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Environmental Science Major with Environmental Biology Option, Bachelor of Science (BS)

Environmental Science is an interdisciplinary field that combines physical, chemical and biological sciences with social, political, and economic understanding needed to study the environment and address environmental problems. The Environmental Science program integrates classroom work in biology, chemistry, and geosciences with extensive field, lab, and research experience. Graduates leave EWU with the necessary professional and technical skills for employment in the environmental profession or entry into graduate or professional school.

Each student should meet with an advisor when declaring environmental science as a major.

Students should start the program with the necessary mathematics background to enter into the calculus or statistics sequence.
PRECALCULUS I (or equivalent)
It is recommended that students complete these required courses within the first two years.
INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
and INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE LAB
BIOLOGY I
and BIOLOGY I LAB
and BIOLOGY II
and BIOLOGY II LAB
and BIOLOGY III
and BIOLOGY III LAB
GENERAL CHEMISTRY I
and GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY I
and GENERAL CHEMISTRY II
and GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY II
and GENERAL CHEMISTRY III
and GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY III
DISCOVERING GEOLOGY
and DISCOVERING GEOLOGY LAB
and THE EARTH'S CLIMATE AND WEATHER
All Environmental Science students must take a junior year and a final senior year environmental seminar.
ENVS 300ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE JUNIOR SEMINAR1
ENVS 400ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE SENIOR SEMINAR1

Note: some course options may not result in there being 60 upper division credits required for graduation within the major–advisor consultation is required.

Grade Requirements: students must maintain an average GPA ≥2.0 in the major to graduate from the program.

Note: may only count BIOL 380 once.

Environmental Science Required Courses
BIOL 171
171L
BIOLOGY I
and BIOLOGY I LAB
5
BIOL 172
172L
BIOLOGY II
and BIOLOGY II LAB
5
BIOL 173
173L
BIOLOGY III
and BIOLOGY III LAB
5
BIOL 270
270L
BIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION
and BIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION LAB
3
BIOL 440ECOLOGY4
CHEM 171
171L
CHEM 172
CHEM 172L
CHEM 173
CHEM 173L
GENERAL CHEMISTRY I
and GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY I
and GENERAL CHEMISTRY II
and GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY II
and GENERAL CHEMISTRY III
and GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY III
15
DSCI 245BUSINESS STATISTICS 1 (may only count BIOL 380 once)4-5
or BIOL 380 DATA ANALYSIS FOR BIOLOGISTS
or MATH 380 ELEMENTARY PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS
DSCI 346BUSINESS STATISTICS 2 (may only count BIOL 380 once)4-5
or BIOL 380 DATA ANALYSIS FOR BIOLOGISTS
or MATH 161 CALCULUS I
ECON 100GENERAL EDUCATION ECONOMICS5
ENVS 100
100L
INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
and INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE LAB
5
ENVS 300ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE JUNIOR SEMINAR1
ENVS 400ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE SENIOR SEMINAR1
GEOS 100
100L
DISCOVERING GEOLOGY
and DISCOVERING GEOLOGY LAB
5
GEOS 113THE EARTH'S CLIMATE AND WEATHER5
GEOS 320
320L
ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY
and ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY LAB
4
GEOS 323GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS I: SPATIAL ANALYSIS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES5
GEOS 470
470L
GROUNDWATER HYDROLOGY
and GROUNDWATER HYDROLOGY LAB
4
PLAN 431ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS3
Environmental Biology–Required General Biological Knowledge–choose one of the following 5
MICROBIOLOGY
and MICROBIOLOGY LAB
BOTANY
and BOTANY LAB
INVERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY
and INVERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY LAB
VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY
and VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY LAB
Electives–Upper division electives with advisor's consent.20
Required Senior Capstone
BIOL 490
490L
SENIOR CAPSTONE
and SENIOR CAPSTONE LAB
5
Total Credits113-115

Plan of Study

The following plan of study is for a student with zero credits. Individual students may have different factors such as: credit through transfer work, Advanced Placement, Running Start, or any other type of college-level coursework that requires an individual plan.

Courses could be offered in different terms, checking the academic schedule is paramount in keeping an individual plan current. Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.

All Undergraduate students are required to meet the Undergraduate Degree Requirements.

First Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
BIOL 171
171L
5BIOL 172
172L
5BIOL 173
173L
5
CHEM 171
171L (Natural Science BACR 1)
5BIOL 270
270L
3CHEM 173
173L
5
MATH 1415CHEM 172
172L (Natural Science BACR 2)
5ENGL 1015
 Elective - minor or general elective4 
 15 17 15
Second Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
ENVS 100
100L
5BIOL 301
301L (BIOL 302 & BIOL 302L, BIOL 303 & BIOL 303L, BIOL 304 & BIOL 304L)
5DSCI 245, BIOL 380, or MATH 3804-5
ENGL 2015GEOS 100
100L
5GEOS 1135
MATH 1425GEOS 323 or ENVS 3235Humanities & Arts BACR 115
 15 15 14-15
Third Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
BIOL 4404GEOS 320
320L
4DSCI 346, BIOL 380, or MATH 1614-5
ECON 100 (Social Science BACR 1)5Humanities & Arts BACR 215Environmental Biology Elective25
ENVS 3001Social Science BACR 215Diversity - graduation requirement15
Environmental Biology Elective5  
 15 14 14-15
Fourth Year
Fall QuarterCreditsWinter QuarterCreditsSpring QuarterCredits
GEOS 470
470L
4BIOL 490
490L (Senior Capstone - graduation requirement)
5Global Studies - graduation requirement15
PLAN 4313ENVS 4001Elective - minor or general elective5
Environmental Biology Elective25Environmental Biology Elective25Elective - minor or general elective5
Elective - minor or general elective4Elective - minor or general elective4 
 16 15 15
Total Credits 180-182
1

University Graduation Requirements (UGR) and Breadth Area Course Requirements (BACR) courses may be less than 5 credits and additional credits may be required to reach the required 180 total credits needed to graduate.  Students should connect with an advisor to ensure they are on track to graduate.

2

Electives–20 credits upper-division electives with advisor's consent.

University Competencies and Proficiencies

English 
Quantitative and Symbolic Reasoning
Placement and Clearance 
Prior Learning/Sources of Credit AP, CLEP, IB


General Education Requirements (GER)
  • Minimum Credits—180 cumulative credit hours 
    • 60 upper-division credits (300 level or above)
    • 45 credits in residence (attendance) at Eastern, with at least 15 upper-division credits in major in residence at Eastern
  • Minimum Cumulative GPA ≥2.0

Breadth Area Core Requirements (BACR)

Humanities and Arts 
Natural Sciences 
Social Sciences


University Graduation Requirements (UGR)

Diversity Course List
World Language (for Bachelor of Arts)
Global Studies Course List
Minor or Certificate
Senior Capstone Course List


Application for Graduation (use EagleNET) must be made at least two terms in advance of the term expected to graduate (undergraduate and post-baccalaureate).

Use the Catalog Archives to determine two important catalog years.

  1. The catalog in effect at the student's first term of current matriculation is used to determine BACR (Breadth Area Core Requirements) and UGR (Undergraduate Graduation Requirements).
  2. The catalog in effect at the time the student declares a major or minor is used to determine the program requirements.

Students who earn a BS in Environmental Science with Environmental Biology from EWU should be able to:
  • demonstrate effective oral, graphical, and written communication abilities, and critical thinking skills as related to the environmental sciences;
  • demonstrate knowledge of the interrelationships among the physical and biological components of ecosystems;
  • develop an integrated knowledge of major concepts in the area of environmental sciences and an understanding of fundamental roles that biology, chemistry, and geology play in environmental science;
  • develop sufficient preparation in the environmental sciences to successfully compete in a graduate or professional program, or to realize employment in an environmental sciences-related career;
  • use epistemologically sound quantitative techniques for the analysis of biotic and abiotic samples and systems.