Alverno’s Environmental Science Bachelor of Science degree will provide a strong background in math and science, including research and communication skills, and will allow students to choose electives that best fit their career goals while also clearly connecting to environmental science skill sets. Students can prepare for further studies in graduate school with rigorous science and math courses, or for careers in public or private sectors, including nonprofits.
Careers in environmental science span fields ranging from environmental justice activism and creating public policy to planning and managing corporate sustainability programs to environmental research to conservation and restoration work. Environmental science students have a broad range of science courses and other electives to choose from, depending on their areas of interest. Course work in environmental science prepares students to view the interconnections both among the sciences and within the social, political, technological and cultural institutions that create and enact environmental policies.
Students will learn about the physical forces that shape our world (physical, chemical, and biological processes), and the disciplines and perspectives framing environmental issues. Learning to support arguments with evidence and to communicate scientific findings to a broader community in order to create change (i.e. for environmental justice) are essential features of any career in environmental science. As such, the three advanced outcomes of the major include 1) effective communication, listening, and persuasion, 2) data gathering/analysis, and 3) problem management/adaptive strategy development.
Environmental science requires course work in chemistry, biology, and earth science, in order to prepare students to draw from multiple disciplines to explore the complexity and interconnected nature of environmental issues. Students learn to formulate viable approaches to environmental issues, design and conduct environmental research using appropriate technology supported by laboratory and field data, and to communicate their findings to various audiences using language, technology, concepts, models, and strategies appropriate to the discipline. Effective visual communication of numerical, spatial, and temporal data is especially important. Finally, students will professionally apply their discipline-based learning in one or more off-campus settings.
Code | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
Beginning Requirements | ||
MGT-210 | Macroeconomics | 3 |
MT-123 | College Algebra | 3 |
MT-124 | Trigonometry | 2 |
Intermediate Requirements | ||
CH-213 & 213L | Chemistry of Bioorganic Molecules and Chemistry of Bioorganic Molecules Lab | 4 |
or CH-260 & 260L | Chemistry of Inorganic Materials and Chemistry/Inorganic Materials - Lab | |
GE-220 | Earth Science | 4 |
MT-148 | Functions & Modeling | 3-4 |
or MT-152 | Calculus 1 | |
or MT-256 | Probability and Statistics | |
or PH-231 | Algebra-Based Physics I | |
SC Elective | Science Electives in Biology (BI) or Chemistry (CH), 300 or 400 level | 11 |
Advanced Requirements | ||
ENV-341 | Geographical Information Systems | 3 |
INTERN-383 | Internship Seminar | 2 |
ENV-399 | Formal Introduction to Advanced Work | 0 |
ENV-374 | ENV Assessment in Effective Citizenship | 0 |
GLS-330 | United Nations & the World | 4 |
or GLS-370 | World Geography: People, Places & Change | |
or GLS-410 | Comparative Politics | |
ENV Elective | Environmental Science (ENV) Electives | 6 |
GE-410 | Environmental Geology | 4 |
ENV-491 | Integrated Environmental Seminar | 3 |
ENV-414 | ENV Professional Portfolio | 0 |
The Academic Map should be used for planning purposes only. All official graduation requirements are listed on a student's Academic Evaluation. Course sequence is subject to change. All students must complete a minimum of 120 credits to earn a Bachelors Degree.
First Year | ||
---|---|---|
Fall | Credits | |
FSS 100 Level | Any FSS-125 First Semester Seminar (FSS) topic from https://catalog.alverno.edu/courses/fss | 2 |
AC-151 | Initial Social Interaction Assessment | 0 |
ILA-100 | Introduction to the Liberal Arts @ Alverno | 0 |
CM-120 | Communication Seminar 1 | 4 |
QL-122 | Quantitative Literacy in Modern World | 4 |
SC-119 & 119L |
Foundations of Chemistry and Foundations of Chemistry Lab |
4 |
Credits | 14 | |
Spring | ||
CM-125 | Communication Seminar 2 | 3 |
CH-213 & 213L |
Chemistry of Bioorganic Molecules and Chemistry of Bioorganic Molecules Lab |
4 |
SC-120 & 120L |
Foundations of Biology and Foundations of Biology Lab |
4 |
QL-156 | Mathematical Connections | 3 |
MT-123 | College Algebra | 3 |
Credits | 17 | |
Second Year | ||
Fall | ||
CM-225 | Communication Seminar 3 | 3 |
FA 100 Level | Any FA-100 Intro to the Arts (FA) from https://catalog.alverno.edu/courses/fa | 4 |
PPS-229 | Career & Internship Planning | 1 |
MT-124 | Trigonometry | 2 |
HUM 100 Level | Any HUM-150 Intro to the Humanities (HUM) topic from https://catalog.alverno.edu/courses/hum | 4 |
BSC-215 | Working in Diverse Groups | 2 |
ADV-299 | Intermediate Level Event | 0 |
Credits | 16 | |
Spring | ||
GE-220 | Earth Science | 4 |
Behavioral Sci | Take GLS-200, POL-225, PSY-110, SOC 101 or SW-250 | 3-4 |
SC Elective | Science Elective from Biology (BI) or Chemistry (CH), 300 and 400 level | 4 |
MT-148 |
Functions & Modeling or Calculus 1 or Probability and Statistics or Algebra-Based Physics I |
3-4 |
Credits | 14-16 | |
Third Year | ||
Fall | ||
HFA 210 Elective | Any HFA-210 Humanities and Fine Arts (HFA) elective | 2 |
SC Elective | Science Elective from Biology (BI) or Chemistry (CH), 300 and 400 level | 4 |
GLS-330 |
United Nations & the World or World Geography: People, Places & Change or Comparative Politics |
4 |
MGT-210 | Macroeconomics | 3 |
Behavioral Sci | Take GLS-200, POL-225, PSY-110, SOC 101 or SW-250 | 3-4 |
ENV-399 | Formal Introduction to Advanced Work | 0 |
Credits | 16-17 | |
Spring | ||
HFA 250 Elective | Any HFA-250 Humanities and Fine Arts (HFA) elective | 4 |
GEC 300 Level | Any GEC-300 Globally Effective Citizenship (GEC) topic from https://catalog.alverno.edu/courses/gec | 3 |
ENV-341 | Geographical Information Systems | 3 |
ENV-374 | ENV Assessment in Effective Citizenship | 0 |
SC Elective | Science Elective from Biology (BI) or Chemistry (CH), 300 and 400 level | 4 |
Credits | 14 | |
Fourth Year | ||
Fall | ||
SC Elective | Science Elective from Biology (BI) or Chemistry (CH), 300 and 400 level | 4 |
ENV Elective | Environmental Science (ENV) Elective | 4 |
HFA 310 Elective | Any HFA-310 Humanities and Fine Arts (HFA) elective | 2 |
INTERN-383 | Internship Seminar | 2 |
GEN ED Elective | General Education (GEN ED) Elective | 3 |
Credits | 15 | |
Spring | ||
ENV-414 | ENV Professional Portfolio | 0 |
ENV-491 | Integrated Environmental Seminar | 3 |
ENV Elective | Environmental Science (ENV) Elective | 4 |
GE-410 | Environmental Geology | 4 |
GEN ED Elective | General Education (GEN ED) Elective | 3 |
Credits | 14 | |
Total Credits | 120-123 |