Return to Interdisciplinary Programs list.

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) 450-3199
Chemistry Track Advisor: D. Perry (PhD), (501) 450-5937
Planning and Administration Track Advisor: Dr. Green, (501) 450-5636

[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.

[2.1] Common Core for All Environmental Science Majors (33 hours)

BIOL 1440 Principles of Biology I
BIOL 1441 Principles of Biology II
CHEM 1450 College Chemistry I
CHEM 1451 College Chemistry II
GEOG 1315 Introduction to Physical Geography or SCI 3410 Earth Science
GEOG 3301 Conservation of Natural Resources
ENVR 3410 Environmental Theory and Application [ UCA Core: D, C ]
PSCI 3320 Environmental Policy and Regulation
ENVR 4410 Environmental Practicum [ 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.

Biology Track Requirements (19 hours)

BIOL 2490 Genetics
BIOL 3403 General Ecology
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 Economic Botany and Lab
BIOL 4415 Evolution
BIOL 4428 Animal Physiological Ecology
BIOL 4435 Animal Behavior
BIOL 4442 Restoration Ecology
BIOL 4445 Biometry
BIOL 4450 Plant Ecophysiology
BIOL 4470 Biology of Seed Plants
ENVR 4465 Environmental Toxicology

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
CHEM 3520 Quantitative Analysis
CHEM 4451 Environmental Chemistry
GEOG 2375 Cartography
GEOG 3303 Geographic Information Systems
GEOG 3306 Remote Sensing & Image Interpretation
GEOG 3309 GIS in Practice: Environmental Applications
GEOG 3318 Biogeography
GEOG 3385 Global Food Resources
GEOG 4304 Water Resources
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.

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 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)
ENVR 4465 Environmental Toxicology
GEOG 3301 Conservation of Natural Resources
GEOG 4304 Water Resources
GEOG 4305 Soils
ECON 3330 Environmental Economics

A maximum of 2 credit hours of research in physics, chemistry, mathematics, biology, or computer science.
8 credit hours applied to a minor in mathematics, biology, physics, or geography.

[2.4] Planning and Administration Track (48 hours)

The Planning and Administration track is intended to bridge 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 synthesize various and often conflicting perspectives, and to arrive at viable and practical solutions. Students will also learn to communicate scientific research to audiences as diverse as government agencies, citizen committees, corporate decision-makers, and the general public.

Employment for graduates may be found 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 even predict environmental data based on location. The Planning and Administration track requires the completion of the Environmental Sciences common core curriculum (33 hours) plus 31 hours of required courses and 17 hours of electives.

Planning and Administration Track Required Courses (31 hours)

BIOL 3403 General Ecology
GEOG 2375 Cartography
GEOG 3303 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
GEOG 3318 Biogeography
GEOG 3325 Urban and Regional Planning or PSCI 4351 Community and Regional Planning
HIST 4301 American Environmental History
PSCI 3360 Public Administration
MIS 2343 Desktop Decision Support Strategies
WRTG 3310 Technical Writing

Choose one of the following statistics course: GEOG 2330, MATH 2311, PSCI 2312, PSYC 2330, SOC 2321

Planning and Administration Track Electives (17 hours)

Any of the courses in the Biology or Chemistry emphasis areas and most math or physics courses with consent of program director

ANTH 3340 Environmental Anthropology
ANTH 4395 Sustainability Studies
ECON 3330 Environmental Economics
GEOG 3306 Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation
GEOG 3307 GIS in Practice: Business and Social Science Applications
GEOG 3309 GIS in Practice: Environmental Applications
GEOG 3320 Field Studies
GEOG 3325 Urban and Regional Planning
GEOG 3399 or 3699 Internship in Geography
GEOG 3333 Geography of Natural Hazards
GEOG 3351 Weather and Climate
GEOG 3361 Landforms
GEOG 3371 Urban Geography
GEOG 4303 Water Resources
GEOG 4305 Soils
GEOG 4308 Oceanography
GEOG 4313 Recreation and Tourism
GEOG 4330 Geographic Information Analysis
GEOG 4160/4260/4360 Special Problems in Geography
H ED 4303 Environmental Health Problems
MIS 3321 Managing Systems and Technology
MIS 3322 Introduction to Minicomputers
MIS 3328 Systems Analysis and Design
MIS 4350 Information Systems Technology
PHIL 3395 Environmental Ethics
PSCI 2340 State and Local Government
PSCI 3350 Interest Groups and Money in Politics
PSCI 3365 Intergovernmental Relations
PSCI 3372 Political Behavior
PSCI 3375 American Judicial System
PSCI 4300 Constitutional Law
PSCI 4336 City Governments and Politics
PSCI 4351 Community and Regional Planning
PSCI 4375 Intergovernmental Relations
PSCI 4391 Government Budgeting
PSCI 4199/4299/439/4499 Studies in Political Science
SOC 3340 Urban Sociology
SOC 4301 Social Movements and Social Change
SOC 4321 Social Policy Analysis
SOC 4341 Population
SOC 4343 Health Strategies for Multicultural Populations

[3] Courses in Environmental Science (ENVR)

Follow this link for ENVR course descriptions: course link.