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DEDMAN COLLEGE
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

Coordinating Committee: Assistant Professor and Director Bonnie Jacobs (Environmental Science Program); Professor Michael Lattman (Chemistry); Professor Larry Ruben (Biological Sciences); Professor Robert Gregory (Geological Sciences).

Chemistry: Professors: Edward Biehl, John Buynak, Michael Lattman, John Maguire, Patty Wisian-Neilson; Associate Professors: Werner Horsthemke, Mark Schell, David Son; Assistant Professor: Ling Hua; Geological Sciences: Professors: David Blackwell, Robert Gregory, Eugene Herrin, Louis Jacobs, Brian Stump, John Walther, Crayton Yapp; Assistant Professor: Neil J. Tabor; Biological Sciences: Professors: Christine Buchanan, William Orr, John Ubelaker, Steven Vik; Associate Professor: Richard Jones; Assistant Professors: Robert Harrod, Pia Vogel, James Waddle.

The natural systems that constitute the Earth's environment are in continuous mutual interaction. These interactions occur on spatial scales that range from microscopic to global and on temporal scales that range from fractions of a second to millions of years. Scientific efforts to understand how the activities of humans affect the workings of such a complex arrangement must properly involve the identification and study of the fundamental processes operating at present in the Earth's environment. Furthermore, to apply such knowledge with skill, insight and perspective, information must also be acquired on the extent to which ancient environmental conditions on the Earth may have differed from those observed today, and how such changes affected life on the planet. An intellectual and practical scientific problem of such vast scope must be approached in an interdisciplinary manner. This interdisciplinary requirement is important not only for students who will become professional environmental scientists, but also for those who want a solid scientific foundation for post-graduate training in environmental law, public policy, business, and other fields.

The program includes a set of "core" courses that provide the student with the necessary background in chemistry, earth science, physics, biology and mathematics to move into an earth science, chemistry, or biology emphasis in the upper division courses. All Environmental Science majors will come together their senior year in a multidisciplinary seminar in Environmental Science. Juniors and seniors may do an internship (e.g., with an environmental lawyer, an assessment and remediation company, or a nonprofit agency) for course credit and by special arrangement.

A total of 122 credits is required for a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science. Included are 30 credits in General Education, 24 credits as Free Electives (can be 27 credits if the Information Technology requirement is satisfied with the Environmental Sciences Program), 50 credits of core courses, and 18 credits of Environmental Science electives taken with an emphasis in Chemistry, Earth Science, or Biology.

Core Courses
(50 course credits)

Biology (7 credits):

  • BIOL 1402 Introductory Biology II
  • BIOL 3307 Ecology

Chemistry (15 or 16 credits):

  • CHEM 1303 General Chemistry I
  • CHEM 1113 General Chemistry I Laboratory
  • CHEM 1304 General Chemistry II
  • CHEM 1114 General Chemistry II Laboratory
  • CHEM 3371 Organic Chemistry I
  • CHEM 3117 Organic Chemistry I Laboratory

    and either

  • CHEM 3372 and 3118 Organic Chemistry II and Organic Chemistry II Laboratory
    or
  • CHEM 3351 Quantitative Analysis

Geological Sciences (11 credits):

  • GEOL 1301 Earth Systems or
  • GEOL 1315 Introduction to Environmental Sciences
  • GEOL 3451 Earth Materials I
  • GEOL 3452 Earth Materials II

Mathematics (6 credits):

  • MATH 1337 Calculus with Analytic Geometry I
  • MATH 1338 Calculus with Analytic Geometry II

Physics (8 credits):

  • PHYS 1303 Introductory Mechanics and
  • PHYS 1105 General Physics Laboratory I or
  • PHYS 1307 General Physics I and
  • PHYS 1105 General Physics Laboratory I and
  • PHYS 1304 Introductory Electricity and Magnetism and
  • PHYS 1106 General Physics Laboratory II or
  • PHYS 1308 General Physics II and
  • PHYS 1106 General Physics Laboratory II

Environmental Science (3 credits):

  • GEOL 3363 Environmental Geology Seminar

Chemistry Emphasis, Upper-Division Courses
(18 credit hours)

Required (9 or 10 credits):

  • CHEM 3372 and 3118 Organic Chemistry II and Organic Chemistry II Laboratory or
  • CHEM 3351 Quantitative Analysis
  • CHEM 5381 Physical Chemistry or 5383 Physical Chemistry I

Electives (choose 9 or more credits):

  • CHEM 4397 Research
  • CHEM 5390 Environmental Chemistry
  • GEOL 3366 Environmental Geology and Geochemical Cycles
  • GEOL 5384 Hydrogeology
  • GEOL 5386 Geochemistry
  • GEOL 3353 Modern and Ancient Climates
  • ME 5317 Groundwater Hydrology and Contamination

Earth Sciences Emphasis, Upper-Division Electives
(choose 18 credit hours)

  • CHEM 3351 Quantitative Analysis
  • CHEM 3372 and 3118 Organic Chemistry II and Organic Chemistry II Laboratory
  • CHEM 5381 or 5383 Physical Chemistry or Physical Chemistry I
  • CHEM 5390 Environmental Chemistry
  • GEOL 3353 Modern and Ancient Climates
  • GEOL 3360 Process Geomorphology
  • GEOL 3366 Environmental Geology and Geochemical Cycles
  • GEOL 3369 Paleobiology
  • GEOL 3454 Structural Geology
  • GEOL 3472 Principles of Sedimentation
  • GEOL 4296 and/or 4298 Integrative Research (up to 4 credits) or GEOL 4321 internship in geoscience
  • GEOL 4390 Geophysical Prospecting
  • GEOL 5368 Paleoecology
  • GEOL 5384 Hydrogeology
  • GEOL 5386 Geochemistry
  • ME 2342 Fluid Mechanics
  • ENCE 3341 Introduction to Solid and Hazardous Waste Management
  • STAT 2331 or 4340 Introduction to Statistical Methods or Statistical Methods for Engineers and Applied Scientists

Biology Emphasis
(18 credit hours)

Required (4 credits)

  • BIOL 1401 Introductory Biology I

Electives (choose 14 or more credits)

  • BIOL 3303 Evolution
  • BIOL 3304 Genetics
  • BIOL 3306 Physiology
  • BIOL 3342 Plant Kingdom
  • BIOL 3343 Field Botany (Taos)
  • BIOL 3347 Systematic Botany (Taos)
  • GEOL 3353 Modern And Ancient Climates
  • BIOL 3354 Parasitology
  • BIOL 3357 Biology of the Invertebrates
  • BIOL 3403 Microbiology
  • BIOL 5166 Vertebrate Anatomy Lab (Corequisite BIOL 5366)
  • BIOL 5366 Vertebrate Origins And Evolution (Corequisite BIOL 5166)
  • BIOL 5110 Biological Chemistry Lab (Co- or Prerequisite BIOL 5310)
  • BIOL 5311 Biological Chemistry: Metabolism