Environmental Science (BS)
The information on the tabs below will help students planning to major in Environmental Science to choose appropriate classes for their first semester. The recommendations below are for your first semester only, so you may have additional Core requirements, for example, that you'll learn more about during your first semester here.
Advising Notes
Important Notes for Environmental Science majors from Advising:
- Your ability to complete this major in eight semesters may be impacted if you do not begin with your recommended calculus course placement.
- Don’t forget to check the AP/IB guide to ensure you know if you have any incoming credit that will count towards your Core requirements.
- If you are a pre-med student, consider taking SOCL 101 for your Foundational Societal Core option as it is a pre-med requirement.
- When registering for your courses, it's a good idea to prioritize lab courses first. Labs often require a significant chunk of time in a single day, sometimes spanning several hours. By registering for these first, you can plan your schedule around these time-intensive commitments and avoid conflicts with other classes or responsibilities. This will help you manage your workload and ensure you're not overloading yourself with back-to-back commitments.
First Semester Course Recommendations
As an Environmental Science major, you will enroll in the following courses:
- BIOL 101 (3 credits) and BIOL 111 (1 credit)
From here, your math placement will have you enroll in either Plan A, Plan B, or Plan C.
Plan A: If you have a math placement of MATH 131 or above you will register for:
- CHEM 160 (3 credits) and CHEM 161 (1 credit)
Two of the following Core classes (Pick only one course per category, 6 total credits):
- College Writing Seminar: UCWR 110, based on writing placement
- Foundational Historical Knowledge: HIST 101, HIST 102, HIST 103, or HIST 104
- Foundational Philosophical Knowledge: PHIL 130
- Foundational Literary Knowledge: UCLR 100M, UCLR 100C, or UCLR 100E
- Foundational Theological Knowledge: THEO 100 or THEO 107
- Foundational Societal & Cultural Knowledge: ANTH 100, PLSC 102, SOCL 101, or WSGS 101
- Artistic Knowledge: ()
Plan B: If you have a math placement of MATH 118 you will register for:
- MATH 118 (3 credits)
- CHEM 160 (3 credits) and CHEM 161 (1 credit)
One of the following Core classes (Pick only one course per category, 3 total credits):
- College Writing Seminar: UCWR 110, based on writing placement
- Foundational Historical Knowledge: HIST 101, HIST 102, HIST 103, or HIST 104
- Foundational Philosophical Knowledge: PHIL 130
- Foundational Literary Knowledge: UCLR 100M, UCLR 100C, or UCLR 100E
- Foundational Theological Knowledge: THEO 100 or THEO 107
- Foundational Societal & Cultural Knowledge: ANTH 100, PLSC 102, SOCL 101, or WSGS 101
- Artistic Knowledge: ()
Plan C: If you have a math placement of MATH 117 or below you will register for:
- MATH 100 or 117 based on placement (3 credits)
- ENVS 137 or ENVS 101 if ENVS 137 is not available (3 credits)
Two of the following Core classes (Pick only one course per category, 6 total credits):
- College Writing Seminar: UCWR 110, based on writing placement
- Foundational Historical Knowledge: HIST 101, HIST 102, HIST 103, or HIST 104
- Foundational Philosophical Knowledge: PHIL 130
- Foundational Literary Knowledge: UCLR 100M, UCLR 100C, or UCLR 100E
- Foundational Theological Knowledge: THEO 100 or THEO 107
- Foundational Societal & Cultural Knowledge: ANTH 100, PLSC 102, SOCL 101, or WSGS 101
- Artistic Knowledge: ()
One Freshman Seminar:
- UNIV 101 (1 credit)
The total number of credits you will enroll in for the fall is 14-17 credits.
Interdisciplinary Honors First Semester Course Recommendations
As an Environmental Science major, you will enroll in the following courses:
- BIOL 101 (3 credits) and BIOL 111 (1 credit)
Interdisciplinary Honors Requirements (6 credits)
- HONR 101
- HONR D101
From here, your math placement will have you enroll in either Plan A, Plan B, or Plan C.
Plan A: If you have a math placement of MATH 131 or above you will register for:
- CHEM 160 (3 credits) and CHEM 161 (1 credit)
Plan B: If you have a math placement of MATH 118 you will register for:
- MATH 118 (3 credits)
- CHEM 160 (3 credits) and CHEM 161 (1 credit)
Plan C: If you have a math placement of MATH 117 or below you will register for:
- MATH 100 or 117 based on placement (3 credits)
- ENVS 137 or ENVS 101 if ENVS 137 is not available (3 credits)
One Freshman Seminar:
- UNIV 101 (1 credit)
The total number of credits you will enroll in for the fall is 15-18 credits.
The information on the tabs below will help students planning to major in Environmental Science to choose appropriate classes for their first semester. The recommendations below are for your first semester only, so you may have additional Core requirements, for example, that you'll learn more about during your first semester here.