    • When choosing electives, students should remember that certain career paths may seek knowledge that are not strictly required for the environmental science major.
  • To advance to a higher environmental science course, a student must earn a grade of C or higher in each prerequisite course.