BS in Environmental & Sustainability Science
The Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Sustainability Science program equips students with a broad foundation in the sciences with which they can take advantage of important new quantitative skills in geospatial techniques and data science and develop a concentration in either Earth and Environmental Science or Ecological Management. Required coursework incorporates science classes from across the university, with elective options including Conservation Biology, Water Resources, Oceanography, and more. Through varied courses, internships, and undergraduate research, students gain experience one of the fastest-growing career fields.
Graduates of the BS program are well prepared for competitive careers in natural resource management; environmental consulting and startups; sustainability planning and policy; and compliance-oriented agencies and departments of the environment at the federal, state and local levels. The program is also beneficial for students planning to attend graduate programs in environmental science, ecological management, or sustainability planning and policy.
Program Objectives
Upon completion of the BS in Environmental and Sustainability Science, students will be able to:
- Critically evaluate the biophysical aspects of environmental problems
- Apply quantitative methods to analyze environmental problems
- Integrate the perspectives of multiple disciplines in proposing solutions
Program Benefits
- Broad foundation of science courses from across the university which prepares students for future careers and graduate programs in the sciences.
- Opportunities to engage with nature and the built environment in and around Washington, D.C.
- Off-campus field courses in geography, geology, and biology
- Internship and research opportunities with the National Parks Service, National Geographic and the Environmental Protection Agency
- Option to combine degree with a major or minor in geography or a minor in geographic information systems
- Access to the Center for Urban and Environmental Research (CUER), which provides opportunities for faculty and students to engage in environmental research and urban development activities
Undergraduate Advisors
Environmental and Sustainability Sciences Last Name A-L: Melissa Keeley
Environmental and Sustainability Sciences Last Name M-Z: Dmitry Streletskiy
Course Requirements
The following requirements must be fulfilled:
The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Undergraduate Programs.
The program-specific curriculum:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required | ||
| Foundational courses | ||
| BISC 1111 | Introductory Biology: Cells and Molecules | |
| BISC 1112 | Introductory Biology: The Biology of Organisms | |
| GEOG 1002 | Introduction to Physical Geography | |
| or GEOL 1005 | Environmental Geology | |
| GEOG 1003 | Society and Environment | |
| or SUST 1001 | Introduction to Sustainability | |
| STAT 1051 | Introduction to Business and Economic Statistics | |
| or STAT 1053 | Introduction to Statistics in Social Science | |
| or STAT 1111 | Business and Economic Statistics I | |
| or STAT 1127 | Statistics for the Biological Sciences | |
| And two of the following sets of courses: | ||
| CHEM 1111 & CHEM 1112 | General Chemistry I and General Chemistry II | |
| MATH 1220 & MATH 1221 | Calculus with Precalculus I and Calculus with Precalculus II | |
| or MATH 1231 | Single-Variable Calculus I | |
| PHYS 1011 & PHYS 1012 | General Physics I and General Physics II | |
| or PHYS 1021 & PHYS 1022 | University Physics I and University Physics II | |
| or PHYS 1025 & PHYS 1026 | University Physics I with Biological Applications and University Physics II with Biological Applications | |
| Upper-level major requirements | ||
| Required courses | ||
| GEOG 2104 | Introduction to Cartography and GIS | |
| GEOG 2196 | Field Methods in Geography * | |
| or GEOG 3128 | Geomorphology and Natural Hazards | |
| or BISC 3459 | Field Biology | |
| ENVR 4195 | Environmental Studies Capstone | |
| Additional upper-level course requirements | ||
| 18 credits in courses in the major taken at or above the 2000 level. A minimum of 12 of these credits should be taken in one of the two concentrations outlined below and include at least one 3000-level course. The remaining 6 credits can be in courses selected from the other concentration or from the “Other upper level courses in the major” category below. | ||
| Earth and environmental science concentration | ||
| CHEM 2085 | Environmental Chemistry | |
| CHEM 3140 | Geochemistry | |
| GEOG 2136 | Water Resources | |
| GEOG 3105 | Techniques of Spatial Analysis | |
| GEOG 3108 | Weather and Climate | |
| GEOG 3128 | Geomorphology and Natural Hazards * | |
| GEOG 3218 | Arctic Systems | |
| GEOL 2106 | Oceanography | |
| GEOL 2151 | Introduction to Paleontology | |
| GEOL 3138 | Hydrogeology | |
| GEOL 3191 | Geology of Energy Resources | |
| Ecological management concentration | ||
| ANTH 3407 | Conservation in a Changing World: Human and Animal Behavior | |
| BISC 2333 | Evolution and Extinction of Dinosaurs | |
| BISC 2452 | Animal Behavior | |
| BISC 2010 | Global Change Biology | |
| BISC 2401 | Biodiversity in A Changing World | |
| BISC 2454 | General Ecology | |
| BISC 3454 | Marine Ecology | |
| BISC 3459 | Field Biology * | |
| BISC 3460W | Conservation Biology | |
| or BISC 3460 | Conservation Biology | |
| BISC 3461 | Plant-Animal Interactions | |
| BISC 3464 | Ecology and Evolution of Societies | |
| GEOG 2129W | Biogeography | |
| or GEOG 2129 | Biogeography | |
| GEOG 3132 | Environmental Quality and Management | |
| GEOG 3275 | Sustainable Food Systems | |
| Other upper-level courses in the major ** | ||
| ECON 2136 | Environmental and Natural Resource Economics | |
| GEOG 3105 | Techniques of Spatial Analysis | |
| GEOG 3106 | Intermediate Geographic Information Systems | |
| GEOG 3107 | Introduction to Remote Sensing | |
| GEOG 3193 | Environmental Law and Policy | |
| GEOG 4309 | GIS for Emergency Management | |
| PHIL 2281 | Philosophy of the Environment | |
| PPPA 2701 | Sustainability and Environmental Policy | |
| PUBH 3132 | Health and Environment | |
*BISC 3459 and GEOG 3128 cannot be counted toward the concentration if they were taken to fulfill the upper-level major course requirement.
**These courses can be counted toward the total number of credits required for the major.