Environmental Sciences

Fall, Spring. Credit, five hours. Basic ecological concepts, study of ecosystems, and application of ecological principles to local and global environmental problems. Labs focus on investigating local ecosystems and will be primarily spent outdoors, involving light to moderate physical activity.  This is the foundational course required for majors and minors in Environmental Sciences. Three hours of lecture and one three-hour laboratory per week.

On Demand. Credit, four hours. No prerequisite. Emphasis on the geologic formation and utilization of mineral resources, renewable and nonrenewable energy resources, and water resources. Includes historic development, uses, environmental concerns, and future potential of these resources. Three hours of lecture and one three-hour lab period per week.

On Demand. Credit, four hours. No prerequisite. History of the Earth in the context of changing environments through time. Emphasizes biological systems interacting with global processes such as plate tectonics. Three hours of lecture and one three-hour laboratory per week.

On Demand. Credit, four hours. No prerequisite. Meteorology is the science of the atmosphere and the weather it produces. It seeks to understand the dynamics of the system in terms of available energy and how those dynamics produce the daily weather and long-term climate of the globe. Emphasis on the chemical components and physics of the atmosphere, meteorological processes, climate regions of the world, and climate change.  Three hours of lecture and one three-hour lab period per week.

 On Demand. Credit, four hours. No prerequisite. Introduction to planet Earth: fundamental concepts of geology developed through the study of minerals, rocks, plate tectonics, volcanoes, and forces shaping the Earth’s surface. Three hours of lecture and one three-hour laboratory per week.

Spring. Credit, four hours. No prerequisite. Permission of instructor and additional tuition is required. Geological, biological, and paleontological examination of terrestrial and marine tropical ecosystems using Sapelo Island, Georgia (required weekend trip) and San Salvador Island, The Bahamas (required spring break trip) as field-based case studies. Topics include: geology, interpreting past environments from the rock record, changing sea level, island biogeography, reef ecology, and human effects on environments. Lab credit is earned through participating in the field experiences.

Spring. Credit, four hours. No prerequisite. Permission of instructor and additional tuition is required. This course explores desert ecosystems (geology, biology, and ecology) using the Chihuahuan Desert of west Texas and southern New Mexico as a case study. During the travel component of the course (required spring break trip), students will visit four National Parks (Big Bend, Carlsbad Caverns, Guadalupe Mountains, and White Sands) where the epitome of desert ecosystems are preserved and accessible. Lab credit is earned through participating in the field experiences.

On Demand. Credit, three hours. No prerequisite. Major issues in the environmental sciences are often misunderstood by the public. But such misconceptions can be overcome by recognizing logical fallacies and using effective communication techniques, such as dynamic presentations, clear writing, empathy, and storytelling. This class will provide the right tools for addressing false or misleading information while also developing proactive communication skills for communicating environmental science in a range of situations, whether personal, public, or academic.

On demand. Credit, one to four hours. Requires permission of the instructor and an ENVS course. This course provides Environmental Science students with foundational skills for research under supervision of a faculty member. A stepping- stone to more advanced research work. This course does not satisfy distribution requirements in natural science and mathematics.

Spring. Credit, four hours. Variable topics in environmental science to be offered as irregular courses.