About Our Program

UWT Environmental Science is a program within Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences. Environmental Sciences offers the opportunity to complete either a BA in Environmental Studies or a BS in Environmental Science. Additionally, we offer a Minor in Environmental Studies, a Certificate in Geographic Information Systems (co-administered by Urban Studies) and a Certificate in Restoration Ecology.

Environmental Science Mission Statement

Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science

The Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science is for students who wish to pursue scientific or technical work upon graduation, who plan to apply to graduate programs in scientific fields, or who want a strong grounding in the pure and applied science disciplines.

Topics such as ecology, evolution, conservation biology, biodiversity, atmospheric science, geology, energy resources, limnology, hydrology, marine biology, oceanography, environmental chemistry, agroecology and entomology are offered in a mix of lecture, lab and field courses.

Two required "bookend" seminars, taken by entering juniors and graduating seniors, introduce students to scientific research, writing and funding processes. The senior capstone experience allows students to get practical experience in individual or team research or internship positions.

Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Studies

The Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences with a concentration in Environmental Studies offers students an interdisciplinary perspective on environmental problems.  While receiving a strong background in environmental science, students will be exposed to a broad range of interdisciplinary course work that examines the legal, economic, social, literary, historical, and philosophical perspectives on both local and global sustainability issues.  This major will prepare students interested in pursuing diverse and contemporary careers such as environmental law, policy, management, planning, and teaching in the public, private, academic, and non-profit sectors.  A major component of the Environmental Studies major is a capstone experience that emphasizes service to the community while exposing the student to potential future employers and positions.

Student Outcomes

Environmental Science

Students who complete this degree will:

• Have learned advanced science skills including chemical and biological measurements, statistical data analysis, hypothesis building and research project design, oversight and completion. This includes substantial laboratory and field experience.

• Have developed a basic understanding of important related topics, including environmental law and environmental ethics, and others such as environmental economics, policy, environmental history and literature, history and philosophy of science, environmental psychology, and conflict resolution studies.

• Demonstrate the ability to apply these skills to environmental problems of regional, national, or global significance and to describe their work in written and oral forms to both technical and non-technical audiences.

• Be conversant in ecology, earth science, and environmental chemistry and be able to design and conduct projects in at least one of these realms.

• Be highly trained in conservation biology, water resources, or another specialized subarea of environmental science.

• Be capable of understanding scientific and technical reports, analyzing a wide variety of quantitative data and qualitative case studies related to environmental science, and be able to draw reasonable conclusions from their analysis.

• Be familiar with the major technical and computational tools of relevance to environmental science and understand the limitations of these tools.

• Be familiar with both environmental ethics and environmental law/policy, and with at least 2 related areas from the humanities or social sciences such as business or natural resource economics, conflict resolution, policy, education, environmental history, environmental literature, and/or other related areas.

• Be outstanding communicators in both oral and written forms to either technical or nontechnical audiences and be able to work collaboratively.

Environmental Studies

Students who complete this degree will:

• Learn core content in the scientific disciplines underlying environmental problems, including biology, chemistry, and geology.

• Develop a basic understanding of important related topics, including environmental economics, policy, environmental history and literature, history and philosophy of science, environmental psychology, and conflict resolution studies.

• Be familiar with both environmental ethics and environmental law/policy.

• Be outstanding communicators in both oral and written forms and be able to work collaboratively.

• Experience environmental science via laboratory and field experiences.

• Be able to analyze complex environmental problems or cases from both scientific and non-scientific standpoints.