Environmental Studies - BS

The BS degree in Environmental Studies in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences provides students with the opportunity to learn about the major societal forces that influence environmental issues. These include political agreement supporting legal and regulatory requirements, economics and the marketplace, environmental values, and technology. Students gain technical background blended with a solid foundation in economics, political issues, environmental law, ethics, and communications. Technology and the environment are well supported in existing curricula and contribute to the multidisciplinary nature of the Environmental Studies degree. Technical courses focus on biological sciences, natural resources, and assessment of the environment and come from the Agricultural Economics; Bioenvironmental Sciences; Entomology; Forest Science; Rangeland Ecology and Management; Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences; Soil and Crop Sciences; and Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences. It is the fusion of these courses with those from the Liberal Arts that make this a truly unique curriculum. This degree is housed within the Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology.

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
Fall		Semester Credit Hours
BESC 201	Introduction to Bioenvironmental Sciences	3
BIOL 111 or BIOL 101	Introductory Biology I or Botany	4
RENR 205	Fundamentals of Ecology	3
Social and behavioral sciences ¹		3
General elective ¹		1
	Semester Credit Hours	14
Spring
CHEM 119	Fundamentals of Chemistry I	4
GEOG 201	Introduction to Human Geography	3
Communication ¹		3
Government/Political science ¹		3
Language, philosophy and culture ¹		3
	Semester Credit Hours	16
Second Year
Fall
BESC 367	U.S. Environmental Regulations	3
GEOG 203	Planet Earth	3
GEOG 213	Planet Earth Lab	1
Government/Political science ¹		3
Environmental policy elective ²		3
General elective ¹		3
	Semester Credit Hours	16
Spring
ESSM 309	Forest Ecology	3
American history ¹		3
Creative arts ¹		3
Environmental policy elective ²		3
Natural resource elective ³		3
	Semester Credit Hours	15
Third Year
Fall
GEOG 304	Economic Geography	3
RENR 375	Conservation of Natural Resources	3
American history ¹		3
Mathematics ¹		3
Natural resource elective ³		3
	Semester Credit Hours	15
Spring
WFSC 301	Wildlife and the Changing Environment	3
Mathematics ¹		3
Environmental policy elective ²		3
Natural resource elective ³		3
General elective ¹		3
	Semester Credit Hours	15
Fourth Year
Fall
SCSC 301	Soil Science	4
STAT 303	Statistical Methods	3
RENR 405/ESSM 351 or RENR 470	Geographic Information Systems for Resource Management or Environmental Impact Assessment	3
Communication ¹		3
Environmental policy elective ²		3
	Semester Credit Hours	16
Spring
BESC 481	Seminar	1
BESC 484	Field Experience	3
Environmental policy elective ²		3
Natural resource elective ³		3
General elective ¹		3
	Semester Credit Hours	13
	Total Semester Credit Hours	120

Graduation requirements include a requirement for 3 hours of International and Cultural Diversity courses and 3 hours of Cultural Discourse courses. A course satisfying a Core category, a college/department requirement, or a free elective can be used to satisfy this requirement. Select in consultation with an academic advisor.

Select five from the following in consultation with academic advisor: AGEC 344, AGEC 350, AGEC 429; BESC 314, BESC 357; ECON 202, ECON 203, ECON 323, ECON 412, ENTO 210, ENTO 431/FIVS 431; ESSM 406; GEOG 205, GEOG 401, GEOG 406, GEOS 105, PHIL 205, PHIL 314, URPN 202, URPN 360, URPN 370, URPN 460, POLS 229, POLS 231, POLS 306, POLS 340, POLS 342, POLS 347, POLS 440, POLS 461, SOCI 312, SOCI 328, WFSC 303.

Select four from the following in consultation with academic advisor: AGSM 301,AGSM 337, BESC 204, BESC 320, BESC 401,BESC 403, ENTO 201, ENTO 320, ENTO 403, ENTO 424; ESSM 201, ESSM 309, ESSM 320, ESSM 444; FRSC 421, HORT 301, POSC 427, RENR 410, RPTS 316, RPTS 426, RPTS 460/RENR 460, WFSC 304, WFSC 403, WFSC 405, WFSC 418, WFSC 420.

A minimum of 120 semester hours will be required for a BS degree.