Environmental Science Major

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Learn from – and do research with – professors who are experts in their fields and who invest their time in you, so that you can understand the complex, real-world issues related to environmental science. Studying the environment inevitably means studying the ways we interact with it. At EMU we focus on how to improve our interactions toward conservation and sustainability.

At EMU, environmental science majors learn by doing. They build resumes that include environmental research and that boast coursework in a variety of disciplines. Biology, sociology and peacebuilding professors work together on environmental science courses that weave forward-thinking sustainability practices with issues of international and community development and conservation.

Alumni are employed in a variety of related fields and have advanced degrees.

Distinctives
- Study at a university that practices sustainability as a core value
- We study modern concerns like global warming from both scientific and social perspectives, and take an interdisciplinary approach to understanding contemporary issues such as local hydrofracking and wilderness preservation.
- Job-related, practical experiences in a wide variety of organizations through practicums or internships in private businesses, farms and government agencies are an important step in developing a career in environmental sustainability.
- Research opportunities and student-faculty collaborations have included projects such as a grant-funded steam restoration in a local mountain community.
- EMU intercultural study abroad trips focus on sustainability issues, as did recent trips to New Zealand, Bolivia and the Galapagos, and Kenya.
- The Oregon Extension offers a unique opportunity to spend a semester in the mountains of southern Oregon exploring sustainability.

Student Internships and Opportunities

Internships in environmental science and social sustainability

Washington D.C. internships through WCSC:

Local internships in Harrisonburg, Virginia:

Student clubs and opportunities focused on sustainability

Research and Capstone projects

The capstone course centers around activities that help students reflect on their knowledge about sustainability and bring together threads from diverse disciplines to create an integrated understanding of contemporary sustainability issues.

In addition to their capstone experience, students often collaborate with faculty on long-standing research projects, sometimes presenting research at the Virginia Academy of Sciences.

Affordability
- 99% of undergrads receive financial aid
- The average assistance package is over $37,000
- Over $21 million in aid is awarded each year
Financial aid packages often include:
Learn more by contacting EMU's Financial Assistance Office or checking out our net price calculator.

Our graduate program in peacebuilding is also an asset to any undergrad in the fields of development and sustainability. Dozens of grad-level international scholars flock to EMU each year to study at the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, and many professors around campus have decades of experience working and living overseas advocating for those in the margins.

Curriculum

The environmental sciences at EMU is composed of the environmental science major and minors in environmental science, environmental studies and environmental justice. Its goal is to provide an interdisciplinary approach to sustaining the quality of our natural world with an emphasis on the interrelationships between the natural world and the social world. The environmental science curriculum recognizes a balance between technical training and the broad education of a liberal arts philosophy.

The environmental science major focuses on the ecological and chemical aspects of environmental sustainability. The solid coursework in natural sciences prepares students to work on such issues as biodiversity and loss of species, pollution and toxicology, land use and degradation, waste management, resource depletion and energy consumption, climate change, and alternative agriculture. Completion of the environmental science major equips students to work in fields of conservation, environmental monitoring, agriculture, alternative energy promotion and development, sustainable development, environmental advocacy, environmental education or graduate work in these areas.

Required Courses: Introduction to Sustainability (11 SH)

BIOL 173 Concepts in Biology: Unity and Diversityof Life - 4
BIOL 235 Ecology: Adaptation and Environment - 4
SOC 245 Environment and Society - 3

Required Courses: Integration (18 SH)

*ENVS 205 Environmental Applications of GIS - 3
*ENVS 325Environmental Ethics - 2
*ENVS 365 Environmental Risk and Policy - 2
*ENVS 385 Conservation Biology - 4
ENVS 429 Environmental Sustainability Internship - 3
ENVS 430 Environmental Sustainability Capstone - 2
STAT 120 Descriptive Statistics OR STAT 220 Inferential Statistics - 2

Required Supporting Courses (10 SH)

BIOL 275 Writing for the Natural Sciences -2
CHEM 223 General Chemistry I - 4
*CHEM 285 Environmental Chemistry - 4

Environmental Science electives (5 SH)

Choose 5 SH from this list:

BIOL 215 Organismal Biology - 4
BIOL 240 Molecular and Cellular Biology - 4
*BIOL 327 Advanced Microbiology - 3
*BIOL 358 Natural History of the Shenandoah Valley - 4
*BIOL 368 Blue Ridge Botany - 2
*BIOL 465 Topics in Advanced Ecology - 2
CHEM 224 General Chemistry II - 4
CHEM 315 Organic Chemistry I - 4
CHEM 316 Organic Chemistry II - 4
*CHEM 320 AnalyticalChemistry I - 3
*CHEM 340 Analytical Chemistry II- 3
ENVS 135 Earth Science - 2
*ENVS 235 Sustainable Food Systems - 2
ENVS 265 Fundamentals of Restoration Ecology - 2
*ENVS 379 Techniques in Environmental Monitoring - 1

Social Sustainability electives (6 SH)

Choose 6 SH from this list:

BUAD 221 Principles of Management - 3
BUAD 465 Project Management and Grantwriting - 3
ECON 201 Survey of Economics - 3
ECON 211 Principles of Microeconomics - 3
ECON 212 Principles of Macroeconomics - 3
*ECON 300 Environmental and Ecological Economics - 3
*ECON 311 Contemporary Economic Issues - 3
*ECON 401 Development Economics - 3
*ECON 411 International Economics - 3
*PXD 261 Community and Conflict AnalysisTechniques - 3
PXD 365 Social and Political Economy - 3
PXD 375 Globalization and Justice - 3
PXD 485 Global Development - 3
SOC 101 Introduction to Sociology - 3
SOC 210 Social Stratification - 3
SOC 225 Theories of Social Change - 3
SOC 255 Social Movements - 3
SOC 336 Methods of Social Research - 3
*SOC 350 Urban Sociology - 3
*SOC 430 Environmental Justice - 3
SOWK 360 Race and Gender - 3
VACA 354 Conservation Photography - 4

* indicates the course is offered in alternate years

Enrollment in upper-level biology, biochemistry, chemistry and environmental science courses (BIOL, BIOCH, CHEM, ENVS 300s and 400s) requires a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in all science and math courses (BIOL, BIOCH, CHEM, ENVS, MATH, PHYS). Students who fail to earn a C- in any coursework required for their major should promptly schedule a meeting with their advisor.

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Environmental Science