Environmental and Earth Science, B.A.

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Earth and Geographic Sciences

Chairperson

Elizabeth Gordon

Professor	Associate Professor	Assistant Professors	Instructor
Elizabeth Gordon	Reid Parsons	Elyse Clark	Tina Morin
Jane Huang		Jared Vanasse
Jiang Yu

Objectives for the Program in Earth and Geographic Sciences

The Earth and Geographic Sciences department encompasses the disciplines of Earth Science, Geographic Science, and Physics. Students may choose a major in Environmental and Earth Science or Geographic Science and Technology. In both fields, successful students pursue courses of instruction and are supported in undertaking internship experiences which prepare them for entry into the job market or for acceptance to graduate school. Minors are offered in Earth Science, Geographic Science and Technology, and Geographic Information Systems. All three disciplines that make up the Earth and Geographic Sciences offer courses that satisfy various requirements of the General Education Program, as well as those of majors in other departments.

Requirements for the Major in Environmental and Earth Science and Geographic Science and Technology

The degrees of Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts in Environmental and Earth Science or Geographic Science and Technology each require a minimum of 36 semester hours of coursework. Bachelor of Arts students are required to have foreign language proficiency at the intermediate level.

Environmental and Earth Science

Student Learning Outcomes

Students who earn a major in Environmental and Earth Science will demonstrate a scientific understanding of how the Earth operates as a system and how humans interact with their environment, including natural hazards and use of Earth’s resources. They will be able to distinguish between science and non-science, back up arguments with quantitative evidence, communicate their ideas effectively, and explain the necessity and characteristics of an interdisciplinary approach to solving environmental issues.

In particular, Environmental and Earth Science students will:

communicate scientific information through written, oral, and graphical expression with clarity, logical organization, and use of scientific evidence to support their ideas.
use the scientific process, including experimental design, analysis and critical evaluation of information, and integration of evidence from relevant sources, in the context of environmental investigations.
discuss the structure and composition of Earth’s interior, surface, and atmosphere, and explain what it means to consider Earth as a system.
apply an interdisciplinary approach to analyze and propose solutions to environmental science problems.
describe the complex interactions between humans and their environment, including geological hazards, air and water pollution, global environmental issues, and use and conservation of Earth’s resources.

Core requirements (27 credits):

GEOG 1000 - Earth Systems Science 3 cr. or
ENSC 1000 - Introduction to Environmental Science 3 cr.
GEOG 2100 - Geology 3 cr.
GEOG 2400 - Introduction to Geospatial Technologies 3 cr. or
GEOG 3120 - Computer Cartography 3 cr.
GEOG 2500 - Oceanography 3 cr.
GEOG 3110 - Climatology 3 cr.
GEOG 4000 - Geographic Information System 3 cr.
GEOG 4200 - Geomorphology 3 cr.
GEOG 4500 - Remote Sensing of the Environment 3 cr.
GEOG 4600 - Environmental Hydrogeology 3 cr.

An additional three courses chosen from (9 credits):

BIOL 1900 - General Biology II 4 cr. or
BIOL 2100 - Flora of New England 3 cr. or
BIOL 3100 - Conservation Biology 3 cr. or
BIOL 3102 - Marine Biology 3 cr.
ENSC 2000 - Field Techniques in Environmental Science I 3 cr.
GEOG 2006 - Water Resources and Society 3 cr.
GEOG 2056 - Climate Change and Human History 3 cr.
GEOG 2200 - Meteorology 3 cr.
GEOG 4220 - Structural Geology 3 cr.
GEOG 4700 - Geographic Perspectives on Conservation 3 cr.
GEOG 4900 - Independent Study in Geography 1, 2, 3 cr.
GEOG 4940 - Internship in Geography 3 cr. * or
GEOG 4950 - Internship in Geography 6 cr. * or
GEOG 4960 - Internship in Geography 12 cr. *
*(max 9 cr of internship to apply toward major)

Required cognate courses (27 cr):

(to be taken as part of the General Education Program distribution and free electives):

BIOL 2300 - Ecology 4 cr.
CHEM 1300 - General Chemistry I 4 cr.
CHEM 1400 - General Chemistry II 4 cr.
PHYS 2300 - General Physics I 4 cr. or
PHYS 2600 - Calculus-Based Physics I 4 cr.
PHYS 2400 - General Physics II 4 cr. or
PHYS 2700 - Calculus-Based Physics II 4 cr.
MATH 1700 - Applied Statistics 3 cr.
MATH 1300 - Precalculus 4 cr. or
MATH 2300 - Calculus I 4 cr.

Note:

* GEOG 4000 meets the Computer Literacy requirement for Geographic Science and Technology and Environmental and Earth Science.

** GEOG 3250 , GEOG 3270 , GEOG 4200 , GEOG 4220 and GEOG 4600 meets the Speaking/Listening and Jr/Sr Writing requirement for Environmental and Earth Science.

*** GEOG 1100 meets the Speaking/Listening requirement and GEOG 3400 or GEOG 4700 meets the Jr/Sr Writing requirement for Geographic Science and Technology.