The environmental science major provides a comprehensive knowledge of Earth's physical, chemical, and biotic systems. The program emphasizes the practical application of science, sociology, and ethics to solve problems created by the impact of human activity on the environment. This major incorporates the following areas of study: wetlands ecology, geographic spatial analysis, sustainability issues, and marine biology. The program is designed so students will share a common set of courses in their freshman year to ensure that all students gain an overview of the subject. Upon entering their sophomore year, students are required to select major electives. The program is designed to be completed within a four-year period. An internship is required of all students in this program.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
A successful environmental sciences graduate is expected to:
- Demonstrate a working knowledge of the scientific method so as to identify, evaluate, and recommend solutions to environmental problems;
- Communicate concisely and clearly through public speaking, the publishing of written articles, the construction and maintenance of a Web site, and photographic documentation either through photography or videography;
- Formulate strategies to maximize the responsible use of technology as it applies to issues within environmental science;
- Identify legal issues relating to environmental science;
- Apply concepts of environmental science to lifetime vocational aspirations;
- Demonstrate a behavior of environmental awareness and interest in environmental issues of South Florida;
- Apply knowledge from the fields of biology, botany, and physical sciences to environmental science;
- Identify the principles of environmental ethics;
- Identify concepts relating to the future of environmentalism.
CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS
General Education Requirements (33 credits)
Students are required to complete 33 credit hours as part of the General Education Program.
Environmental Science Major Requirements (56 credits)
Core Courses (56 credits)
- BIOL 1500 Biology I/Lab (4 credits)
- BIOL 1510 Biology II/Lab (4 credits)
- BIOL 3200 General Ecology/Lab (4 credits)
- CHEM 1300 General Chemistry I/Lab (4 credits)
- CHEM 1310 General Chemistry II/Lab (4 credits)
- ENVS 1200 Environmental Science (3 credits)
- ENVS 1500 Natural History of South Florida (4 credits)
- ENVS 2200 Introduction to Geology/Lab (4 credits)
- ENVS 2100 Environmental Science Laboratory (3 credits)
- ENVS 3000 Environmental Geology/Lab (4 credits)
- ENVS 3170 Everglades Ecology and Conservation (3 credits)
- ENVS 4950 Internship in Environmental Science (3 credits)
- GEOG 3000 Geography of Ecotourism (3 credits)
- LGST 3350 Environmental Law and Policy (3 credits)
- MATH 2020 Applied Statistics (3 credits)
- PHIL 3360 Environmental Ethics (3 credits)
Major Electives (22 credits)
Select at least 22 credits from the following courses:
- BIOL 1400 Introductory Cell Biology (3 credits)
- BIOL 3311 Vertebrate Zoology/Lab (4 credits)
- BIOL 3400 Microbiology/Lab (4 credits)
- BIOL 3600 Genetics/Lab (4 credits)
- BIOL 4010 Evolution (3 credits)
- BIOL 4340 Cellular and Molecular Biology (3 credits)
- CHEM 2400 Organic Chemistry I/Lab (4 credits)
- CHEM 2410 Organic Chemistry II/Lab (4 credits)
- CHEM 3150 Environmental Chemistry (3 credits)
- CHEM 3650 Biochemistry/Lab (4 credits)
- ENVS 2000 Biodiversity of Alaskan Ecosystems (3 credits)
- ENVS 2001 Biodiversity of Alaskan Ecosystems Field Course (1 credit)
- ENVS 3100 Environmental Issues (3 credits)
- ENVS 4900 Special Topics in Environmental Science (3 credits)
- ENVS 4990 Independent Study in Environmental Science (1–3 credits)
- GEOG 2050 Survey of Geography (3 credits)
- GEOG 2075 Geographical Information Systems (3 credits)
- GEOG 2260 Geography of Natural Resources (3 credits)
- GEOG 3050 Applied Geographic Information Systems (3 credits)
- GEOG 3075 Geospatial Field Methods (3 credits)
- GEOG 4050 Space-Borne and Aerial Image Processing (3 credits)
- MATH 2100 Calculus I (4 credits)
- MATH 2200 Calculus II (4 credits)
- MBIO 2410 Marine Biology/Lab (4 credits)
- MBIO 2500 Oceanography/Lab (4 credits)
- MBIO 3450 Survey of Marine Mammals (3 credits)
- MBIO 3500 Food Web Dynamics (3 credits)
- MBIO 3600 Plankton Ecology (3 credits)
- MBIO 3700 Biology of Fishes/Lab (4 credits)
- MBIO 4260 Ecology of the Galapagos Islands (3 credits)
- MBIO 4261 Ecology of the Galapagos Islands Field Course (1 credits)
- PHYS 2350 General Physics I/Lab (4 credits)
- SCIE 3210 History of Science (3 credits)
- SCIE 4490 Research Methods (3 credits)
- SOCL 3600 Environmental Sociology (3 credits)
The academic program and curriculum requirements listed on this page are from the 2019-2020 edition of the NSU Undergraduate Student Catalog. Students are bound by policies and curricula published in the catalog in effect the semester they enter the university, unless an agreement is made with appropriate NSU administration officials allowing them to abide by policies published in a later catalog.
View sample 4-Year Academic Plan