Environmental Science

Introduction to Environmental Science is an introductory course in environmental science involving an interdisciplinary study of how entities in nature are interconnected. It provides an integrated study of environmental problems, connections, and solutions.

Water is essential to life and many of the processes that occur on Earth. Water Resources and Hydrology takes a detailed look at the occurrence, distribution, and circulation of water near the Earth's surface. This course covers the basics of limnology, water as a critical resource, threats to the resource, water treatment resources, and basic water-flow calculations. Laboratory work consists of field visits to both lotic and lentic systems, as well as the collection and analysis of rainfall and runoff data.

Conservation Biology takes an in-depth look at the causes and consequences of the loss of biodiversity. Students examine the importance of biodiversity and the loss of it from a genetic to an ecosystem perspective. In addition to studying the challenges for species management, students explore endangered ecosystems, the eventual cause of extinctions, and the roles of economic and social factors in environmental conservation.