In the Environmental Biology option of the Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science, you’ll get a strong foundation in general biology, general chemistry, and general geology. You’ll also take in-depth courses that focus on different aspects of environmental science. Throughout the program, you’ll get hands-on laboratory and research experience. Our graduates are well prepared for employment in environmental science as well as entry to graduate or professional school.
The following information comes from the official EWU catalog, which outlines all degree requirements and serves as the guide to earning a degree. Courses are designed to provide a well-rounded and versatile degree, covering a wide range of subject areas.
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, geosciences, and social sciences (economics and planning) with extensive field, lab, and research experience. All students take a core of Environmental Science courses complemented by a concentration in one of the three core sciences (biology, chemistry, and geoscience). Motivated students have the opportunity to obtain a double major in both Environmental Science and their concentration area. Graduates leave Eastern 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 | ||
| BIOLOGY I and BIOLOGY II and BIOLOGY III | ||
| 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 | ||
| THE EARTH'S INTERIOR and THE EARTH'S SURFACE | ||
| All Environmental Science students must take a junior year and a final senior year environmental seminar. | ||
| ENVS 300 | ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE JUNIOR SEMINAR | 1 |
| ENVS 400 | ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE SENIOR SEMINAR | 1 |
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 | BIOLOGY I | 5 |
| BIOL 172 | BIOLOGY II | 5 |
| BIOL 173 | BIOLOGY III | 5 |
| BIOL 270 | BIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION | 3 |
| BIOL 440 | ECOLOGY | 4 |
| 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 245 | BUSINESS 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 346 | BUSINESS STATISTICS 2 (may only count BIOL 380 once) | 4-5 |
| or BIOL 380 | DATA ANALYSIS FOR BIOLOGISTS | |
| or MATH 161 | CALCULUS I | |
| ECON 100 | GENERAL EDUCATION ECONOMICS | 5 |
| ENVS 100 | INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE | 5 |
| ENVS 300 | ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE JUNIOR SEMINAR | 1 |
| ENVS 400 | ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE SENIOR SEMINAR | 1 |
| GEOS 111 | THE EARTH'S INTERIOR | 5 |
| or GEOS 100 | DISCOVERING GEOLOGY | |
| GEOS 112 | THE EARTH'S SURFACE | 5 |
| or GEOS 113 | THE EARTH'S CLIMATE AND WEATHER | |
| GEOS 320 | ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY | 4 |
| GEOS 323 | GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS I: SPATIAL ANALYSIS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES | 5 |
| GEOS 470 | GROUNDWATER HYDROLOGY | 4 |
| PLAN 431 | ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS | 3 |
| Environmental Biology–Required General Biological Knowledge–choose one of the following | 5 | |
| MICROBIOLOGY | ||
| BOTANY | ||
| INVERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY | ||
| VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY | ||
| Electives–Upper division electives with advisor's consent. | 20 | |
| Required Senior Capstone | ||
| BIOL 490 | SENIOR CAPSTONE | 5 |
| Total Credits | 113-115 | |
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 may be offered in different terms and not all courses are offered every term, checking the academic schedule is paramount in keeping an individual plan current. There may be some courses that have required prerequisites not listed in the plan, review the course descriptions for information. 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 Quarter | Credits | Winter Quarter | Credits | Spring Quarter | Credits |
| BIOL 171 | 5 | BIOL 172 | 5 | BIOL 173 | 5 |
| CHEM 171 & 171L (Natural Science BACR 1) | 5 | BIOL 270 | 3 | CHEM 173 & 173L | 5 |
| MATH 141 | 5 | CHEM 172 & 172L (Natural Science BACR 2) | 5 | ENGL 101 | 5 |
| Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective | 4 | ||||
| 15 | 17 | 15 | |||
| Second Year | |||||
| Fall Quarter | Credits | Winter Quarter | Credits | Spring Quarter | Credits |
| ENVS 100 | 5 | BIOL 301, 302, 303, or 304 | 5 | DSCI 245, BIOL 380, or MATH 380 | 4-5 |
| ENGL 201 | 5 | GEOS 111 or 100 | 5 | GEOS 112 or 113 | 5 |
| MATH 142 | 5 | GEOS 323 or ENVS 323 | 5 | Humanities & Arts BACR 11 | 5 |
| 15 | 15 | 14-15 | |||
| Third Year | |||||
| Fall Quarter | Credits | Winter Quarter | Credits | Spring Quarter | Credits |
| BIOL 440 | 4 | Environmental Biology Elective2 | 5 | DSCI 346, BIOL 380, or MATH 161 | 4-5 |
| ECON 100 (Social Science BACR 1) | 5 | Humanities & Arts BACR 21 | 5 | Environmental Biology Elective2 | 5 |
| ENVS 300 | 1 | Social Science BACR 21 | 5 | Diversity - graduation requirement1 | 5 |
| GEOS 320 | 4 | ||||
| 14 | 15 | 14-15 | |||
| Fourth Year | |||||
| Fall Quarter | Credits | Winter Quarter | Credits | Spring Quarter | Credits |
| GEOS 470 | 4 | BIOL 490 (Senior Capstone - graduation requirement) | 5 | Global Studies - graduation requirement1 | 5 |
| PLAN 431 | 3 | ENVS 400 | 1 | Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective | 5 |
| Environmental Biology Elective2 | 5 | Environmental Biology Elective2 | 5 | Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective | 5 |
| Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective | 4 | Elective - certificate, minor, or general elective | 4 | ||
| 16 | 15 | 15 | |||
| Total Credits 180-182 | |||||
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.
Electives–20 credits upper-division electives with advisor's consent.
Students who earn a BS in Environmental Science with Environmental Biology from EWU should be able to: