Major Requirements: Environmental Geoscience
About the Major
This program serves as an excellent major for students planning graduate work in environmentally related
fields (e.g. environmental consulting, environmental non-profits, government employees with agencies such
as the U.S. Forest Service, National Parks, Geological Survey) as well as students who wish to concentrate in
the sciences, but who may not be looking toward professional careers as scientists.
Major Requirements
The major consists of a minimum of 50 credits, equivalent to at least 16 full-semester courses.
(A) 12 credits in Environmental Systems (ES) (2 credits each):
ES: The Human
Footprint
ES: Climate Change
ES: Water Resources
ES: Oceans
ES: The Critical Zone
ES: Ecosystems
ES: Quantitative
Methods
ES: Earthquakes
(B) EESC2220: Earth Materials with Lab (4 credits)
(C) At least 18 credits of elective courses (examples below):
Alternative Energy: Why
Aren’t We There Yet?
Environmental
Oceanography
Geomorphology and
Landscape Change
Isotope Geochemistry
Paleoclimate
Paleobiology
River Restoration and
Management
Seismology
Statistical Analysis of
Scientific Data
Advanced Structural Geology
Biogeochemical Cycles
Applications of GIS
(D) Senior Research Experience (at least 4 credits)
Senior Capstone
(2 credits/semester)
OR
Senior Thesis
(3 credits/semester)
(E) Three co-requisite courses in Natural Sciences and Mathematics (12 credits)
Calculus II
+
Introduction to
Physics (2
semesters)
OR
General
Chemistry
(2 semesters)
OR
Biology (2 semesters)
- Molecules & Cells
- Ecology & Evolution
- Investigations in
Molecular Cell Biology Lab
Information for First Year Environmental Geoscience Students
For those students who would like to explore the major in Environmental Geoscience, it is suggested that:
 Students take two to four of the Environmental Systems courses during their first year
 The laboratory science requirement (E above) should be taken during the first or second year
Contact: Professor Alan Kafka, Director of Undergraduate Studies – Devlin 312, kafka@bc.edu