BSc in Environmental Science
Aberdeen, USA
BSc
DURATION
4 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Key Summary
About: Northern’s BSc in Environmental Science blends biology, physical, and information sciences to study environmental systems, issues, and solutions. You’ll take a liberal arts curriculum that develops critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication. Experiential learning includes undergraduate research, internships, and service-learning in small classes with personalized faculty mentoring. A GIS certificate (12 credits) adds hands-on geographic information systems training.
Career Outcomes: Graduates work for government agencies, environmental consulting firms, nonprofits, industry, or education. Potential roles include wildlife biologist, natural resource scientist, conservation scientist, aquatic ecologist, environmental consultant, GIS specialist, environmental educator, and forester. Many join the timber, farming, or research sectors.
Northern’s environmental science program merges biological, physical, and information sciences with the study of environmental systems, issues, and solutions to major environmental problems.
As an environmental science major at Northern, you'll study the fascinating interrelation between the natural sciences. You'll examine the relationship between living organisms and the ecosystems in which they live, addressing how humans affect the environment and how you can help reduce or even reverse negative impacts.
NSU environmental science majors graduate with the ability to serve as a crucial information resource for managers, policymakers, and citizens as they work to address pressing environmental issues.
GIS Certificate
A certificate (12 credits) in GIS is also available, which provides additional hands-on training for students pursuing environmental careers.
First Year Fall
- IDL 190, Freshman Seminar 2
- MATH 114/L, College Algebra* 3-4
- BIOL 130, Success in Science 1
- BIOL 151/L, General Biology I** 4
- CHEM 112/L, General Chemistry I** 4
First Year Spring
- ENGL 101, Composition I 3
- Behavioral/Social Sciences Course 3
- BIOL 153/L, General Biology II 4
- CHEM 114/L, General Chemistry II 4
Second Year Fall
- ENGL 201, Composition II 3
- Arts and Humanities Course 3
- BIOL 180, Soils and the Environment** 3
- BIOL 477/L, Wildlife Conservation and Management 4
- GEOG 372, Introduction to GIS 3
Second Year Spring
- SPCM 101, Fundamentals of Speech* 3
- Behavioral/Social Sciences Course 3
- Arts and Humanities Course 3
- GEOG 131/L, Physical Geography Weather and Climate** 4
- BIOL 436, Biogeography 3
Third Year Fall
- BIOL 281, Introduction to Statistics 3
- BIOL 311/L, Principles of Ecology 4
- BIOL 454, Environmental Ethics 3
- BIOL 377, Birds and Mammals 3
- General Elective 3
Third Year Spring
- Human Values Course 3
- GEOG 473, GIS: Data Creation and Integration*** 3
- BIOL 211/L, Environmental Biology*** 3
- General Elective 3
- General Elective 3
Fourth Year Fall
- BIOL 301/L, Plant Systematics 4
- BIOL 490, Seminar 1
- BIOL 496, Field Experience 2
- BIOL 498, Undergraduate Research and Scholarship 3
- General Elective 3
Fourth Year Spring
- BIOL 365/L, Vertebrate Zoology** 4
- BIOL 346, Biological Statistics II*** 3
- BIOL 484, Remote Sensing*** 3
- Elective or Minor Course 3
- Elective or Minor Course 3
*Fulfills a General Education Requirement. Other course options may be available.
**Fulfills a major requirement. Other course options may be available.
***Fulfills a general elective. Other course options may be available.
Suggested Double Majors: Biology Suggested Minors: GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and/or Geography.
Suggested Certificate(s): Organismal Biology and/or Quantitative Analytics in Science (new).
- Students demonstrate the ability to analyze data and use taxonomic keys to identify organisms. (Cross-curricular Skill: Inquiry and Analysis)
- Students can demonstrate this by effectively communicating scientific results orally and in writing. (Cross-curricular Skill: Critical and Creative Thinking)
- Students can demonstrate this by identifying appropriate scientific sources and analyzing and interpreting data. (Cross-curricular Skill: Information Literacy)
- Students will demonstrate the ability to work as a team while completing research projects and presentations. (Cross-curricular Skill: Team Work)
- Students will demonstrate the ability to design and conduct scientific research. (Cross-curricular Skill: Problem Solving)
- Environmental science students will establish skills in core disciplines of conservation biology, including knowledge of Geographic Information Systems and the biodiversity of plants and animals.
Graduates will leave this program well prepared to enter careers as wildlife biologists, natural resource scientists, naturalists, aquatic ecologists, or conservation biologists, or to pursue graduate education.
Environmental science graduates can seek careers with government agencies, environmental consulting firms, nonprofit organizations, and more. Most are employed equally between the government and private, for-profit sectors. Other potential job titles include wildlife manager, wildlife biologist, environmental consultant, soil conservationist, forester, ecologist, environmental educator/naturalist, aquatic ecologist, plant scientist/botanist, zoologist, and conservation scientist, and geographic information scientist.
Most environmental science graduates are employed equally between the government and private, for-profit sectors. Many graduates work in the timber and paper industries and with farmers and ranchers. Others are employed with the government. Potential job titles include forestry and conservation scientists, biological scientists, administrators, and secondary school teachers.
Internships
Biology majors at NSU receive a very personal education. Our class sizes are small, allowing ample opportunity to interact directly with faculty of diverse specialties. This personal attention from well-qualified and enthusiastic professors, combined with our hands-on policy with laboratory equipment, give Northern students an edge when applying for internships.
