Environmental Science Major, Bachelor of Science

Department of Biology

Protecting what matters

Coordinator: Dr. Jason Doll

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.