Program Overview
College of Natural and Health Sciences
Contact: Timothy Grover, Ph.D., Department Chair
Location: Ross Hall 3235
Telephone: 970.351.2647
Website: www.unco.edu/nhs/earth-atmospheric-sciences/
Advising Information:
Students must consult with their assigned major advisor each semester prior to registering.
To find your advisor, log into ursa.unco.edu; go to 'Student' tab and click 'View Student Information' link. If no advisor is listed, contact the major program for advisor information.
The program consists of three parts:
- Liberal Arts Curriculum (LAC) Credits
- Required Major Credits
- University-Wide Credits
Program Description:
The multidisciplinary Environmental Earth Sciences concentration is intended for individuals who wish to pursue careers with responsibilities that include environmental monitoring, regulation or management. Students may prepare for entry-level positions in the environmental industry or governmental agencies, or for graduate education in such fields as resource management, environmental public policy and environmental law. The program also is well suited for anyone with a serious interest in the scientific aspect of environmental issues.
Program Admission Requirements:
Academic Good Standing
Program Requirements:
- Science and mathematics courses approved for the Liberal Arts Curriculum that are taken as part of this major may also be used to satisfy Liberal Arts Curriculum requirements.
- A 2.0 grade point average in the courses taken as part of this major is required for graduation. (Secondary Teaching Concentration: a 2.5 GPA is required in all major courses.)
- In accordance with University Policies, coursework earned more than 10 years prior to the date of matriculation to UNC may not be used to satisfy any major or minor requirements. Any exception to this policy is at the discretion of the academic program.
Degree Requirements — 120 Credits
1. Liberal Arts Curriculum — 31 credits
To complete the degree in 120 credits as outlined, the program recommends the below LAC courses that also count toward the 86 required major credits.
Any additional coursework completed outside of the recommended list below may extend the length of the program of study.
Written Communication — 6 credits
ENG 122 (3) and SCI 291 (3) are recommended to fulfill the Written Communication requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements. No additional courses in this category are needed.
See Written Communication courses
Mathematics — 3 credits
MATH 131 (4) is recommended to fulfill Mathematics requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements. No additional courses in this category are needed.
See Mathematics courses
Arts & Humanities, History, Social & Behavioral Sciences, U.S. Multicultural Studies [MS], and International Studies [IS] — 15 credits
To complete the LAC in the minimum number of credits, be sure to choose at least one course with an IS designation and one course with an MS designation.
Select any courses to fulfill this requirement from the currently approved LAC course list.
See Arts & Humanities, History, and Social & Behavioral Sciences courses
Natural & Physical Sciences — 7 credits
CHEM 111 (4), CHEM 111L (1), ESCI 200 (4), MET 205 (4) or PHYS 220 (5) are recommended to fulfill Natural & Physical Sciences requirement and will fulfill both LAC and major requirements. No additional courses in this category are needed.
See Natural & Physical Sciences courses
See Liberal Arts Curriculum
2. Required Major — 86 credits
Take all of the following courses:
Choose 1 course from the following
Choose either GEOL 202 or BIO 111 in preparation for upper-division electives of your choice. GEOL 202 allows students to take sedimentary geology and paleontology courses (GEOL 202 is prerequisite for GEOL 340 Paleontology, GEOL 445 Vertebrate Paleontology, and GEOL 450 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy); BIO 111 allows students to take ecology courses (BIO 111 is prerequisite for BIO 329 Field Botany, BIO 335 Survey of Fishes, Amphibians and Reptiles, BIO 338 Marine Biology, BIO 360 Ecology and others that students may wish to take to fulfill their upper-division electives).
| GEOL 202 | Historical Geology | 4 |
| BIO 111 | Biology: Organisms to EcosystemsLAS1LASL | 4 |
Choose 3 credits of the following:
Choose 9 credits of Upper Division Electives
Choose a minimum of 9 credits from courses selected in consultation with an academic advisor to explore an area of interest in greater depth with prefix GEOL, MET, ESCI, OCN, PHYS, CHEM, BIO, MATH, ENST, GEOG, ECON, STAT, SCI that are numbered 300 or higher. Other courses may satisfy requirements with approval of the advisor. At least 3 credits must be with prefix GEOL, MET, ESCI, or OCN.
No more than 6 credits of ESCI 491 or ESCI 492 may count toward the degree.
3. University-Wide Credits — 3 credits*
Complete additional credits to achieve the minimum credits needed for any degree at UNC; for this program, that will typically be 3 credits.
*Note: Students who apply the recommended courses to both the liberal arts curriculum and the major requirements will have an increased number of university wide electives to apply to this degree. See your advisor for details.
Four Year Plan
This four year plan is a recommended schedule to complete this bachelor's degree in 4 years. Courses are subject to availability. Students must consult with their major advisor to receive information on any additional graduation requirements and course sequence guidance.
Year 1 – 31 credits
Fall Semester
| ENG 122 | College CompositionLAW1 | 3 |
| GEOL 201 | Physical Geology | 4 |
| ESCI 200 | Introduction to Environmental Earth ScienceLAS1LASL | 4 |
| MET 205 | General MeteorologyLAS1LASL | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Spring Semester
| ESCI 330 | Earth Science Statistical Analysis | 3 |
| GEOL 202 | Historical Geology | 4 |
| | or | |
| BIO 111 | Biology: Organisms to EcosystemsLAS1LASL | 4 |
| SCI 291 | Scientific WritingLAW2 | 3 |
| | LAC Arts and HumanitiesLAA1LAA2LAA3LAA4 | 3 |
| | LAC HistoryLAH1 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
LAC Arts and Humanities: Choose U.S. Multicultural Studies (MS) or International Studies (IS) course.
Year 2 – 31 credits
Fall Semester
| CHEM 111 | Principles of Chemistry ILAS1 | 4 |
| CHEM 111L | Principles of Chemistry I LaboratoryLAS1LASL | 1 |
| ESCI 349 | Earth Science Professional Seminar | 1 |
| MATH 131 | Calculus ILAX1 | 4 |
| | LAC Social and Behavioral SciencesLAB1LAB2LAB3 | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
LAC Social and Behavior Sciences: Choose U.S. Multicultural Studies (MS) or International Studies (IS) course.
Spring Semester
| CHEM 112 | Principles of Chemistry II | 4 |
| CHEM 112L | Principles of Chemistry II Laboratory | 1 |
| GEOG 210 | Introduction to GIS and GPS | 3 |
| | LAC Arts and HumanitiesLAA1LAA2LAA3LAA4 | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Year 3 – 31 credits
Fall Semester
| ESCI 320 | Earth Materials | 4 |
| ESCI 420 | Chemistry of the Earth System | 4 |
| ESCI 474 | Principles of Surface and Groundwater Hydrology | 4 |
| | Upper Division Major Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 15 |
Spring Semester
| MET 452 | Paleoclimatology | 3 |
| OCN 302 | Geological and Biological Oceanography | 4 |
| | Upper Division Major Elective | 3 |
| | LAC Arts and Humanities, History, or Social and Behavioral SciencesLAA1LAA2LAA3LAA4LAB1LAB2LAB3LAH1 | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 16 |
Year 4 – 27 credits
Fall Semester
| GEOL 483 | Soils | 3 |
| PHYS 220 | Introductory Physics ILAS1LASL | 5 |
| | Field Course | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 14 |
Spring Semester
| GEOL 460 | Geomorphology | 4 |
| | Upper Division Major Elective | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| | University-Wide Elective | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 13 |
ESCI 491 and/or ESCI 492: Advisor approved field course, or a field camp transferred in from another institution, or an advisor approved internship, 3 credits total from any combination of these options.
Advising Notes –
- Upper-level courses are generally taught only one semester per year (and some every other year) and are listed in the four year plan in the semester they are generally offered. In the four year plan, courses are listed in order of required prerequisites first. You should work with your adviser to ensure courses are taken in the right sequence and when offered.
- The flexibility of the program allows students to customize the program for their individual interests and goals, under the guidance of an adviser. Complementary minors include Environmental and Sustainability Studies, Biology, Geography, Economics, and many more.