2004-05 Undergraduate Catalog
Environmental Science
The freshmen and sophomore years lay a foundation of course work for building later expertise. Students need to know the natural sciences of physics, chemistry and biology, with laboratory experience in each area. Study of microeconomics and macroeconomics are required to understand the human economy. Introductory statistics empowers students to independently evaluate sets of numbers. College algebra and an introduction to calculus enable students to work with rates of change, the heart of ecological science.
The preprofessional courses for the B.S. tracks in environmental science and natural resource management prepare students for the science-oriented versions of the major. The requirements for the B.A. track in environmental policy include less physics and mathematics, in preparation for the major that combines science and policy.
Course work in the core of the major provides a base of common knowledge and experience in subjects essential to environmental science. Then students diverge into electives chosen according to individual interest. Senior-year students return to a common course that develops 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 resolve key environmental problems.
Summary of Degree Requirements
|
Semester Hours |
B.S. |
B.A. |
|
Preprofessional Requirements* |
43 |
34 |
|
General Education Requirements (total) |
36 |
36 |
|
Major |
||
|
Core Requirements for Major |
32 |
31 |
|
Electives Required for Major** |
21 |
27 |
|
Other University Requirements and Free Electives*** |
12 |
16 |
|
Total for Degree |
120 |
120* |
* Typical number of hours; actual number depends on course selections
** 31 hours for the toxicology concentration
*** Two hours for the toxicology concentration
Combined-Degree Program
Eligible seniors in this school can participate in a 4-years-plus-1-year bachelor’s/master’s degree program that combines a bachelor’s degree in environmental science with a Master of Science in interdisciplinary ecology.
The combined-degree program leaves the existing bachelor’s degree program intact, except that students can substitute up to nine hours of graduate courses for undergraduate electives, as approved by the school. These graduate courses are double-counted toward the 38 credits required for the Master of Science, which can be completed in a year (3-4 semesters) after the bachelor’s degree.
There are courses that can be taken for graduate credit during the senior year that also meet requirements for the undergraduate degree: Principles of Ecology, Particular Systems and a course in natural sciences, social sciences or sustainability studies. Refer to web.cnre.ufl.edu/curriculum.htm for more information.
Eligibility:
- Completion of all preprofessional requirements and 15 hours of the environmental science core courses,
- Senior status (4NE),
- Minimum junior-/senior-level GPA of 3.3, and
- Minimum total combined GRE score of 1100.