Environmental Science (B.S.)
Environmental Science investigates the many interconnected systems and processes that formed our world, continuously change it, and, ultimately, sustain life on it. The Environmental Science Program at Wayne State offers an interdisciplinary approach combining a strong foundation from both geological and ecological perspectives, and a broad choice of electives in its course work. This interdisciplinary program addresses human impacts on the environment, earth surface processes, and ecosystem science with an emphasis on the urban environments. It will prepare students for graduate study, or for careers in various areas of environmental science including conservation, restoration, watershed management, environmental impact assessment, air and water quality monitoring, regulatory compliance, and environmental remediation.
Admission Requirements
Admission requirements for this program are satisfied by the general requirements for undergraduate admission to the University.
Program Requirements
Candidates must complete 120 credits in course work including satisfaction of the University General Education Requirements and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Group Requirements, as well as the departmental major requirements cited below. All course work must be completed in accordance with the regulations of the University and the College governing undergraduate scholarship and degrees. Students must receive a grade of 'C-minus' or better in all Major and Cognate required courses. An overall grade point average of 2.0 ('C') in all coursework is required for graduation.
Major Requirements
B.S. candidates in Environmental Science must complete the following:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ESG 1500 | Introduction to Environmental Science | 3 |
| ESG 3000 | Introduction to Environmental Analysis Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) | 3 |
| ESG 3100 | Air and Water in Environmental Systems | 3 |
| ESG 1010 | Geology: The Science of the Earth | 3 |
| ESG 1011 | Geology: The Science of the Earth Laboratory | 1 |
| ESG 5150 | Soils and Soil Pollution | 4 |
| ESG 5510 | Environmental Fate and Transport of Pollutants | 4 |
| BIO 1500 & BIO 1501 | Basic Life Diversity and Basic Life Diversity Laboratory | 4 |
| BIO 3500 | Ecology and the Environment | 3 |
| BIO 5100 | Aquatic Ecology | 4 |
| or BIO 5440 | Terrestrial Ecology | |
| PHI 1130 | Environmental Ethics | 3 |
| PS 3450 | Environmental Policy and Politics | 4 |
| Environmental Humanities Course (Choose One): | 3-4 | |
| Biology and Culture | ||
| Environmental Economics | ||
| World Environmental History since 1900 | ||
| Biopolitics | ||
| Sociology of the Environment | ||
| Sustainable Cities | ||
| Cities and Food | ||
Elective Courses
Students must complete a minimum of 15 approved elective credits for the major; one course must be from the Department of Biology or the Department of Environmental Science and Geology.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Biology Options | ||
| BIO 4130 | General Ecology | 4 |
| BIO 4420 | Biogeography | 3 |
| BIO 5040 | Biometry | 4 |
| BIO 5100 | Aquatic Ecology | 4 |
| BIO 5180 | Field Investigations in Biological Sciences | 12 |
| BIO 5440 | Terrestrial Ecology | 4 |
| BIO 5490 | Population and Community Ecology | 3 |
| BIO 5540 | Landscape Ecology | 3 |
| BIO 6190 | Advanced Special Topics | 6 |
| BIO 6420 | Ecotoxicology and Risk Assessment | 3 |
| Environmental Science and Geology Options | ||
| ESG 2130 | Mineralogy | 4 |
| ESG 3300 | Structural Geology | 4 |
| ESG 3160 | Petrology | 4 |
| ESG 3800 | Team Research | 2 |
| ESG 3650 | Field Geology | 1-6 |
| ESG 4200 | Geomorphology | 4 |
| GEL 4400 | 40-Hour HAZWOPER Training | 2 |
| ESG 4900 | Internship in Environmental Science | 2 |
| ESG 5000 | Geological Site Assessment | 4 |
| ESG 5120 | Environmental Geochemistry | 4 |
| ESG 5210 | Environmental and Applied Geophysics | 4 |
| ESG 5360 | Hydrology and Water Resources | 4 |
| ESG 5420 | Mathematical Methods in Earth Science | 4 |
| ESG 5450 | Hydrogeology | 4 |
| ESG 5600 | Special Topics in Environmental Science and Geology | 4 |
| ESG 5610 | Special Topics in Environmental Science and Geology | 1 |
| ESG 5650 | Applied Geologic Mapping | 4 |
| ESG 6400 | Isotopes: Applications in Geological and Environmental Sciences | 4 |
| GEL 6500 | Earth Resources and the Environment | 3 |
| Anthropology Options | ||
| ANT 5140 | Biology and Culture (Anthropology Course Options) | 3 |
| Civil Engineering Options | ||
| CE 3250 | Applied Fluid Mechanics | 4 |
| CE 4210 | Introduction to Environmental Engineering | 3 |
| CE 5230 | Water Supply and Wastewater Engineering | 3 |
| CE 6190 | Groundwater | 3 |
| CE 6160 | Principles of Atmospheric Chemistry and Applications | 3 |
| CE 6270 | Sustainability Assessment and Management | 3 |
| Economics Options | ||
| ECO 5230 | Environmental Economics | 4 |
| Geography Options | ||
| GPH 3600 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | 4 |
| GPH 4600 | Advanced Geographic Information Systems | 4 |
| Honors Options | ||
| HON 4220 | Seminar in Life Science | 3 |
| History Options | ||
| HIS 5540 | World Environmental History since 1900 | 4 |
| Public Health Options | ||
| PH 3500 | Environmental Health | 3 |
| Sociology Options | ||
| SOC 2205 | Sociology of the Environment | 3 |
| Urban Studies and Planning Options | ||
| UP 4460 | Sustainable Cities | 3 |
| UP 5430 | Cities and Food | 3 |
Cognate Requirements
B.S. candidates in Environmental Science must take:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| STA 1020 | Elementary Statistics | 3 |
| or STA 2210 | Probability and Statistics | |
| MAT 2010 | Calculus I | 4 |
| CHM 1100 & CHM 1130 | General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory (or CHM 1220/1230 if taken before Fall 2020) | 5 |
| Select one of the following Physics options: | 5 | |
| Physics for the Life Sciences I and Physics for the Life Sciences Laboratory | ||
| University Physics for Scientists I and University Physics Laboratory | ||
Majors should take the Placement Examination of the Department of Mathematics as soon as possible upon entry into the freshman year, although freshmen students may be placed by ACT/SAT scores (valid for 2 years).
Student's Responsibility: It is each student's responsibility to learn the requirements, policies, and procedures governing the program they are following and to act accordingly. Students should consult the Environmental Science Program Advisor regularly in order to verify that Environmental Science requirements are being met in a timely fashion. Although the advisor will provide assistance, the responsibility for fulfilling degree requirements remains with the student.
Environmental Science Honors
To be recommended for an honors degree from this program, a student must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.30 and complete a minimum of twelve honors course credits including two Geology or Biological Science Honors or Honors Option courses (6 credits) and:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ESG 4998 | Honors Thesis | 3 |
| BIO 6999 | Honors Undergraduate Research Thesis | 2 |
| One 4200-level Honors Seminar | 3 | |