Environmental Science
The Environmental Science Program is an interdisciplinary program leading to the bachelor of science degree. The objective of the program is to provide students with a broad interdisciplinary science background focusing on physical geography, environmental geology, and ecology. The variety of courses in both earth and biological sciences allows some choice of concentration within the program. Additional requirements include geographic techniques and statistics.
Environmental Science Major (BS)
Department of Geography, 202 Farrah Hall
www.as.ua.edu/geography
environmentalscience@as.ua.edu
Degree requirements. Students earning the bachelor of science (BS) degree with a major in environmental science must complete all University, college (see p. 50-52), and departmental degree requirements. These include the general education requirements, the following major requirements, and sufficient other credits to total a minimum of 120 applicable semester hours.
Admission into the major. Acceptance into the environmental science major requires an overall GPA of 2.5. Students are expected to formally declare a major no later than the fourth semester of full-time enrollment (or at 61 semester hours for transfer students). With the assistance of an advisor in the major department, students should complete the “Declaration of Major” form.
Grade point average. A 2.0 grade point average in the major is required for completion of the degree. The major GPA is calculated based on all courses applicable to the major that the student has attempted at UA and all work attempted applicable to the major throughout the entire higher education career.
Major courses. The environmental science major requires successful completion of the following 60 semester hours:
| Courses | Hours |
| BSC 114:115 or BSC 118 | 4 |
| BSC 116:117 or BSC 120 | 4 |
| BSC 385 | 3 |
| CH 101 or CH 117 | 4 |
| CH 102 or CH 118 | 4 |
| GEO 101 | 4 |
| GEO 105 | 4 |
| GY 101 | 4 |
| GY 204 | 4 |
| GY 339, GY 452, or GY 460 | 3 |
| GY 330, GY 420, GY 430, or BSC 417 | 3–4 |
| ST 260 or PY 211 | 3 |
| 16 hours from the following: | |
| GY elective1 | 3–4 |
| GEO elective2 | 3–4 |
| BSC elective3 | 6 |
| Specified GY1, GEO2, or BSC3 elective | 1–4 |
| Total | 60 |
1GY 363, GY 404, GY 407, GY 412,GY 472, GY 483 (maximum 3 hours), GY 486, or GY 489 (minimum 3 hours).
2GEO 306, GEO 399, GEO 410, GEO 460, or GEO 470 (minimum 3 hours).
3BSC 320, BSC 360, BSC 371, BSC 373, BSC 376, BSC 408, BSC 412, BSC 413, BSC 415, BSC 416, BSC 428, BSC 434, BSC 456, BSC 472, BSC 475, BSC 476, BSC 482, BSC 484, or BSC 490 (minimum 6 hours).
Upper-level residency. A minimum of 12 hours of 300- and 400-level courses in the major must be earned on this campus.
Ancillary courses. Grades in ancillary courses are not computed into the major GPA. The major in environmental science requires the following course outside the major:
| Course | Hours |
| MATH 125 or MATH 145 | 4 |
Required minor. The environmental studies major does not require a minor.
Additional major requirements. Students are responsible for ensuring that they have met all University, college, major, and minor requirements. However, each student must meet with an advisor in the major department for academic planning and to be cleared for registration each semester.