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, three hours. Natural disasters occur every day and affect the lives of millions of people each year. This course will cover the science behind geologic and atmospheric natural disasters, with a focus on connecting learning to real-world examples and considering the impacts of disasters on humans and the environment. 

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, three hours. The goal of this course is to introduce you to the complexity of issues and concepts surrounding American environmental policy. We will begin by examining the fundamentals and historical challenges of environmental governance in the U.S. and the process of policy formation. The interplay of knowledge, power, and politics in the policy-making process will be explored while covering the following fundamental concepts: (1) Federal and sub-national environmental policy-making in the U.S.; (2) Approaches to environmental policy analysis; and (3) The role of the U.S. in international environmental governance. 

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.

On Demand. Credit, four hours. Understanding the fundamentals of ecology - the interactions between the living and non-living components of the biosphere - helps us better comprehend the interconnectedness of the natural world around us. A strong comprehension of ecology is significant to understanding and mitigating current environmental issues. This course aims to provide students with an overview of this field, examining topics such as ecosystem structure and function, ecosystem dynamics, methods of ecosystem analysis, energy flow, nutrient dynamics, population and community ecology, and human influence. We will also explore how the scientific method is used in ecology through various field and laboratory activities. 

On Demand. Credit, three hours. Oceanography is the study of the marine environment. This includes topics relating to geological oceanography (structure of sea floor, sea floor deposits and features), chemical oceanography (chemical composition and properties of seawater, effects of pollutants), and physical oceanography (waves, tides, currents, ocean-atmosphere relationships). We will examine the physical processes occurring in the ocean and related environmental, societal, and economic effects. 

On Demand. Credit, one hour. This lab component of the Physical Oceanography course provides hands-on experience with the physical processes and phenomena of the marine environment. These labs are designed to reinforce theoretical knowledge, develop scientific inquiry skills, and foster a deeper understanding of the ocean's role in the Earth's system. This lab course is a co-requisite of ENVS 239: Physical Oceanography, with the goal being that the lab complements and enhances the learning of concepts introduced in the lecture. 

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.