Environmental Science

Environmental Science is an interdisciplinary program in which students follow one of the three tracks listed below. Contact the faculty advisors for further information.

Program Coordinator and Biology Track Advisor: G. Adams (PhD), (501) 450-5917
Chemistry Track Advisor: K. Dooley (PhD), (501) 450-5940
Planning and Administration Track Advisor: M. Connolly (PhD), (501) 852-2640

[1] Purposes

The interdisciplinary Environmental Science Program at UCA is designed to provide students the opportunity to assess the complexity of environmental problems and find solutions to these problems within the context of the natural (biological, chemical, and physical) and social (politics, economics) sciences. This program prepares students for careers in federal and state government agencies, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, State Game and Fish Commission, and State Department of Environmental Quality. Graduates of UCA’s environmental science program are also competitive for positions in private industry (consulting, corporate environmental compliance, laboratory technicians) and postgraduate academic programs (MS, PhD, or law school).

[2] Baccalaureate Degree: Bachelor of Science

The bachelor of science degree, with a major in Environmental Science, requires successful completion of a minimum of 120 hours, including (1) the UCA Core: complete 38 hours to meet lower-division UCA Core requirements and complete upper-division UCA Core requirements using major, minor, or elective courses (see the UCA Core requirements); (2) BS degree requirements; and (3) the major requirements listed below. A minor is not required.

Abbreviation Key – UCA Core Program

[2.1] Common Core for All Environmental Science Majors (34 hours)

BIOL 1440 Principles of Biology I
BIOL 1441 Principles of Biology II
CHEM 1450 College Chemistry I
CHEM 1451 College Chemistry II
GEOG 1400 Earth Systems Science or SCI 3410 Earth Science
GEOG 3301 Conservation of Natural Resources [UD UCA Core: R]
ENVR 3410 Environmental Theory and Application [UD UCA Core: D, C]
PSCI 3320 Environmental Policy [UD UCA Core: I, R]
ENVR 4410 Environmental Practicum [UD UCA Core: Z]

[2.2] Biology Track (50 hours)

The biology track emphasizes ecology, conservation biology, and environmental toxicology. Students are instructed in biological specialties that will provide them with a basis for assessing the impact of human activities on ecosystems and organisms. The biology track requires additional chemistry because of the importance of understanding the effect of chemical pollution on living systems.

Mathematics Pathway: First-time, first-year students majoring in Environmental Science / Biology Track enter the College Algebra Mathematics Pathway and must enroll in MATH 1390 during their first year of study, unless they have been awarded credit for MATH 1390.

Biology Track Requirements (19 hours)

BIOL 2490 Genetics
BIOL 3403 General Ecology [UD UCA Core: I]
CHEM 2401 Organic Chemistry I
MATH 1491 Applied Calculus for the Life Sciences or MATH 1496 Calculus I
Choose one of the following statistics course: MATH 2311, PSCI 2312 , PSYC 2330, SOC 2321

Choose two of the following taxonomic courses (8 hours)

NOTE: These courses cannot be from the same taxonomic grouping (vertebrate, invertebrate, plant)

BIOL 3410 Vertebrate Zoology
BIOL 4401 Invertebrate Zoology
BIOL 4404 Plant Taxonomy
BIOL 4406 Mammalogy
BIOL 4407 Ornithology
BIOL 4410 Biology of Lower Plants and Fungi
BIOL 4418 Biology of the Reptilia
BIOL 4440 Entomology
BIOL 4455 Ichthyology
BIOL 4461 Parasitology

Choose two of the following theory courses (8 hours)

BIOL 3390 and 3190 Economic Botany and Lab
BIOL 4415 Evolution
BIOL 4435 Animal Behavior [UD UCA Core: Z]
BIOL 4442 Restoration Ecology [UD UCA Core: Z]
BIOL 4445 Biometry
BIOL 4450 Plant Ecophysiology [UD UCA Core: Z]
BIOL 4460 Animal Physiology
BIOL 4470 Biology of Seed Plants
ENVR 4465 Environmental Toxicology [UD UCA Core: Z]

Biology Track Electives (15 hours)

ANTH 3340 Environmental Anthropology
BIOL 3X45 Internship
BIOL 3360 Introduction to Marine Biology
BIOL 3420 General Microbiology
BIOL 4450 Plant Ecophysiology [UD UCA Core: Z]
CHEM 3520 Quantitative Analysis
CHEM 4451 Environmental Chemistry
GEOG 2475 Cartography
GEOG 3403 Geographic Information Systems [UD UCA Core: I]
GEOG 3306 Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation
GEOG 3309 GIS in Practice: Environmental Applications
GEOG 3318 Biogeography
GEOG 3385 Global Food Resources
GEOG 4304 Water Resources [UD UCA Core: R]
GEOG 4305 Soils
GEOG 4308 Oceanography
GEOG 4330 Geographic Information Analysis
HIST 4301 American Environmental History

[2.3] Chemistry Track (51 hours)

The emphasis of the chemistry track is to give students an appreciation for the critical balance of natural chemical phenomena and the perturbations induced by pollution. The environmental science core courses provide the chemistry track student a context in which environmental chemistry work is conducted and aid in understanding the importance of the chemical and biological data on which policy decisions are based.

Mathematics Pathway: First-time, first-year students majoring in Environmental Science / Chemistry Track enter the College Algebra Mathematics Pathway and must enroll in MATH 1390 during their first year of study, unless they have been awarded credit for MATH 1390. Students with an ACT Math subscore between 22 and 26 should enroll in MATH 1486 Calculus Preparation. Students with an ACT Math subscore of 27 or greater should enroll in MATH 1496 Calculus I.

Chemistry Track Requirements (41 hours)

CHEM 2401 Organic Chemistry I
CHEM 3411 Organic Chemistry II
CHEM 3520 Quantitative Analysis
CHEM 4351 Environmental Chemistry
CHEM 4152 Environmental Chemistry Laboratory
CHEM 3211 Organic Spectroscopy
CHEM 4451 Advanced Analytical
PHYS 1410 College Physics 1 or PHYS 1441 University Physics 1
PHYS 1420 College Physics 2 or PHYS 1442 University Physics 2
MATH 1496 Calculus I
MATH 1497 Calculus II

Chemistry Track Electives (10 hours from the following)

CHEM 3360 Intermediate Inorganic Chemistry
CHEM 4320 Biochemistry I
CHEM 4335 Biochemistry II
CHEM 4450 Physical Chemistry I
CHEM 4460 Physical Chemistry II
CHEM 4380 Advanced Inorganic
CHEM 3150 Advanced Inorganic Lab
BIOL 3403 General Ecology (recommended) [UD UCA Core: I]
ENVR 4465 Environmental Toxicology [UD UCA Core: Z]
GEOG 3301 Conservation of Natural Resources
GEOG 4304 Water Resources [UD UCA Core: R]
GEOG 4305 Soils
ECON 3330 Environmental Economics [UD UCA Core: R]
A maximum of 2 credit hours of research in physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, or computer science.
Eight (8) credit hours taken from the requirements of one of the following minors: mathematics, biology, physics, or geography.

[2.4] Planning and Administration Track (48 hours)

The Planning and Administration track bridges the gap between scientists gathering environmental data and administrators who formulate and implement programs and policies. This track will train students to work with numerous experts from diverse fields, to examine complex human-environment interactions and spatial relationships; synthesize various, often conflicting, perspectives; and to arrive at viable and practical solutions. Students will also learn to communicate scientific research to diverse audiences including government agencies, citizen committees, corporate decision-makers, and the public at large.

Graduates often find employment in both public and private agencies with environmental concerns. An especially effective and marketable skill developed in this track is the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), which allows scientists and planners to map, analyze, and model environmental data, based on location.

The Planning and Administration track requires the completion of the Environmental Sciences common core curriculum (34 hours), plus required courses for the track (36 hours) and electives for the track (12 hours).

Mathematics Pathway: First-time, first-year students majoring in Environmental Science / Planning & Administration track enter the College Algebra Mathematics Pathway and must enroll in MATH 1390 during their first year of study, unless they have been awarded credit for MATH 1390.

Planning and Administration Track Required Courses (36 hours)

BIOL 3403 General Ecology [UD UCA Core: I]
GEOG 2330 Quantitative Methods in Geography
GEOG 2331 Research Methods in Geography
GEOG 2475 Cartography
GEOG 3318 Biogeography or GEOG 3333 Geography of Natural Hazards [UD UCA Core: R]
GEOG 3319 Geographic Field Techniques
GEOG 3325 Urban and Regional Planning [UD UCA Core: R] or GEOG 3371 Urban Geography [UD UCA Core: I]
GEOG 3403 Geographic Information Systems [UD UCA Core: I]
HIST 4301 American Environmental History [UD UCA Core: I, R]
PADM 2310 Introduction to Public Administration and Policy
WRID 3310 Technical Writing [UD UCA Core: C]

Planning and Administration Track Electives (12 hours)

ANTH 3340 Environmental Anthropology
ANTH 4395 Special Topics in Anthropology
BIOL 2490 Genetics
BIOL 3390 Economic Botany and BIOL 3190 Economic Botany Laboratory
BIOL 3410 Vertebrate Zoology
BIOL 4401 Invertebrate Zoology
BIOL 4404 Plant Taxonomy
BIOL 4406 Mammalogy
BIOL 4407 Ornithology
BIOL 4415 Evolution
BIOL 4440 Entomology
BIOL 4442 Restoration Ecology [UD UCA Core: Z]
BIOL 4455 Ichthyology
BIOL 4470 Biology of Seed Plants
ENVR 4465 Environmental Toxicology [UD UCA Core: Z]
GEOG 3306 Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation
GEOG 3320 Field Studies
GEOG 3325 Urban and Regional Planning [UD UCA Core: R]
GEOG 3V99 Internship in Geography (variable credit: 3 or 6 hours)
GEOG 3333 Geography of Natural Hazards [UD UCA Core: R]
GEOG 3351 Weather and Climate
GEOG 3361 Landforms
GEOG 3371 Urban Geography [UD UCA Core: I]
GEOG 3404 Geographic Information Analysis
GEOG 4304 Water Resources [UD UCA Core: R]
GEOG 4305 Soils
GEOG 4307 Locational Analysis and Decision Making with GIS
GEOG 4308 Oceanography
GEOG 4309 GIS in Practice: Environmental Applications
GEOG 4313 Recreation and Tourism [UD UCA Core: I, R]
GEOG 4V60 Special Problems in Geography (variable credit: 1-3 credit hours)
MIS 2343 Desktop Decision Support Strategies
MIS 3321 Managing Systems and Technology
MIS 3328 Systems Analysis and Design [UD UCA Core: C]
MIS 3335 Programming in Python I
PADM 3310 Public Management
PADM 3320 Public Policy Analysis [UD UCA Core: Z]
PADM 4320 Government Budgeting
PADM 4330 Public Policy and Program Evaluation
PADM 4350 Intergovernmental Relations [UD UCA Core: C]
PHIL 3380 Philosophy of Science
PSCI 3350 Interest Groups and Money in Politics
PSCI 3372 Political Behavior
PSCI 3375 American Judicial System
PSCI 4300 Constitutional Law [UD UCA Core: I]
PSCI 4V99 Studies in Political Science (variable credit: 1-4 credit hours)
SOC 3321 Qualitative Research Methods [UD UCA Core: I, C]
SOC 4310 Globalization and Development
SOC 4321 Social Policy Analysis

[3] Course Links

Follow this link for ENVR course descriptions: course link.
See the Courses Index for other courses.