Return to: Colleges & Departments

Christopher S. Thaxton, Director

The Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science is designed for students desiring a broad and interdisciplinary approach to studies in the environmental sciences.  Although several science departments at Appalachian State University offer ecology, environmental, and/or applied concentrations within their specific discipline, the interdisciplinary nature of this degree allows students the option of pursuing a degree that crosses traditional departmental borders and capitalizes on Appalachian’s cross-disciplinary expertise in the area of environmental sciences.

Coursework for the degree is necessarily rigorous and is comprised of a comprehensive science and math base as well as core environmental science courses across the various disciplines of biology, chemistry, geography and planning, geology, and physics and astronomy. The program offers students some latitude to focus on additional courses within a desired discipline and culminates in the completion of a senior capstone course (ENV 4100 , 4110 , 4510 ) that challenges the students to employ multi-disciplinary and cooperative approaches to solving environmental issues.

The primary objectives of this degree are to provide students with the scientific knowledge and the analytical and communication skills necessary for careers in the environmental industry, government, and business as well as post-graduate studies in various academic disciplines related to the environmental sciences.

Honors Program in Environmental Science

The Environmental Science Program offers an honors program which culminates in a senior honors research and thesis course (ENV 4510 ) open to majors in Environmental Science with an outstanding undergraduate record. In order to graduate with “honors in environmental science,” a student must have a minimum GPA of 3.45 overall and in environmental science, and must take nine semester hours of honors credit in environmental science including ENV 3560  (or the equivalent, as approved by the environmental science program director) and ENV 4510  (with a grade of “B” or higher). Students must apply for consideration of “honors in environmental science” with the environmental science program honors coordinator. To satisfy the nine semester hours of honors credit requirement, students may take honors courses or honors course sections in biology, chemistry, geology, or physics (with permission of the appropriate department chair) or students may arrange to take specific additional environmental science or science courses on an honors basis by negotiating an honors contract with the course instructor before class begins. The honors contract, which must be approved by the environmental science program honors coordinator, allows the student to receive honors credit for a regular course in environmental science or other science departments by specifying the additional assignments that the student must perform in order to receive honors credit. Additional information may be obtained from the Director’s Office of the Environmental Science Program.

Programs

• Environmental Science - Environmental Professional Concentration, BS
• Environmental Science, BS

Courses

• ENV 1010 - Introduction to Environmental Science and Engineering (3)
• ENV 3010 - Dynamics of Complex Systems (3)
• ENV 3100 - Issues in Environmental Science (1)
• ENV 3110 - Environmental Regulation and Enforcement (3)
• ENV 3455 - Quantitative Data Analysis for Earth and Environmental Scientists (3)
• ENV 3530-3549 - Selected Topics (1-4)
• ENV 3560 - Undergraduate Research (1-3)
• ENV 4100 - Environmental Science Seminar (3)
• ENV 4110 - Environmental Management and Impact Analysis (3)
• ENV 4510 - Senior Honors Research and Thesis (1-3)
• ENV 4900 - Internship in Environmental Science (1-12)

Return to: Colleges & Departments