WHAT IS ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE?

Environmental concerns are among the most important and controversial problems confronting people in the world today. Environmental issues such as acid deposition, hazardous and toxic waste management and disposal, global climate change, the maintenance of a safe water quality, wetland reconstruction, rain forest loss, the general deterioration of the Earth's biosphere, and biological diversity are areas of challenge in environmental science. The goal of the environmental science program at the School of Environment and Natural Resources is to understand these and other issues as a means for improving the quality of life. In order to do so, it is important to understand the scientific processes and principles of the natural environment.

Options available for students to select from are:

Land Option
The land option focuses on solving environmental problems related to land use planning. This option features courses in city and regional planning, geography, ecosystem rehabilitation and restoration. Ecosystem planning and management are the predominant themes of this option emphasizing the scientific interface between urban, rural and undeveloped lands.

Soil Science Option
The soil affects our lives every day. We rely on it to grow our food and cleanse our water; we use it as a depository for many of our wastes and a foundation for our homes and cities. Soil science graduates work in a number of professions, in a wide variety of organizations, governments agencies, industries and consulting firms. Graduates qualify for positions in land use planning and management, waste management, crop production, source and water pollution control, or environmental and crop consulting.

Waste Management Option
Toxic waste, old underground storage tanks, and our everyday garbage all have to go somewhere. This option deals with the management and solutions to these problems. Students study a variety of subjects ranging from civil engineering to microbiology. Students may also received their OSHA certification to work with hazardous/industrial clean up through a consortium agreement with a local community college.

Water Option
Imagine the water that came out of your faucet at home was not safe for drinking or bathing, or that the birds that visit your backyard feeder no longer came because the wetlands they used for rest during migration had disappeared. These are some of the water quality issues that our program addresses. Students will learn about soils and hydrology as well as methods for rehabilitation and restoration of ecosystems.

Curriculum Guide