BS in Environmental Sciences with Emphasis in Water
Degree Program Description
The degree combines interests in understanding management effects on hydrology and water quality. Studies include monitoring environmental change, conserving and managing biological organisms, assuring healthy streams and adequate water supplies, improving environmental quality with the shaping of new policies and educating others about the natural environment and environmental issues. Example careers include Environmental Scientist, Environmental Technician, Hydrologist, Land Manager, and Water Quality Specialist. Employment may occur in a variety of sectors, including federal, state, county and city government agencies, non-government agencies (NGOs), and private consulting firms.
Major Program Requirements
Students earning a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences are required to complete all University general education, University graduation, and degree requirements, including selected foundational courses, which may fulfill some University general education requirements.
| Foundational Courses | ||
| MATH 1100 | College Algebra | 3-5 |
| or MATH 1160 | Precalculus Mathematics | |
| MATH 1400 | Calculus for Social and Life Sciences I | 3-5 |
| or MATH 1500 | Analytic Geometry and Calculus I | |
| CHEM 1400 & CHEM 1401 | College Chemistry I and College Chemistry I Laboratory | 4 |
| Business Elective (select from ABM, ECONOM, FINPLN) | 3 | |
| AGSC_COM 2220 | Verbal Communication in Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources | 3 |
| ABM 2123 | Quantitative Applications in Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences | 3 |
| or STAT 1200 | Introductory Statistical Reasoning | |
| ENV_SC 1100 | Introduction to Environmental Science | 3 |
| ATM_SC 1050 | Introductory Meteorology | 3 |
| NAT_R 2325 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | 3 |
| or GEOG 3040 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems GIS | |
| ENV_SC 4560 | Observing the Earth from Space | 3 |
| or ABM 1200 | Applied Computer Applications | |
| Core Emphasis Requirements | ||
| Biological Science | ||
| BIO_SC 1200 | General Botany with Laboratory | 5 |
| BIO_SC 1500 | Introduction to Biological Systems with Laboratory | 5 |
| FOREST 4320 | Forest Ecology | 5 |
| or BIO_SC 3650 | General Ecology | |
| Chemistry | ||
| CHEM 1410 & CHEM 1411 | College Chemistry II and College Chemistry II Laboratory | 4 |
| Geology | ||
| GEOL 1100 | Introduction to the Earth with Laboratory | 4 |
| or GEOL 1200 | Environmental Geology with Laboratory | |
| GEOL 2400 | Surficial Earth Processes and Products with Laboratory | 4 |
| Policy/Regulation | ||
| NAT_R 4353 | Natural Resource Policy/Administration | 3 |
| or ENV_SC 4400W | Environmental Law, Policy, and Justice - Writing Intensive | |
| Soil Science | ||
| SOIL 2100 | Introduction to Soils | 3 |
| SOIL 2106 | Soil Science Laboratory | 2 |
| Additional Emphasis Area Requirements | ||
| ENV_SC 2600 | Sustainability Foundations: An Introduction to Sustainability | 3 |
| ENV_SC 3250 | Pollutant Fate and Transport | 3 |
| ENV_SC 4450 | Environmental Hydrology | 3 |
| or FOREST 4390 | Watershed Management and Water Quality | |
| ENV_SC 4940 | Environmental Science Internship | 3 |
| Capstone Experience | ||
| ENV_SC 3400 | Water Quality and Natural Resources Management | 3 |
| or ENV_SC 4320 | Hydrologic and Water Quality Modeling | |
| Students may identify a specific track and select from the following disciplinary elective classes approved by an academic advisor to achieve an additional 15 credit hours at the 3000/4000 levels (must take at least one Atmospheric, Environmental or Soil Science course). Students not wishing to work in a specific track may select from either list to achieve an additional 15 credit hours at the 3000/4000 levels and at least one course must be in Atmospheric, Environmental, or Soil Science. | ||
| (Tracks do not appear on transcripts or diplomas) | ||
| Hydrology Track | 15 | |
| AG_S_TCH 4420 | Surface Water Management | 3 |
| ATM_SC 3600 | Climates of the World | 3 |
| ATM_SC 4400 | Microclimatology | 3 |
| ATM_SC 4590 | Radar Meteorology | 3 |
| BIOL_EN 4150 | Soil and Water Conservation Engineering | 3 |
| CV_ENG 3700 | Fluid Mechanics | 3 |
| CV_ENG 3702 | Fundamentals of Water Resources Engineering | 4 |
| ENV_SC 4305 | Environmental Soil Physics | 3 |
| ENV_SC 4306 | Environmental Soil Physics Laboratory | 2 |
| ENV_SC 4318 | Environmental Soil Chemistry | 3 |
| FOREST 4390 | Watershed Management and Water Quality | 3 |
| GEOG 4630 | River and Stream Dynamics | 3 |
| GEOL 4100 | Groundwater Hydrology | 3 |
| NAT_R 3400 | Water Quality and Natural Resource Management | 3 |
| SOIL 4320 | Genesis of Soil Landscapes | 4 |
| Water Quality Track | 15 | |
| BIOL_EN 4150 | Soil and Water Conservation Engineering | 3 |
| ENV_SC 4100 | Lake Ecology | 3 |
| ENV_SC 4200 | Stream Ecology and Hydrology | 3 |
| ENV_SC 4300 | Methods in Lake Ecology | 2 |
| ENV_SC 4305 | Environmental Soil Physics | 3 |
| ENV_SC 4306 | Environmental Soil Physics Laboratory | 2 |
| ENV_SC 4312 | Environmental Soil Microbiology | 3 |
| ENV_SC 4318 | Environmental Soil Chemistry | 3 |
| ENV_SC 4600W | Sustainability Science Problem Solving - Writing Intensive | 3 |
| F_W 3900 | Ecology of Fishes | 3 |
| FOREST 4390 | Watershed Management and Water Quality | 3 |
| GEOL 4300 | Introduction to Low-Temperature Geochemistry | 3 |
| NAT_R 3400 | Water Quality and Natural Resource Management | 3 |
| PLNT_SCI 4720 | Aquatic Entomology | 3 |
| SOIL 4313 | Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition | 3 |
| Electives approved by professional advisor to complete 120 credits | ||
Semester Plan
Below is a sample plan of study, semester by semester. A student's actual plan may vary based on course choices where options are available.
| First Year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| HIST 1100 or POL_SC 1100 | 3 | ENGLSH 1000 | 3 | ||
| BIO_SC 1200 | 5 | MATH 1100 | 3 | ||
| ENV_SC 1100 | 3 | NAT_R 2325 | 3 | ||
| ATM_SC 1050 | 3 | SOIL 2100 | 3 | ||
| GEOL 1200 | 4 | ||||
| 14 | 16 | ||||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| BIO_SC 1500 | 5 | SOIL 2106 | 2 | ||
| ENV_SC 2600 | 3 | CHEM 1400 & CHEM 1401 | 4 | ||
| ENV_SC 3290 | 3 | AGSC_COM 2220 | 3 | ||
| STAT 1200 | 3 | Business Elective | 3 | ||
| Emphasis Area Elective | 3 | ||||
| 14 | 15 | ||||
| Third Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | Summer | Credits |
| GEOL 2400 | 4 | CHEM 1410 & CHEM 1411 | 4 | ENV_SC 4940 | 3 |
| FOREST 4320 or BIO_SC 3650 | 5 | NAT_R 3400 | 3 | ||
| Humanities Elective | 3 | ENV_SC 3250 | 3 | ||
| Social Science Elective | 3 | Emphasis Area Elective | 3 | ||
| 15 | 13 | 3 | |||
| Fourth Year | |||||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits | ||
| ABM 1200 | 3 | MATH 1400 | 3 | ||
| ENV_SC 4305 | 3 | Humanities Elective-Lower Level WI | 3 | ||
| ENV_SC 4306 | 2 | Emphasis Area Elective | 10 | ||
| ENV_SC 4400W | 3 | ||||
| ENV_SC 4450 | 3 | ||||
| 14 | 16 | ||||
| Total Credits: 120 | |||||
Degree Audit
The degree audit is an automated report reflecting a student’s academic progress toward the completion of a degree.
MU students can request a degree audit by logging in to myDegreePlanner. Students may also access myDegreePlanner via myZou, in the Student Center, click on the Academic Progress Tile, then select Request Degree Audit. The audit automatically pulls in the student’s MU course work, transfer courses and courses in progress. This is available to current students, admitted students, and those who last attended less than three terms ago.
Past MU students can request a degree audit by contacting the Academic Advising Unit of the division in which they were last enrolled at MU. For contact information, go to https://advising.missouri.edu/contact/.
Prospective students, can access a preliminary MU degree audit via https://www.transferology.com. Information on the college credits already earned will have to be manually entered before it can be evaluated against current degree requirements.
For additional details on degree audits, go to https://registrar.missouri.edu/degrees-audits/degree-audits/.
Major and Career Exploration
The University of Missouri has many resources to assist you in exploring majors and career possibilities. For guidance, visit the Majors and Careers website or view specific resources below.
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If you are considering a change of major or are exploring multiple majors, schedule an appointment with an advisor in the Discovery Center by calling (573)884-9700 or through MU Connect Discovery Center service in you success network.
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If you have decided on a major, visit an academic advisor in the School or College that you are interested in to discuss the process of declaring the major.
- If you would like to learn more about your career interests, abilities, values and talents, visit the MU Career Center. No Appointment is necessary to explore career options with one of our staff members.
- If you would like information about MU majors and degree programs, visit:
- the Degrees, Majors (Degree Programs), Emphasis Areas, Minors and Certificates page in the catalog,
- the MU Majors website.
For additional major and career exploration resources, visit Major & Career Exploration in the catalog.