Environmental Science
The Environmental Science curriculum draws from a variety of disciplines including: the earth sciences, chemistry, physics, biology, math, and spatial analysis. Students learn biological principles and skills in lecture, laboratory, and field courses. A particular emphasis of the program is student involvement in research projects, and undergraduates in Environmental Science regularly present their research results at regional and national scientific meetings.
Environmental Science Program Sheet (2Mb)
Bachelor of Science: Environmental Science
Bachelor degree programs are designed to prepare students for employment, or graduate school, in their chosen field.
Typically a bachelor degree program is 120 credits (four years).
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS (2012-2013 CATALOG)
UAS students must fulfill all UAS General Education Requirements (GERs), and ENVS major requirements, breadth requirements, and upper-division electives for a minimum of 120 credit hours. Courses in a degree program may be applied to only one type of degree requirement. For instance, courses used to fulfill the major requirements cannot be used to fulfill the GERs. Specific recommendations for the GERs in Environmental Science are listed below. 48 of the 120 credits hours must be at the upper-division level (300 or above). 24 of the upper-division courses must be completed at UAS.
| Minimum Credit Hours | 120 | ||
| General Education Requirements | 36 | ||
| Students should consult with an advisor and select courses that satisfy prerequisites required in this degree program. | |||
| Must include: | |||
| ENVS | S102 | Earth and Environment | 4 |
| GEOL | S104 | Physical Geology | 4 |
| MATH | S200 | Calculus I | 4 |
| Major Requirements | 48 | ||
Dept. | Course # | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOL | S105 | Fundamentals of Biology I | 4 |
| CHEM | S105 | General Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM | S106 | General Chemistry II | 4 |
| ENVS | S338 | Introduction to GIS | 3 |
| ENVS | S420 | Atmospheric Science | 3 |
| GEOL | S301 | Geomorphology | 4 |
| GEOL | S302 | Hydrology | 4 |
| MATH | S201 | Calculus II | 4 |
| Select one from the following (4 credits): | |||
| CHEM | S341 | Organic and Biologic Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM | S350 | Environmental Chemistry | 4 |
| Select one from the following (4 credits): | |||
| BIOL | S271 | Ecology | 4 |
| GEOL | S271 | Earth Materials | 4 |
| select both | |||
| PHYS | S103 | College Physics I | 4 |
| PHYS | S104 | College Physics II | 4 |
| or both | |||
| PHYS | S211 | General Physics I | 4 |
| PHYS | S212 | General Physics II | 4 |
| Captone Courses | |||
| ENVS | S492 | ENVS Seminar* | 1 |
| Select at least one from the following (2 credit): | |||
| ENVS | S491 | Environmental Science Internship | 1-4 |
| ENVS | S498 | Directed Research | 1-6 |
| **May be repeated once for a total of 2 credits; not a substitute for ENVS S491 or S498 | |||
| Breadth Requirements | 20 | ||
| Select from the following (20 credits total): | |||
| ENVS | S110 | Intro to Geographic Information Systems | 1 |
| ENVS | S111 | Intro to Differential Global Positioning Systems | 1 |
| ENVS | S200 | Hazardous Materials Management | 3 |
| ENVS | S301 | Soil Sciences | 4 |
| ENVS | S311 | Technical Writing for Science Majors | 3 |
| ENVS | S402 | Limnology | 4 |
| ENVS | S406 | Remote Sensing | 3 |
| ENVS | S407 | Snow Hydrology | 4 |
| ENVS | S410 | Advanced Geographic Information Systems | 3 |
| ENVS | S414 | Biogeochemistry | 3 |
| ENVS | S491 | Internship in ENVS Field | 1-4 |
| ENVS | S492 | Environmental Science Seminar* | 1 |
| ENVS | S498 | Research in Environmental Science | 1-6 |
| GEOL | S300 | Geology of Alaska | 3 |
| GEOL | S310 | Glaciation and Climate Change | 3 |
| GEOL | S315 | Glacier Surveying* | 3 |
| ___ | S__ | Juneau Icefield Program courses** | 3-9 |
| *May be repeated once | |||
| **Juneau Icefield Research Program Courses are offered only in the summer |  | ||
Icefield Courses and Academic Credit: Students are generally registered for a minimum of 3 credits through the UAS. Six credits comprise a full load. Additional credits (up to 9 per summer session) are available with cost borne by the participant. Courses are in Earth Systems Field Science, emphasizing geological, glacial, periglacial, geophysical, arctic ecological, and glacio-atmospheric systems. Directed Studies in Mountain and Arctic Earth Systems Sciences can be arranged with concentration on selected topics. | |||
| Additional Natural Sciences Department Breadth courses for ENVS Majors | |||
| BIOL | S271 | Ecology | 4 |
| BIOL | S382 | Wetland Ecology | 4 |
| BIOL | S480 | Aquatic Pollution | 3 |
| BIOL | S481 | Marine Ecology | 4 |
| MATH | S202 | Calculus III | 4 |
| MATH | S302 | Differential Equations | 3 |
| MATH | S305 | Geometry | 3 |
| MATH | S311 | Modern Algebra | 3 |
| MATH | S314 | Linear Algebra | 3 |
| MATH | S460 | Mathematical Modeling | 3 |
| STAT | S273 | Elementary Statistics | 3 |
| STAT | S373 | Probability and Statistics | 3 |
| STAT | S401 | Regression and Analysis of Variance | 4 |
| Electives | 16 | ||
| Must include a minimum of 12 credits at the upper division level. | |||
Minor in Environmental Science
Minors are areas of study that students can use to expand the scope of their bachelor degree program (for example a student in a Art major can add a Business minor).
Typically a minor is 15 credits, it cannot be the same emphasis as the main degree program.
MINOR REQUIREMENTS (2012-2013 CATALOG)
| Minimum Credit Hours | 18 | ||
| ENVS | S102 | Earth and Environment | 4 |
| Select one from the following (4 credits): | |||
| CHEM | S105 | General Chemistry | 4 |
| GEOL | S104 | Physical Geology | 4 |
| PHYS | S103 | College Physics | 4 |
| PHYS | S211 | Gneral Physics | 4 |
| Select 10 credits from the following* | |||
| ENVS | S110 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | 1 |
| ENVS | S111 | Introduction to Differential Global Positioning Systems | 1 |
| ENVS | S301 | Introduction to Soil Science | 4 |
| ENVS | S338 | Introduction to GIS | 3 |
| ENVS | S402 | Limnology | 4 |
| ENVS | S406 | Remote Sensing | 3 |
| ENVS | S407 | Snow Hydrology | 3 |
| ENVS | S414 | Biogeochemistry | 3 |
| ENVS | S410 | Advanced GIS | 3 |
| ENVS | S420 | Atmospheric Science | 3 |
| ENVS | S341 | Organic and Biological Chemistry 1 | 4 |
| ENVS | S350 | Environmental Chemistry | 4 |
| GEOL | S271 | Earth Materials | 4 |
| GEOL | S300 | Geology of Alaska | 3 |
| GEOL | S301 | Geomorphology | 4 |
| GEOL | S302 | Hydrology | 4 |
| GEOL | S310 | Glaciation & Climate Change | 3 |
| GEOL | S315 | Glacier Surveying | 3 |
| *Additional prerequisites are required for upper division courses. | |||
UAS is an open enrollment institution, this means that you do not have to be in a UAS degree program to take a class. Anyone can take our classes as long as they meet the course pre-requisites.
This course examines the atmospheric, hydrospheric, lithospheric, and oceanic systems that define the environment; the interactions among these systems; energy as an environmental parameter; and the effects of physical systems on the biosphere. The labs focus on measurement and description of the environment using methods from meteorology, hydrology, and earth science. Global Positioning Systems and other relevant field techniques are introduced.
Corequisite: MATH S105.
| CRN | SECTION | INSTRUCTOR | MEETS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78470 | J01 | Eran Hood | HB110 Thursday 9:00a - 12:00p 9/3 - 12/14 HB110 Mon, Wed, Fri 12:00p - 1:00p 9/3 - 12/14 |
Tuition and fees: $724 (additional charges may apply)
| CRN | SECTION | INSTRUCTOR | MEETS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78471 | J02 | Eran Hood | HB110 Mon, Wed, Fri 12:00p - 1:00p 9/3 - 12/14 HB110 Thursday 1:15p - 4:15p 9/3 - 12/14 |
Tuition and fees: $724 (additional charges may apply)
An overview of the Global Positioning System; the development of a data dictionary; data acquisition using differential GPS; and integrating GPS data into environmental applications.
| CRN | SECTION | INSTRUCTOR | MEETS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78472 | J01 | Kathy Smikrud | HB110 Sun, Sat 9:00a - 4:15p 10/12 - 10/13 |
Final DTS project due by Oct 31, 2011.
Tuition and fees: $201 (additional charges may apply)
Students will survey the scope of Earth’s natural disasters and the risks that face humans and ecosystems existing on an active planet. Case studies of Earth events that have forced human adaptation and ecosystem transformation will be examined.
| CRN | SECTION | INSTRUCTOR | MEETS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78525 | J01 | Cathy Connor | HB110 Monday 1:15p - 2:45p 9/3 - 12/14 HB105 Wednesday 1:15p - 2:45p 9/3 - 12/14 |
Enrollment in the 1 credit lab is not required, but students who take the lab must also take the lecture course.
Tuition and fees: $513 (additional charges may apply)
Students will survey the scope of Earth’s natural disasters and the risks that face humans and ecosystems existing on an active planet. Case studies of Earth events that have forced human adaptation and ecosystem transformation will be examined.
| CRN | SECTION | INSTRUCTOR | MEETS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78526 | J02 | Cathy Connor | HB105 Tuesday 2:00p - 5:00p 9/3 - 12/14 |
Enrollment in the 1 credit lab is not required, but students who take the lab must also take the lecture course.
Tuition and fees: $221 (additional charges may apply)
Examines the representation of spatial data with vector object models, explores the relationship between spatial data and automated thematic mapping, and trains students in the use of GIS software.
| CRN | SECTION | INSTRUCTOR | MEETS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78473 | J01 | Sanjay Pyare | WB102 Tuesday 5:30p - 7:30p 9/3 - 12/14 WB102 Thursday 5:30p - 8:30p 9/3 - 12/14 |
Tuition and fees: $664 (additional charges may apply)
Climate change presents policy-makers and scholars with many problems (and some opportunities) of a scale unprecedented in human history. We will examine the problems and opportunities of climate change from the three perspectives of Natural Science, Economics, and Political Science in order to understand the nature of the problem, why it has proven so difficult to address, and what approaches we might pursue to find solutions.
| CRN | SECTION | INSTRUCTOR | MEETS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80364 | J01 | Jason Amundson | EG219 Tuesday 6:00p - 9:00p 9/3 - 12/14 |
Tuition and fees: $624 (additional charges may apply)
Biogeography, ecology, and dynamics of temperate rainforests around the world. Explores the abiotic and biotic characteristics that create and maintain temperate rainforests, their unique ecology and dynamics, and identify current conservation and management concerns.
Prerequisite: BIOL S105 or BIOL S271 or ENVS S102.
| CRN | SECTION | INSTRUCTOR | MEETS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80686 | J02 | Brian Buma | HB105 Mon, Wed, Fri 10:20a - 11:20a 9/3 - 12/14 |
Tuition and fees: $624 (additional charges may apply)
An introduction to two related disciplines emphasizing a geographical focus on natural processes. Landscape ecology studies large-scale ecological patterns and processes occurring on whole landscapes; biogeography studies species distribution in relation to environmental and historical factors. Students learn how these disciplines serve as foundations for decision making in land use planning, resource management, and biological conservation. Includes the use of geospatial tools like GIS and remote sensing, and hands-on field exercises.
Prerequisite: ENVS/GEOG S102 or BIOL S104 or S105 or instructor permission.
| CRN | SECTION | INSTRUCTOR | MEETS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78531 | J01 | Sanjay Pyare | HB105 Tue, Thu 11:30a - 1:00p 9/3 - 12/14 |
Tuition and fees: $664 (additional charges may apply)
Part-time work in an approved science agency where the student is supervised by a senior employee of the agency in cooperation with the faculty advisor.
Prerequisite: Upper division standing and signed instructor approval form.
| CRN | SECTION | INSTRUCTOR | MEETS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 78474 | J01 | 9/3 - 12/14 |
Available for 1 to 4 credits, to be determined at time of registration.
Tuition and fees per credit hour: $208; (additional charges may apply)