Environmental Sciences Major Requirements

The Environmental Sciences major prepares students for meaningful and productive post-baccalaureate employment and/or admission to high-quality graduate programs. Although administered by GEMS, the Environmental Sciences major is truly interdisciplinary in nature, both in its curriculum and faculty, and crosses social, politcal, and scientific boundaries. All Environmental Sciences majors will participate in extensive fieldwork, exploring a rich diversity of ecological environments and acquiring the knowledge and skills required for a wide range of potential careers. Depending on an individual student's area of interest, an Environmental Sciences major may study such subdisciplines as cell and molecular biology, biochemistry, plant ecology, organic and inorganic chemistry, environmental biogeochemistry, coastal processes, or chemical oceanography.

PLEASE NOTE: The course requirements for this major were changed as of June 1, 2009. All students enrolled in the major after this date, including all Fall 2009 incoming students, must satisfy the new requirements listed here. Students enrolled in the major prior to June 1, 2009 may elect to satisfy the new or previous requirements. Please see your GEMS academic advsior for details.

SUBJECT AREA	COURSE NUMBER	COURSE NAME	CREDITS
CORE REQUIREMENTS (54 credits)
Environmental Sciences (14 Credits)
	ENV-100	Introduction to Environmental Sciences	4
	ENV-200	Statistical and Computer Applications in the Natural Sciences	4
	ENV-205	Introduction to Geographical Infomation Systems	3
	ENV-350	Environmental Toxicology	3
Biology (12 Credits)
	BIO-115	Principles of Biology: Evolution, Diversity, and Biology of Animals	4
	BIO-116	Principles of Biology: Evolution, Diversity, and Biology of Plants	4
	BIO-350	General Ecology	4
Geosciences (12 Credits)
	GEO-100 or 113	Earth Systems Science or Environmental Geology	3
	GEO-102	Earth Materials and Processes Lab	1
	GEO-350	Soils and Surficial Processes	4
	GEO-407	Hydrology and Water Resources	4
Chemistry (12 Credits)
	CHE-120	Principles of Chemistry	3
	CHE-121	Principles of Chemistry Lab	1
	CHE-122	Introduction to Chemical Systems	3
	CHE-123	Quantitative Methods Lab	1
	CHE-211	Organic Chemistry I	3
	CHE-213	Organic Chemistry I Lab	1
Physics (4 Credits)1
	PHY-100	Principles of Physics I	3
	PHY-100L	Principles of Physics I Lab	1
ELECTIVE REQUIREMENTS (10-11 Credits)      Select one course from each of the following three groups.
Group A: Biotic Processes (4 Credits)  Select one course from the following:
	BIO-250	Field Natural History	4
	BIO-272 and 272L	Introduction to Marine Biology and Lab	4
	BIO-321	Environmental Microbiology	4
	BIO-335	Modern Plant Biology	4
	MAR-227-229	Introduction to Field Marine Science course2,3	4
	MAR-360	Plankton Ecology3	4
Group B: Abiotic Processes (3 or 4 Credits)  Select one course from the following:
	CHE-311/312	Analytical Chemistry and Lab	4
	ENV-375	Environmental Biogeochemistry	3
	GEO-201	Elements of Mineralogy	4
	GEO-305	Petrology and Petrography	4
	GEO-306	Sedimentology and Stratigraphy	4
	MAR-330	Chemical Oceanography3	4
	MAR-410	Physical Oceanography3	3
Group C: Social Processes (3 Credits)  Select one course from the following:
	AMS-250	America and the Future	3
	AMS-304	Technology and Science in America	3
	BHP-231	Natural Adventures: Journeys in American Ecology and History	3
	BHP-232	Issues at the New Jersey Shoreline-Science and Politics	3
	ECO-335	Public Sector Economics4	3
	HIS-299	American Environmental History	3
	IND-316	Nature's Business5	3
	PHL-320	Philosophy of Science	3
	POL-215	Global Politics	3
	POL-328	Environmental Policy and Politics	3
	SOC-225	Population Study	3

TOTAL CREDITS REQUIRED: 64-65 (In addition to CLAES core requirements). Environmental Sciences majors also will take either MTH-105: Algebra and Trigonometry or MTH-210: Calculus I to satisfy their CLAES mathematics core requirement.

Completion of a OSHA HAZWOPER Training Course is recommended for those students planning on employment within the environmental industry. This 40-hour course fulfills the requirements for the OSHA Hazardous Materials Technician, Level A and the 29 CFR 1910.20 regulations. Students who complete the course are fully certified to handle hazardous materials and waste products. Because OSHA certification normally is required for job positions in the environmental industry, OSHA-certified students are more competitive for summer, part-time, and full-time employment opportunities.

A minor or double major in biology, chemistry, or marine sciences is recommended.

¹PHY-101 and 101L also are strongly recommended for students considering a graduate program in environmental sciences.

²Introduction to Field Marine Science courses are taught at various field stations on a rotating basis during the Summer I or Summer II terms and include:

• Subtropical Environments; MAR-227
  
• Boreal Environments; MAR-228
  
• Tropical Environments; MAR-229

³All upper-level MAR courses require MAR-120: Oceanography and MAR-121: Introductory Oceanography Lab as prerequisites.

⁴For those majors wishing to take ECO-335, ECO-201: Principles of Microeconomics is required as a prerequisite. ECO-201 also will satisfy a CLAES core requirement.

⁵IND-316 usually requires travel to foreign countries (destination varies from year to year) at extra cost. Travel normally occurs during the winter break or during the summer. Exact travel dates vary, depending on destination.

HONORS PROGRAM IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Graduation with Honors in Environmental Sciences is awarded in recognition of majors who have demonstrated outstanding academic ability. Enrollment in the program is by invitation of the GEMS faculty. Eligibility requirements include a minimum GPA of 3.5 in courses required for the major and the satisfactory completion of a senior thesis. In addition, an honors candidate must maintain an overall minimum GPA of 3.0.

 

Please see the Academic Catalogs for more information, including course descriptions.

Disclaimer: This information is taken from a recent published version of a Rider University academic catalog or manual, though not necessarily the most recent. Please be aware that, while the University makes reasonable efforts to keep website material current and correct, this information is subject to the University's academic policy committees, relevant accreditation organizations, and (in some instances) state and federal laws and regulations. For this and other reasons it may be subject to change at any time without notice and without being immediately reflected on the Web site.