ECS BS Degree

Man in the Everglades measuring water with a measuring tape. Man in the Everglades measuring water with a measuring tape.

The B.S. degree in Ecosystem Science and Policy is recommended for students intending to attend graduate or professional schools in pursuit of research or academic careers (including secondary or higher education). It is also suitable for those preparing for technical careers in government and private industries concerned with the environment.

Students pursuing the B.S. may choose to have the major fulfill either the STEM or People & Society cognate; they will need to complete the other cognate plus the Arts & Humanities cognate.  Students with a second major in another school or college should consult their advisors regarding requirements for that major and school or college.  Any course used to fulfill one ECS requirement cannot be used to fulfill another; however, courses other than the ECS core can be used to fulfill requirements for a cognate, minor, or second major.  Students whose primary college is Arts & Sciences are required to complete four courses designated as "Writing Intensive" (also known as "W") courses. Those seeking a B.S. degree in ECS must complete at least two, but as many as four, ECS courses designated as "W". These include ECS 113, 301, 302, 402, and 403.  Up to two "W" courses may be selected from other departments. Students whose primary degree is in another school or college should follow its writing requirements.

Click for a printable ECS BS worksheet or list of ECS BS Science tracks.

ECS Core Courses

  

ECS 111

Introduction to the Earth's Ecosystem

3

ECS 112

Field Problems in Ecosystem Science and Policy

2

ECS 113

Introduction to Environmental Policy

3

ECS 201

Seminar Series in Contemporary Environmental Issues I

1

or ECS 202

Seminar Series in Contemporary Environmental Issues II

ECS 232

Ecological Principles and Environmental Applications

3

or BIL 330

Ecology

ECS 301

Tools for Environmental Decision-Making: The Quantitative Perspective

3

ECS 302

Perspectives on Environmental Decision Making

3

ECS 401

Internship

3

or ECS 402

Thesis

ECS 403

Interdisciplinary Approaches

3

ECS electives at the 300 level or higher

6

In addition, students must take the following courses, which may fulfill cognate or second major requirements:

  

Science Core Courses

  

A science course at the 110 level or above with lab (BIL, GSC, MSC, PHY)

4

CHM 111
& CHM 113

Principles of Chemistry I
and Chemistry Laboratory I

4

CHM 112
& CHM 114

Principles of Chemistry II
and Chemistry Laboratory II

4

CAE 240

Environmental Pollution

3

or CAE 340

Introduction to Environmental Engineering

Complete one of the following ECS science tracks:

9-22

Climate Science and Policy Track

  
 MSC 111 Introduction to Marine Science 

3 

ATM 102 Introduction to Weather and Climate OR

          ATM 103 Survey of Meteorology [MTH 108 co-requisite]

 3

 MSC 346 Climate and Science Policy*

 3

Select 2  courses from the following:

 3

ATM/MSC 220 Climate and Global Change

3 

MSC 222 Earth’s Climate: Past and Future

 3

GSC 462 (Earth’s Ancient Atmospheres, Climates, and Sea Levels) [GSC 110 + 111 pre-requisites]

3 

Other approved climate science course

  
One course from the following:  

MSC 313 Coastal Law

3

MSC 314 Ocean Law

3

MSC 340 Ocean Policy

3
 MSC 342/ECS 374 Decision-­making & the Environment)

 3

Other approved climate policy course

  

18 credits total. Completion of track also satisfies a minor in Climate Science & Policy.

  

*MSC 346 (co-­‐listed with ECS 403) taken to satisfy the Climate Science track cannot also satisfy the ECS 403 core course requirement; a separate ECS 403 section must be taken.

  
   

Conservation Biology Track

  

BIL 150/151 General Biology +lab

4 + 1 

BIL 160/161 Evolution and Biodiversity + lab

 4 + 1

Select 12 credits from the following (must include 3 credits in the field/lab category)

  

BIL 226 General Botany

3

BIL 220 Evolution and Disease

3

BIL 230 Marine Biology

 3

 BIL 250 Genetics

 3

BIL 315 Marine Biota and Biogeochemical Cycles

 3
BIL 316  Global Primary Production

 3
BIL 330 Ecology

 3

BIL 350 Survey of Marine Mammals

 3

BIL 360 Comparative Physiology

 3

BIL 385 Special topics in biology: Conservation and Protected Areas

 3

BIL 415 – Coral Reef Science and Management

 3

BIL 433 Conservation in Practice*

 3
 BIL 435 Origins, Ecology and Conservation in Insular Diversity

 3
 BIL 441 Animal Behavior

 3 
 BIL 539 Conservation and Protected Areas **

  3

Other approved conservation-­‐related course

  

Field/Lab category:

  

BIL 221 Biology of Birds

4

BIL 227 General Botany Laboratory

1

BIL 231 Marine biology lab

1

BIL 321 Invertebrate Zoology

  

BIL 331 Ecology lab

1 
 BIL 332 Ecology and Land Use in the Galapagos *

3 
 BIL 432 Ecology in the Galapagos *

 3
 BIL 466 Environmental Physiology: Oxygen, Water, and Ionoregulatory Stress

 1
 BIL 525 Herpetology in the Galapagos *

 3

Other approved field or lab biology course

  

22 credits total. Completion of track also satisfies a minor in biology.

  

* This course is taught at UGalapagos in Fall.  

**BIL 539 (co-­‐listed with ECS 403) taken to satisfy the Conservation Biology track cannot also satisfy the ECS 403 core course requirement; a separate ECS 403 section must be taken.

  
   

Environmental Chemistry Track: 1

  

Select 3 of the following (must include 2 labs):

  

CHM 201
& CHM 205

Organic Chemistry I (Lecture)
and Organic Chemistry Laboratory I

  

CHM 202
& CHM 206

Organic Chemistry II (Lecture)
and Organic Chemistry Laboratory II

  

CHM 360
& CHM 364

Physical Chemistry I (Lecture)
and Physical Chemistry (Laboratory I)

  

CHM 365
& CHM 464

Physical Chemistry II (Lecture)
and Physical Chemistry (Laboratory II)

  

CHM 401

Environmental Chemistry

  
     

Environmental Health Track: 2

  

Select 3 of the following:

  

CHM 201
& CHM 205

Organic Chemistry I (Lecture)
and Organic Chemistry Laboratory I

  

MIC 301

Introduction to Microbiology and Immunology

  

MIC 322

Medical Parasitology

  
     

Geology Track: 3

  

GSC 260

Earth Materials

  

Select 2 of the following:

  

GSC 360

Depositional and Diagenetic Systems

  

GSC 380

Paleontology and Stratigraphy

  

GSC 410

Environmental Geochemistry

  

GSC 420

Geophysics

  

GSC 480

Structural Geology

  

GSC 550

Hydrogeology

  
     

Geospatial Certificate Track: 4

  

GEG 199

Introduction to GIS (Geographic Information Systems)

  

GEG 391

Intermediate GIS (Geographic Information Systems)

  

GEG 392

Remote Sensing of the Environment

  

Select 2 of the following:

  

GEG 491

GIS and Environmental Modeling

  

GEG 545

Special Topics (Web-GIS)

  

GEG 545

Special Topics (Advanced SAR Techniques and Applications)

  

GEG 545

Special Topics (GIS in Public Health)

  
     

Mathematics Track: 6

  

MTH 359

Mathematical Models in Biology and Medicine

  

Select 2 of the following:

  

MTH 210

Introduction to Linear Algebra

  

MTH 310

Multivariable Calculus

  

MTH 311

Introduction to Ordinary Differential Equations

  
   

Mathematics Courses

  

Select 1 of the following:

5-8

MTH 151
& MTH 162

Calculus I for Engineers
and Calculus II

  

MTH 161
& MTH 162

Calculus I
and Calculus II

  

MTH 171
& MTH 172

Calculus I
and Calculus II

  

Select 1 of the following Statistics courses:

3

ECS 204

Environmental Statistics

  

MSC 204

Environmental Statistics

  

BIL 311

Biostatistics

  

MTH 224

Introduction to Probability and Statistics

  

PSY 292

Introduction To Biobehavioral Statistics For Non-Majors

  
   

Social Science Core Courses

  

Select 1 of the following Economics/Political Science courses for BS:

3

ECS 377

Topics in Environmental Economics and Development

  

ECO 211

Economic Principles and Problems

  

ECO 212

Economic Principles and Problems

  

INS 102

Global Economics

  

INS 421

Poverty and the Environment

  

MSC 345

Economics of Natural Resources and the Environment

  

POL 201

Introduction to American National Government

  

POL 202

Introduction To Comparative Politics

  

POL 203

Introduction to International Relations

  

Select 1 of the following ECS social science skills courses for BS: 7

3

BSL 212

Introduction to Business Law

  

BSL/MSC 314

Ocean Law

  

STC 114

Principles of Advertising

  

JMM 106

Visual Design

  

JMM 341

Web Design

  

ECS 376

Topics in Environmental Communication

  

ECS 377

Topics in Environmental Economics and Development

  

EPS 321

Understanding Human Service Organizations

  

FIN 300

Fundamentals of Finance for Non-Finance Majors

  

FIN 302

Fundamentals of Finance

  

GEG 120

Physical Geography

  

GEG 199

Introduction to GIS (Geographic Information Systems)

  

INS 503

Int Relations Topics (e.g., Role of Foreign Aid in International Development)

  

LAS 502

Research Design in Latin American Studies

  

MGT 303

Operations Management

  

MGT 353

Introduction to Entrepreneurship

  

MKT 201

Foundations of Marketing

  

PHI 110

Critical Thinking

  

PHI 215

Logic and Law

  

POL 314

Legislative Processes

  

POL 342

State and Local Government and Politics

  

POL 353

Interest Groups and Lobbying

  

POL 524

Non-Profit Organizations: Law, Policy, and Management

  

SOC 210

Introduction to Social Research

  

Total Credit Hours

68-82

 

1

Note: CHM 111/CHM 113, CHM 112/CHM 114 must be taken before the Chemistry concentration. Fulfillment of the Chemistry concentration earns a Chemistry minor.

2

Note: BIL 150/BIL 151, BIL 160/BIL 161 and CHM 121, CHM 221, CHM 222 should be taken before the Environmental Health concentration.

3

Note: GSC 110/GSC 114 and GSC 111 should be taken before the Geology concentration. This plus the Geology concentration earns a minor in Geological Sciences.

4

Note: Fulfillment of the Geospatial Certificate PLUS GEG 110 earns a geography minor. This minor does NOT qualify for an Arts and Sciences B.S.; students completing the geospatial certificate concentration must complete an additional minor in one of the following for an Arts and Sciences B.S.: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Geology, Marine Science, Mathematics, Physics.

5

Note: MSC 111 must be taken before the Marine Biology concentration. Fulfillment of the Marine Biology concentration earns a Marine Science minor.

6

Note: Calculus II must be taken before the Mathematics concentration. Fulfillment of the Mathematics concentration earns Mathematics minor.

7

Note: ECS B.S. majors without a second major must take a GIS course, e.g., GEG 199.