The human impact on Earth’s environment over past two centuries is unprecedented. An incredible 300% increase in human population growth in the 20^th century has led to an increase in energy consumption by more than 1000% since 1950. Never in the history of the Earth has such a drastic increase in the atmospheric CO₂ occurred over such a short period of time. Education on the science of the changing environment is at the forefront of human endeavor, and a significant fraction of the global GDP is currently being spent on addressing this science (e.g. increasing spatial extent of harmful algal blooms, ocean acidification, ever increasing amount of micro-plastics in fresh and salt water systems, effects of global climate change including flooding/drought and other weather-related catastrophic events). This online master’s program addresses many of the anthropogenic environmental changes listed above. This inter-disciplinary program includes courses from several branches of science including coastal and environmental geology, environmental biology, low-temperature aqueous geochemistry, environmental isotope geochemistry, biogeochemistry, remote sensing, big data analytics, climate science, toxicology, water quality, etc.

Admission Requirements

Admission to this program is contingent upon admission to the Graduate School. The minimum grade point average required for regular admission to the program is 2.75. Specific admissions requirements include: evidence of a completed baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university; college-level coursework in geology, biology, mathematics, physics, and chemistry; two letters of recommendation; and a one-page statement of purpose. 

Program Requirements

The online M.A. in Environmental Science requires a minimum of 30 credits. The program is offered under master's program Plan C (coursework only). All course work must be completed in accordance with the regulations of the Graduate School and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Core Courses
ESG 6400	Isotopes: Applications in Geological and Environmental Sciences *
or ESG 6180	Environmental DNA for Ecosystem Monitoring and Conservation
or ESG 6190	Environmental Microbiology
ESG 5700	Environmental Law and Policy
Capstone Course
Elective Courses
ESG 5420	Mathematical Methods in Earth Science
ESG 6160	Applied Remote Sensing
ESG 6165	Biodiversity Changes in the Anthropocene
ESG 6170	Spatial Statistics and Analyses for Environmental Applications
ESG 6180	Environmental DNA for Ecosystem Monitoring and Conservation
ESG 6190	Environmental Microbiology
ESG 6250	Fluvial Geomorphology
ESG 6320	Coastal Geology and Processes in the Great Lakes
ESG 6400	Isotopes: Applications in Geological and Environmental Sciences

*

The core course requirement for ESG 6400 - Isotopes: Applications in Geological and Environmental Sciences can be replaced with  ESG 6180 - Environmental DNA for Ecosystem Monitoring and Conservation or ESG 6190 - Environmental Microbiology.