The School of Natural Resources and Environment’s environmental science degrees approach complex environmental issues with multidisciplinary academic knowledge and interdisciplinary perspectives to prepare graduates for jobs in environmental consulting companies, government environmental offices, land and water management agencies, or non-government organizations. SNRE’s environmental science degrees are campus-wide programs, allowing students to learn from experts in multiple academic units at the University of Florida. Multiple course options are available to meet most degree requirements, giving students a large degree of flexibility in customizing their program of study to suit their individual interests with the assistance of the advising staff.

About half of Environmental Science students advance to graduate or professional degree programs. The combination of the school's broad undergraduate degree with a subsequent graduate or professional degree is highly marketable.

The school also offers a combination degree program that pairs a bachelor's degree in environmental science with a Master of Science in interdisciplinary ecology.

Requirements and Differences Between BA and BS Degrees

Both Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees prepare students for a wide range of careers in environmental science. The BS places greater emphasis on the natural sciences, whereas the BA is more focused on the social sciences and their application to economics, policy, and management.

The freshmen and sophomore years lay a foundation of coursework through critical-tracking courses for building later expertise. Students need to know the natural sciences of physics, chemistry, and biology. Study of microeconomics and macroeconomics is required to understand the human economy. Introductory statistics empowers students to independently evaluate quantitative data. College algebra (BA) and an introduction to calculus (BS) enable students to work with rates of change, the heart of ecological science.

In addition to the critical tracking requirements, students admitted as freshmen are responsible for completing the university's General Education and Writing Requirements.

Certain critical tracking and core courses simultaneously fulfill General Education and Writing Requirements, and students should seek to maximize the number of overlapping courses for efficiency. For most students, all but 15 credits of the General Education requirement are met through the BA and BS curriculum.

• Biological and Physical Science and Mathematics requirements are satisfied through critical tracking coursework
• The Social and Behavioral Science requirement is satisfied through critical tracking coursework and the Civic Literacy requirement. SNRE recommends POS 2041 to meet the Civic Literacy requirement.
• Humanities: choosing Humanities courses that simultaneously meet the International and Diversity General Education requirements is recommended. To meet the state core requirement, recommended options are ARH 2000, MUL 2010, and THE 2000. For Quest 1 courses that also include Gen Ed International or Diversity , see http://undergrad.aa.ufl.edu/uf-quest/students/quest-courses/.
• Additional Required: this requirement is met by critical tracking and Quest 2.
• Composition: one General Education Composition course is chosen according to placement. The required writing course ENC 3254 fulfills the remaining requirement.
• Writing Requirement: the General Education Composition course awards 6000 words, as does ENC 3254. The remaining 12000 words should be earned by a combination of eligible core courses and electives.

After General Education and most critical-tracking coursework is complete, students begin to take the degree’s core courses (40-46 credits for the BA, 40-47 credits for the BS), providing a base of common knowledge and experience in subjects essential to Environmental Science. During the fourth year, students enroll in SNRE’s capstone course that further develops and assesses critical thinking skills by confronting conflicts of ecological and economic paradigms, synthesizing across physical, biological, and social systems, and engaging diverse knowledge and views to help resolve key environmental problems.

Beyond the core requirements, each student selects additional credits from a wide list of approved electives according to individual interest, allowing them to broaden their skillset or specialize in a particular aspect of environmental science.

Critical Tracking records each student’s progress in courses that are required for progress toward each major. Please note the critical-tracking requirements below on a per-semester basis.

Equivalent critical-tracking courses as determined by the State of Florida Common Course Prerequisites may be used for transfer students.

SEMESTER 1

• Complete 2 of 9 critical-tracking courses, excluding labs: BSC 2010/BSC 2010L, BSC 2011/BSC 2011L, CHM 2045/CHM 2045L, CHM 2046/CHM 2046L, ECO 2013 and ECO 2023 or AEB 3103, MAC 2233 or MAC 2311, PHY 2004/PHY 2004L or PHY 2048/PHY 2048L or PHY 2053/PHY 2053L, STA 2023
• 2.5 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
• 2.0 UF GPA required

SEMESTER 2

• Complete 2 additional critical-tracking courses
• 2.5 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
• 2.0 UF GPA required

SEMESTER 3

• Complete 2 additional critical-tracking courses
• 2.5 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
• 2.0 UF GPA required

SEMESTER 4

• Complete 3 additional critical-tracking courses
• Complete at least 1 core course
• 2.5 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
• 2.0 UF GPA required

SEMESTER 5

• Complete all 9 critical-tracking courses
• Complete at least 1 core course
• 2.5 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
• 2.0 upper division GPA required
• 2.0 UF GPA required

SEMESTER 6

• Complete at least 2 core courses
• 2.0 upper division GPA required
• 2.0 UF GPA required

SEMESTER 7

• Complete at least 1 core course
• 2.0 upper division GPA required
• 2.0 UF GPA required

SEMESTER 8

• Complete EVS 4021 (capstone) and the remaining courses for the degree
• 2.0 upper division GPA required
• 2.0 UF GPA required

To remain on track, students must complete the appropriate critical-tracking courses, which appear in bold. These courses must be completed by the terms as listed above in the Critical Tracking criteria.

This semester plan represents an example progression through the major. Actual courses and course order may be different depending on the student's academic record and scheduling availability of courses. Prerequisites still apply.

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From Approved Electives list.

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE

Environmental Science integrates natural and social sciences to study the interrelationships between people and nature. Using an interdisciplinary approach that incorporates academic fields like ecology, hydrology, earth and soil sciences, natural resource management, ethics, as well as environmental policy and law, the Environmental Science program empowers students to analyze complex environmental issues across multiple perspectives. In doing so, Environmental Science students learn to assess causes of environmental problems and apply their knowledge to develop solutions to these problems.

The Bachelor of Science degree in environmental science emphasizes the applied sciences and the basic sciences from which they derive. The track is designed to prepare for employment or for graduate or professional school.

Core Requirements for the Bachelor of Science

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Students should not enroll in more than one of the following courses: FOR 3434C, GIS 3043, GIS 3072C, URP 4273, SWS 4720C.

Beyond the core requirements, each student selects additional credits from a wide list of approved electives according to individual interest, allowing students to broaden their skillset or specialize in a particular aspect of environmental science.

Elective Requirement

• Additional Skills and Concepts 6-15 credits
• Biological Sciences 6-15 credits
• Physical Sciences 3-15 credits
• Human Dimensions 3-9 credits

Students interested in taking courses not on the master list, including requirements for pre-Veterinary and pre-Medical students, must contact the undergraduate coordinator for approval.

Students can substitute appropriate graduate courses for electives, with approval of the school and permission of the instructor. To substitute a 5000-level course or higher, the student must have senior standing and a minimum junior/senior-level GPA of 3.0.

Transfer and HSAA students may enroll in ALS 4932  (Connecting with CALS; 1 credit) and count the class towards their Environmental Science major as a Human Dimensions elective.

MASTER LIST 

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Students should not enroll in more than one of the following courses: FOR 3434C, GIS 3043, GIS 3072C, URP 4273, SWS 4720C.

Environmental Science is the science of humanity's role in natural systems, the basis of our economy. This program accesses courses university-wide and provides numerous opportunities for international study. Students will acquire reliable knowledge and interdisciplinary perspectives of complex environmental issues, gaining the full range of knowledge relevant to a professional understanding of complex environmental problems in the biological and physical sciences, ethics, economics, policy, and law.

Before Graduating Students Must

• Complete at least one course in each of the foundation areas.
• Complete requirements for the baccalaureate degree, as determined by faculty.

Students in the Major will Learn To

Student Learning Outcomes | SLOs

Content

1. Apply acquired knowledge of basic terminology, concepts, methodologies, and theories in the physical and biological sciences that describe environmental systems.
2. Apply acquired knowledge of essential concepts in the social sciences that describe human activity in the environment.

Critical Thinking

3. Develop reasoned solutions to environmental problems through application of the scientific method.

Communication

4. Communicate knowledge, ideas, and reasoning clearly, effectively, and objectively in both written and oral forms.

Curriculum Map

I = Introduced; R = Reinforced; A = Assessed

ASSESSMENT TYPES

• Oral presentation or written essay