Environmental Science - Environmental Chemistry, B.S./M.S.

The combined four-year/five-year B.S. /M.S. degree program offers two options: Environmental Chemistry and Marine Sciences. The two options are administered under the auspices of the undergraduate Environmental Science and the graduate Marine-Estuarine-Environmental Science (MEES) programs. The student receives the B.S. and M.S. degrees after completing the requirements for the two programs. This is an accelerated program with students wishing to pursue this option beginning under the Environmental Sciences (Environmental Chemistry or Marine Sciences) program but following the curriculum guide for the Combined B.S./M.S. program (Environmental Chemistry or Marine Sciences). At the end of the sophomore year for the student to qualify for the Combined B.S. /M.S. program he or she must have a 3.0 GPA. The student can then request to be changed to the combined program prior to the start of their junior year. A student wishing to pursue the 5-year M.S. program must make a formal application to the MEES program in the first semester of the senior year. Students must take the GRE (General Test) during the junior year. When applying for admission into the MEES program students must select an area of specialization which for the Environmental Sciences track would be Environmental Chemistry, Environmental Science or Oceanography (Chemical) and for the Marine Sciences track would be Ecology, Environmental Molecular Biology/Biotechnology, Fisheries Science, or Oceanography (Biological).

Environmental Chemistry Option

This program is designed to enable students to earn both the B.S. and M.S. degrees in five years. The curriculum is more advanced than the traditional B.S. degree program, and students become involved in directed research earlier. The Environmental Chemistry track provides students with training in environmental contamination and toxicology, air and water pollution, waste treatment and disposal, and energy resources.

Students in the first two years of the program take courses to satisfy the General Education requirements, along with courses in Biology, Chemistry, Math, & Computer Sciences, and Physics. The junior year provides training in topics specific to the field and prepares students who seek to pursue the M.S. program with prerequisites for the graduate level courses.

During the fourth year, additional courses providing advanced training in pollution and energy are offered. Majors who choose the B.S. program will graduate at the end of the fourth year with the requisite 120 credits. The 12-month period (5th year) subsequent to satisfying requirements for the B.S. degree are spent completing the M.S. requirements, including research work during the summer. For additional information, contact Chairperson, Department of Natural Sciences or Director, B.S./M.S. Program in Environmental Chemistry.

Departmental Requirements

Students enrolled in the Environmental Chemistry option must complete 120 semester hours of undergraduate courses and 30 semester hours graduate courses for their degrees: 42 semester hours in general education courses, 29 semester hours in undergraduate program core courses, and 45 semester hours of supportive courses. To receive the M.S. degree, students must satisfy degree requirements which include a total of 30 course credits: course work (24 credits) and Master’s Thesis research (6 credits).