Environmental Science BS / Environmental Science MS
Major: Environmental Science
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Science (BS) and Master of Science in Environmental Science (MSES)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Total Credit Hours: 224.5
Co-op Options: One Co-op (Five years)
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 03.0104
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 19-2041
About the Program
The BS/MS program in Environmental Science is designed to provide an opportunity for highly motivated and qualified undergraduates to begin pursuing a graduate degree prior to completion of their bachelor’s degree in the 4+1 one co-op program.
The MS in Environmental Science builds on the knowledge undergraduates gain in their Environmental Science program and allows students to advance into higher-level courses with greater depth. Students interested in a course-based program can choose to do the BS/MS as a non-thesis student, which has advantages when seeking positions in consulting, government, or nonprofit organizations. Students interested in research careers or future doctoral studies can opt to pursue the thesis option, which provides an opportunity to conduct independent research and gain valuable research experience. Students interested in the thesis option require early planning.
Admission Requirements
To be eligible for the BS/MS program, students must apply between 90.0-120.0 credits and have a minimum 3.25 cumulative GPA overall and in their math and science courses. Applicants should meet with their advisor to create a plan of study and submit a one-page personal statement. After a review of the initial plan of study and personal statement, the applicant will meet with the undergraduate and graduate chairs for an interview. If accepted, the student will receive an Accelerated Degree Program Application form and will use it to obtain permission from all approving parties listed on the form.
Degree Requirements
| Degree Requirements | ||
| Humanities and Social Science | ||
| CIVC 101 | Introduction to Civic Engagement | 1.0 |
| COM 230 | Techniques of Speaking | 3.0 |
| COM 310 [WI] | Technical Communication | 3.0 |
| COOP 101 | Career Management and Professional Development * | 1.0 |
| ENGL 101 | Composition and Rhetoric I: Inquiry and Exploratory Research | 3.0 |
| or ENGL 111 | English Composition I | |
| ENGL 102 | Composition and Rhetoric II: Advanced Research and Evidence-Based Writing | 3.0 |
| or ENGL 112 | English Composition II | |
| ENGL 103 | Composition and Rhetoric III: Themes and Genres | 3.0 |
| or ENGL 113 | English Composition III | |
| PHIL 340 | Environmental Ethics | 3.0 |
| or PHIL 341 | Environmental Philosophy | |
| Humanities/Social Science electives | 6.0 | |
| UNIV S101 | The Drexel Experience | 1.0 |
| UNIV S201 | Looking Forward: Academics and Careers | 1.0 |
| Mathematics, Statistics & Computing | 21.0 | |
| Computer Programming I | ||
| Introduction to Analysis I | ||
or MATH 121 | Calculus I | |
| Introduction to Analysis II | ||
or MATH 122 | Calculus II | |
| Mathematics for the Life Sciences | ||
or MATH 123 | Calculus III | |
| Scientific Data Analysis I | ||
| Scientific Data Analysis II | ||
| Physical Sciences | ||
| CHEM 101 | General Chemistry I | 3.5 |
| CHEM 102 | General Chemistry II | 4.5 |
| CHEM 103 | General Chemistry III | 4.5 |
| Choose two chemistry electives from: | 5.0 | |
| Organic Chemistry I | ||
| Environmental Chemistry Laboratory | ||
| Introduction to Environmental Chemistry | ||
| Physics sequence | ||
| PHYS 152 | Introductory Physics I | 4.0 |
| PHYS 153 | Introductory Physics II | 4.0 |
| PHYS 154 | Introductory Physics III | 4.0 |
| Biological Sciences | ||
| BIO 131 | Cells and Biomolecules | 4.0 |
| BIO 132 | Genetics and Evolution | 4.0 |
| BIO 133 | Physiology and Ecology | 4.0 |
| BIO 134 | Cells and Biomolecules Lab | 1.0 |
| BIO 135 | Genetics and Evolution Lab | 1.0 |
| BIO 136 | Anatomy and Ecology Lab | 1.0 |
| Geoscience Requirements | ||
| GEO 101 | Physical Geology | 4.0 |
| GEO 103 | Introduction to Field Methods in Earth Science | 2.0 |
| GEO 201 [WI] | Earth Systems Processes | 3.0 |
| Environmental Science Core Requirements | ||
| ENVS 101 | Introduction to Environmental Science | 5.0 |
| ENVS 102 | Natural History, Research and Collections | 2.0 |
| ENVS 201 | Practical Identification of Plants and Animals | 2.0 |
| ENVS 212 | Evolution | 4.0 |
| ENVS 284 | Physiological and Population Ecology | 3.0 |
| ENVS 286 | Community and Ecosystem Ecology | 3.0 |
| ENVS 308 | GIS and Environmental Modeling | 3.0 |
| ENVS 441 [WI] | Issues in Global Change I: Seminar | 2.0 |
| ENVS 442 | Issues in Global Change II: Research | 2.0 |
| ENVS 443 | Issues in Global Change III: Synthesis | 2.0 |
| Choose one of the following: | 3.0 | |
| Introduction to Environmental Policy | ||
| Cities and Sustainability | ||
| Delaware River Issues and Policy | ||
| Environmental Politics | ||
| Environmental Science Lab Requirements | 2.0 | |
| Environmental Concentration Requirements | 14.0 | |
See list of concentration requirements below. | ||
| Environmental Electives (plus 6crs GR shared ENVS 501 and ENVS 511) | 6.0 | |
| Free Electives | 24.0 | |
| Graduate Courses | ||
| ENVS 501 | Chemistry of the Environment | 3.0 |
| ENVS 511 | Evolutionary Ecology | 3.0 |
| MS ENVS electives | 39.0 | |
| Total Credits | 224.5 | |
| * | Students not participating in co-op will not take COOP 101; 1 credit of Free Elective will be added in place of COOP 101. |
Environmental Science Concentrations
| Ecology & Evolution Concentration | 14.0-15.0 | |
| Choose 5 from below: | ||
| Genetics I | ||
| Population Genetics | ||
| Tree of Life | ||
| Systematic Biology | ||
| Conservation Biology | ||
| Advanced Topics in Evolution | ||
| Total Credits | 14.0-15.0 | |
| Applied Environmental Science Concentration | 14.0-15.0 | |
| Required Courses | ||
| The Watershed Approach | ||
| Global Climate Change | ||
| Environmental Assessment | ||
| Choose 2 from below: | ||
| Environmental and Ecological Remediation | ||
| Chemistry of the Environment | ||
| Environmental Geology | ||
| Total Credits | 14.0-15.0 | |
Writing-Intensive Course Requirements
In order to graduate, all students must pass three writing-intensive courses after their freshman year. Two writing-intensive courses must be in a student's major. The third can be in any discipline. Students are advised to take one writing-intensive class each year, beginning with the sophomore year, and to avoid “clustering” these courses near the end of their matriculation. Transfer students need to meet with an academic advisor to review the number of writing-intensive courses required to graduate.
A "WI" next to a course in this catalog may indicate that this course can fulfill a writing-intensive requirement. For the most up-to-date list of writing-intensive courses being offered, students should check the Writing Intensive Course List at the University Writing Program. Students scheduling their courses can also conduct a search for courses with the attribute "WI" to bring up a list of all writing-intensive courses available that term.
Sample Plan of Study
4+1 (4COP), 1 co-op
| First Year | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| CHEM 101 | 3.5 | BIO 132 | 4.0 | BIO 133 | 4.0 | VACATION | |
| ENGL 101 or 111 | 3.0 | BIO 135 | 1.0 | BIO 136 | 1.0 | ||
| ENVS 101 | 5.0 | CHEM 102 | 4.5 | CHEM 103 | 4.5 | ||
| MATH 101 or 121 | 4.0 | CIVC 101 | 1.0 | COOP 101 | 1.0 | ||
| UNIV S101 | 1.0 | ENGL 102 or 112 | 3.0 | GEO 103 | 2.0 | ||
| MATH 102 or 122 | 4.0 | MATH 239 or 123 | 4.0 | ||||
| 16.5 | 17.5 | 16.5 | 0 | ||||
| Second Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| BIO 131 | 4.0 | CS 171 | 3.0 | ENVS 212 | 4.0 | COM 230 | 3.0 |
| BIO 134 | 1.0 | ENVS 286 | 3.0 | GEO 101 | 4.0 | PHYS 153 | 4.0 |
| ENGL 103 or 113 | 3.0 | GEO 201 | 3.0 | PHYS 152 | 4.0 | (UG) ENVS Lab elective | 2.0 |
| ENVS 102 | 2.0 | UNIV S201 | 1.0 | (UG) Humanities/Social Science elective | 3.0 | (UG) Humanities/Social Science elective | 3.0 |
| ENVS 201 | 2.0 | (UG) ENVS Concentration course | 2.0 | (UG) Free elective | 3.0 | (UG) Free elective | 3.0 |
| ENVS 284 | 3.0 | (UG) Free elective | 3.0 | ||||
| 15 | 15 | 18 | 15 | ||||
| Third Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| MATH 410 | 3.0 | ENSS 283 or PSCI 284 | 3.0-4.0 | COOP EXPERIENCE | COOP EXPERIENCE | ||
| PHIL 340 or 341 | 3.0 | ENVS 308 | 3.0 | ||||
| PHYS 154 | 4.0 | MATH 411 | 3.0 | ||||
| (UG) ENVS Concentration course | 3.0 | (UG) ENVS Concentration course | 3.0 | ||||
| (UG) CHEM elective | 3.0 | (UG) CHEM elective | 2.0 | ||||
| 16 | 14-15 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Fourth Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| ENVS 441 | 2.0 | ENVS 442 | 2.0 | ENVS 443 | 2.0 | ||
| COM 310 | 3.0 | (UG) ENVS Concentration course | 3.0 | (UG) ENVS electives | 3.0 | ||
| (UG) ENVS Concentration course | 3.0 | (UG) ENVS elective | 3.0 | (UG) Free elective | 7.0 | ||
| (UG) Free elective | 4.0 | (UG) Free elective | 4.0 | ENVS 506 | 3.0 | ||
| ENVS 501 (Shared UG/GR course) | 3.0 | ENVS 511 (Shared UG/GR course) | 3.0 | (GR) Electives | 3.0 | ||
| (GR) Elective | 3.0 | (GR) Elective | 3.0 | ||||
| 18 | 18 | 18 | |||||
| Fifth Year | |||||||
| Fall | Credits | Winter | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| (GR) Electives | 9.0 | (GR) Electives | 9.0 | (GR) Electives | 9.0 | ||
| 9 | 9 | 9 | |||||
| Total Credits 224.5-225.5 | |||||||
