The environmental studies program leading to a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree will prepare students to enter the job market as environmental specialists or to continue in their education in a graduate program. Students in environmental science will complete:
- 36-39 s.h. of environmental studies courses
- 30-31 s.h. of support courses in science and mathematics
- a prescribed minor of 18 s.h
The minor must include 9 s.h. of upper division courses (3000 level and above) and may be in:
- biology or biomathematics
- chemistry
- economics
- environmental geography
- environmental health and safety
- geographic information science
- geoscience or environmental geology
- mathematics or statistics
- mechanical engineering
- public health
Credits may include those required for support science and mathematics, as applicable. The minor must be approved by the University. The student is welcome to take additional courses in other departments as electives. Students are encouraged to develop teamwork, communication, computer and problem-solving skills. This degree may be earned in eight semesters if students average 15 hours per semester.
Majors transferring in from other programs at YSU or from other universities may use up free electives and/or require additional semesters or summers of study. College and university requirements apply (total hours, upper division hours, general education goals, etc.). One writing intensive, oral intensive, critical thinking intensive, and capstone course can be satisfied within this program.
| COURSE | TITLE | S.H. |
|---|---|---|
| FIRST YEAR REQUIREMENT -STUDENT SUCCESS | ||
| YSU 1500 | Success Seminar | 1-2 |
| or SS 1500 | Strong Start Success Seminar | |
| or HONR 1500 | Intro to Honors | |
| General Education Requirements | ||
| ENGL 1550 | Writing 1 | 3 |
| or ENGL 1549 | Writing 1 with Support | |
| ENGL 1551 | Writing 2 | 3 |
| CMST 1545 | Communication Foundations | 3 |
| Mathematics Requirement (met with MATH in major) | ||
| Arts and Humanities (6 s.h.) | 6 | |
| Natural Sciences (2 courses, 1 with lab) (6-7 s.h.) | 0 | |
| Requirement met through science courses in major | ||
| Social Science (6 s.h.) | 6 | |
| Social and Personal Awareness (6 s.h.) | 6 | |
| Core Requirements | ||
| ENST 2600 & 2600L | Foundations of Environmental Science and Foundations of Environmental Science Laboratory | 4 |
| ENST 3700 & 3700L | Environmental Chemistry and Environmental Chemistry Lab | 4 |
| ENST 3730 | Air Quality | 3 |
| ENST 3750 | Seminar | 1 |
| ENST 3751 | Water Quality Analysis | 3 |
| or ENST 3752 | Soil Quality and Analysis | |
| ENST 3780 | Environmental Research | 2 |
| or ENST 3784 | Research Experience in Environmental Science | |
| ENST 3790 | Internship/Cooperative | 4 |
| ENST 5810 | Environmental Safety | 3 |
| Core Options, select 1 | ||
| ENST 4822 | Water Pollution Control | 3 |
| or ENST 5800 | Environmental Impact Assessment | |
| or ENST 5830 | Toxicology and Risk Assessment | |
| Select 3 ENST Electives (any >3700). One course may come from these electives: | ||
| GEOL 5817 | Environmental Geochemistry | 3 |
| BIOL 3780 | General Ecology | 5 |
| GEOL 5815 | Geology and the Environment 2 | 3 |
| GEOG 3703 | Human Impacts on the Environment | 3 |
| CEEN 3717 | Hydraulic Design | 4 |
| BIOL Course >3700 | ||
| Support Courses in Science and Mathematics | ||
| CHEM 1515 & 1515L | General Chemistry 1 and General Chemistry 1 Laboratory 1 | 4 |
| CHEM 1516 & 1516L | General Chemistry 2 and General Chemistry 2 Laboratory 1 | 4 |
| Recitation for General Chemistry 1 and Recitation for General Chemistry 2 (optional) | ||
| BIOL 2602 & 2602L | General Biology 2: Organisms and Ecology and General Biology: Organisms and Ecology Laboratory | 4 |
| GEOL 1505 & 1505L | Physical Geology and Physical Geology Laboratory (satisfies GER Science or Lab) 1 | 4 |
| MATH 1571 | Calculus 1 2 | 4 |
| or MATH 1570 | Applied Calculus 1 | |
| GEOG 2611 | Geospatial Foundations | 3 |
| STAT 2601 | Introductory Statistics | 3 |
| or STAT 2625 | Statistical Literacy and Critical Reasoning | |
| or STAT 3717 | Statistical Methods | |
| or STAT 3743 | Probability and Statistics | |
| PHYS 1501 | Fundamentals of Physics 1 | 4 |
| or PHYS 2610 | General Physics 1 | |
| Minor | ||
| Select 17 s.h. from approved minors; 1/3 must be at the 3700 level or higher | 17 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 120-121 | |
| 1 | Satisfies General Education Science or Science Lab Domain. |
| 2 | Satisfies General Education Mathematics Domain. |
| 3 | Satisfies General Education Science Domain. |
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | S.H. | |
| YSU 1500 | Success Seminar | 1 |
| CHEM 1515 & 1515L | General Chemistry 1 and General Chemistry 1 Laboratory (R, NS) | 4 |
| ENGL 1550 or ENGL 1549 | Writing 1 (GE) or Writing 1 with Support | 3-4 |
| ENST 2600 & 2600L | Foundations of Environmental Science and Foundations of Environmental Science Laboratory (R) | 4 |
| GER SS or AH course | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 15-16 | |
| Spring | ||
| CHEM 1516 & 1516L | General Chemistry 2 and General Chemistry 2 Laboratory (R, NS) | 4 |
| ENGL 1551 | Writing 2 (GE) | 3 |
| Elective Support Course (R) 1 | 3 | |
| GER SS or AH course | 3 | |
| GER SPA Course | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 16 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| MATH 1570 or MATH 1571 | Applied Calculus 1 (GE) or Calculus 1 | 4 |
| BIOL 2601 & 2601L | General Biology 1: Molecules and Cells and General Biology I: Molecules and Cells Laboratory (R, NS) | 4 |
| CMST 1545 | Communication Foundations (GE) | 3 |
| ENST 3730 | Air Quality (R) | 3 |
| Semester Hours | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| GEOL 1505 & 1505L | Physical Geology and Physical Geology Laboratory (R) | 4 |
| Support Course (R) 1 | 3 | |
| GER SPA Course | 3 | |
| GER SS or AH course | 3 | |
| Elective Course | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 16 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Fall | ||
| ENST 3700 & 3700L | Environmental Chemistry and Environmental Chemistry Lab (R) | 4 |
| ENST 3781 | Environmental Sampling Methods (R) | 3 |
| ENST 5860 | Environmental Regulations (R) | 3 |
| Minor Course | 3 | |
| Minor Course | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENST 5800 | Environmental Impact Assessment (R) | 3 |
| ENST 3751 | Water Quality Analysis (R) | 3 |
| ENST 3750 | Seminar (R) | 1 |
| Minor Minor Course | 3 | |
| Minor Course > 3700 | 3 | |
| GER SS or AH course | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 16 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Fall | ||
| ENST 5830 | Toxicology and Risk Assessment (R) | 3 |
| ENST 3790 | Internship/Cooperative (R) | 4 |
| Minor Course | 3 | |
| Minor Course | 3 | |
| Upper Division Course > 3700 | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENST 3780 | Environmental Research (R) | 2-4 |
| ENST 5810 | Environmental Safety (R) | 1 |
| Minor Course > 3700 | 3 | |
| Minor Course > 3700 | 3 | |
| Upper Division Course > 3700 | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 12-14 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 121-124 | |
| 1 | Elective support courses, select two of the following: PHYS 1501 Fundamentals of Physics 1, GEOG 2630 Weather, or STAT 2601 Introductory Statistics or STAT 3717 Statistical Methods. |
Request a Graduation Evaluation after completing 80-85 s.h. from the STEM Advising Center, 2325 Moser Hall, (330) 941-2512.
Learning Outcomes
The student learning outcomes for the BS in environmental science are as follows:
- Communicate effectively using the language, concepts, and models of environmental science in written, visual, and numerical formats.
- Properly apply the scientific method to research an environmental problem and formulate conclusions.
- Demonstrate ability to apply appropriate field- and laboratory-based methods (of acquiring, quantitatively and qualitatively analyzing and interpreting environmental data and information).
- Demonstrate understanding of pollution sources, pollution prevention strategies, and waste management.