Environmental Science, B.S.
Admissions
Entrance Requirements
New freshmen who meet University admissions standards are eligible for admission to degree programs offered by the college. A student who wishes to enter the College of Arts and Sciences from another college on the Columbia campus must be in good standing and have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher. A student who wishes to enter the College of Arts and Sciences from another USC campus must fulfill one of the following requirements:
- Be in good standing, meet the admission requirements for a baccalaureate degree on the Columbia campus, and have a cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher.
- Be in good standing and have completed 30 semester hours with a GPA of 2.00 or higher on a USC campus.
Some programs in the College of Arts and Sciences have special admission requirements established by the department or committee that supervises the specific degree program, for example, Cardiovascular Technology, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Economics, Environmental Science, the Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, and the Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies. These requirements are listed in the sections of this bulletin that describe department and special degree programs.
Degree Requirements (128 hours)
Program of Study
| Requirements | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| 1. Carolina Core | 32-46 |
| 2. College Requirements | 15-18 |
| 3. Program Requirements | 29-51 |
| 4. Major Requirements | 30-35 |
Founding Documents Requirement
All undergraduate students must take a 3-credit course or its equivalent with a passing grade in the subject areas of History, Political Science, or African American Studies that covers the founding documents including the United State Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation and one or more documents that are foundational to the African American Freedom struggle, and a minimum of five essays from the Federalist papers. This course may count as a requirement in any part of the program of study including the Carolina Core, the major, minor or cognate, or as a general elective. Courses that meet this requirement are listed here.
1. Carolina Core Requirements (32-46 hours)
CMW – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Written (6 hours)
must be passed with a grade of C or higher
ARP – Analytical Reasoning and Problem Solving (6-8 hours)
must be passed with a grade of C or higher.
SCI – Scientific Literacy (8 hours)
Note: Must take either both BIOL or both MSCI.
GFL – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Foreign Language (0-6 hours)
Demonstration of proficiency in one foreign language equivalent to the minimal passing grade on the exit examination in the 122 course is required. Students can demonstrate this proficiency by successfully completing Phase II of the Proficiency Test or by successfully completing the 122 course, including the exit exam administered as part of that course.
It is strongly recommended that students continuing the study of a foreign language begin college-level study of that language in their first semester and continue in that language until their particular foreign language requirement is completed.
GHS – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Historical Thinking (3 hours)
- any CC-GHS course
GSS – Global Citizenship and Multicultural Understanding: Social Sciences (3 hours)
- Any CC-GSS course. POLI 201* is strongly suggested.
AIU – Aesthetic and Interpretive Understanding (3 hours)
- any CC-AIU course
CMS – Effective, Engaged, and Persuasive Communication: Spoken Component1 (0-3 hours)
- any overlay or stand-alone CC-CMS course
INF – Information Literacy1 (0-3 hours)
- any overlay or stand-alone CC-INF course
VSR – Values, Ethics, and Social Responsibility1 (0-3 hours)
- fulfilled through POLI 201*, an overlay course with GSS, or may be filled by any overlay or stand-alone CC-VSR course
2. College Requirements (15-18 hours)
Foreign Language (0-3 hours)
- only if needed to meet 122-level proficiency
Analytical Reasoning (6 hours)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| STAT 515 | Statistical Methods I (or higher *) | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
CSCE 106 or a higher CSCE course | ||
| Ocean Data Analysis | ||
| MATLAB-Based Data Analysis in Ocean Sciences | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 6 | |
Note: Courses used to fulfill the College requirements may not also be used to fulfill other degree requirements.
History (3 hours)
The College of Arts and Sciences requires one additional GHS course beyond the Carolina Core GHS requirement.
- If the Carolina Core GHS requirement is fulfilled by a U.S. history course, the College of Arts and Sciences history requirement must be fulfilled by a non-U.S. history course.
- If the Carolina Core GHS requirement is fulfilled by a non-U.S. history course, the College of Arts and Sciences history requirement must be fulfilled by a U.S. history course.
Please select the College of Arts and Sciences history requirement from the approved list of U.S. and non-U.S. history courses.
Social Science (3 hours)
- Any CC-GSS course
Fine Arts or Humanities (3 hours)
- A Bachelor of Science from the College of Arts and Sciences requires one 3-hour Fine Arts/Humanities Course
3. Program Requirements (29-51 hours)
Supporting Courses (16 hours)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select one of the following: | 8 | |
| General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Lab and General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Lab (*) | ||
| Principles of Chemistry I and Principles of Chemistry II (*) | ||
| Select four hours of the following: | 4 | |
| Introduction to the Environment and Introduction to the Environment Lab | ||
| Introduction to the Earth (*) | ||
| Observing the Earth (*) | ||
| Landform Geography (*) | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| General Physics I and General Physics Laboratory I (*) | ||
| Essentials of Physics I and Essentials of Physics I Lab (*) | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 16 | |
- 1
Pre-major course that must be completed before taking major courses.
- 2
Must be passed with a grade of C or higher.
Cognate or Minor (0-18 hours) optional
This major does not require a cognate or minor.
An optional minor may be added to a student’s program of study. A minor is intended to develop a coherent basic preparation in a second area of study. Courses applied toward general education requirements cannot be counted toward the minor. No course may satisfy both major and minor requirements. All minor courses must be passed with a grade of C or higher. At least half of the courses in the minor must be completed in residence at the University. A list of minor programs of study can be found at Programs A-Z. An optional additional major may also be added to a student’s program of study. Additional majors must include all major courses as well as any prescribed courses noted (*) in the bulletin. Prescribed courses noted in the bulletin may be shared with Carolina Core, College requirements, and Program requirements in the primary program.
A list of minor programs of study can be found at Programs A-Z.
Electives (0-35 hours)
120 (or 128) degree applicable credits are required to complete any degree at USC. After the cognate, minor or second major is complete, any additional credits needed to reach 120 (or 128) total credits can be fulfilled by electives. No courses of a remedial, developmental, skill-acquiring, or vocational nature may apply as credit toward degrees in the College of Arts and Sciences. The College of Arts and Sciences allows the use of the Pass-Fail option on elective courses. Further clarification on inapplicable courses can be obtained from the College of Arts and Sciences.
4. Major Requirements (30-35 hours)
A minimum grade of C is required in all major courses.
Major Courses (17-20 hours)
All majors must complete at least 30-35 hours of approved courses which must include the core requirements of 17-20 hours. Majors must complete 13-15 additional hours in major elective courses or a concentration to bring them to the required 30-35 hours total. Students are required to develop a program of study in consultation with their advisor. A minimum grade of C is required for all courses used to fulfill major requirements. Any modifications to the program of study require the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENVR 201 | Environmental Science and Policy I (*) | 4 |
| ENVR 202 | Environmental Science and Policy II (*) | 4 |
| Interdisciplinary Breadth Requirement | 7-8 | |
| Select 2 of 3 categories: | ||
| Geography Category | ||
| Weather and Climate | ||
or GEOL 335 | Processes of Global Environmental Change | |
| Geology Category | ||
| Surface and Subsurface Hydrology | ||
or GEOL 315 | Surface and Near Surface Processes | |
| Biology/ENHS Category | ||
| Ecology and Evolution | ||
or ENHS 660 | Concepts of Environmental Health Science | |
| Culminating Experience | 2-4 | |
| Select 1 of the following: | ||
| Capstone Seminar in Environmental Science and Environmental Studies | ||
| Congaree National Park: Field Investigations in Environmental Science | ||
or MSCI 460 | Field and Laboratory Investigations in Marine Science | |
Any 500+ level class from the Major Electives list below | ||
ENVR/GEOL/MSCI 495 | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 17-20 | |
Major Electives (13-15 hours)
Students, in consultation with their assigned advisor, must develop a program of study which either provides a broad set environmental science courses chosen from the list below or allows students to focus in a defined area within the concentrations that follow. All students' elective courses should include at least 6 hours taken at the 400 level or above.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Science Concepts | 10-12 | |
| Ecology and Evolution | ||
| Ecology and Evolution Laboratory | ||
| Survey of the Plant Kingdom | ||
| Invertebrate Zoology | ||
| The Fall Flora | ||
| The Spring Flora | ||
| The Summer Flora | ||
| Animal Behavior | ||
| Animal Behavior Laboratory | ||
| Ichthyology | ||
| Aquaculture | ||
| Behavior of Marine Organisms | ||
| Principles of Ecology | ||
| Principles of Ecology Laboratory | ||
| Conservation Biology | ||
| Freshwater Ecology | ||
| Marine Conservation Biology | ||
| Topics in Biology | ||
| Next Energy | ||
| Introduction to Environmental Engineering | ||
| Introduction to Environmental Engineering Laboratory | ||
| Fluid Mechanics | ||
| Introduction to Water Resources Engineering | ||
| Introduction to Water Resources Engineering Laboratory | ||
| Environmental Pollution and Health | ||
| Concepts of Environmental Health Science | ||
| Energy, Society and Sustainability | ||
| Climate Geoengineering | ||
| Weather and Climate | ||
| Water as a Resource | ||
| Biogeography | ||
| Hurricanes and Tropical Climatology | ||
| Fluvial Geomorphology | ||
| Water and Watersheds | ||
| Long-Term Environmental Change | ||
| Earth Systems through Time | ||
| Surface and Near Surface Processes | ||
| Stratigraphy and Sedimentary Basins | ||
| Processes of Global Environmental Change | ||
| A View of the River | ||
| Principles of Geomorphology | ||
| Environmental Hydrogeology | ||
| Biology of Marine Organisms | ||
| Marine Ecology | ||
| Marine Ecology Laboratory | ||
| Ecology of Coral Reefs | ||
| Physiological and Pollution Ecology of Marine Organisms | ||
| Environment & Society | 3 | |
| Policy and Marine Science | ||
| Environmental Policy | ||
| Sustainable Cities | ||
| Climate and Society | ||
| America’s National Parks | ||
| Coastal Zone Management | ||
| Environmental Hazards | ||
| Climate Adaptation and Community Resilience Planning | ||
| Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change | ||
| Geography of Public Land and Water Policy | ||
| Environmental Ethics | ||
| Integrating Sustainability | ||
| Environmental Racism and Justice | ||
| Water and Sanitation in Global Perspective | ||
| Global Food Politics | ||
| Socionatural Coastlines in Global Perspective | ||
| Decolonizing the Environment: Race, Nature, Power | ||
| Environmental Economics | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 13-15 | |
Concentrations (13-15 hours)
Conservation & Ecology Concentration (13-15 hours)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Science Concepts | 10-12 | |
| Ecology and Evolution | ||
| Ecology and Evolution Laboratory | ||
| Survey of the Plant Kingdom | ||
| The Fall Flora | ||
| The Spring Flora | ||
| The Summer Flora | ||
| Invertebrate Zoology | ||
| Animal Behavior | ||
| Ichthyology | ||
| Topics in Biology | ||
| Aquaculture | ||
| Freshwater Ecology | ||
| Principles of Ecology | ||
| Behavior of Marine Organisms | ||
| Conservation Biology | ||
| Marine Conservation Biology | ||
| Biology of Marine Organisms | ||
| Marine Ecology | ||
| Ecology of Coral Reefs | ||
| Physiological and Pollution Ecology of Marine Organisms | ||
| Biogeography | ||
| Environment & Society | 3 | |
| Water and Sanitation in Global Perspective | ||
| Global Food Politics | ||
| Decolonizing the Environment: Race, Nature, Power | ||
| Socionatural Coastlines in Global Perspective | ||
| Environmental Ethics | ||
| Integrating Sustainability | ||
| America’s National Parks | ||
| Climate Adaptation and Community Resilience Planning | ||
| Geography of Public Land and Water Policy | ||
| Coastal Zone Management | ||
| Policy and Marine Science | ||
| Environmental Policy | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 13-15 | |
Climate & Energy Concentration (13-15 hours)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Science Concepts | 10-12 | |
| Energy, Society and Sustainability | ||
| Climate Geoengineering | ||
| Weather and Climate | ||
| Hurricanes and Tropical Climatology | ||
| Long-Term Environmental Change | ||
| Sustainable Cities | ||
| Rocks and Minerals | ||
| Processes of Global Environmental Change | ||
| Earth Systems through Time | ||
| Next Energy | ||
| Environment & Society | 3 | |
| Socionatural Coastlines in Global Perspective | ||
| Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change | ||
| Climate and Society | ||
| Decolonizing the Environment: Race, Nature, Power | ||
| Environmental Racism and Justice | ||
| Environmental Policy | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 13-15 | |
Water & Coasts Concentration (13-15 hours)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Science Concepts | 10-12 | |
| Surface and Near Surface Processes | ||
| Stratigraphy and Sedimentary Basins | ||
| A View of the River | ||
| Principles of Geomorphology | ||
| Environmental Hydrogeology | ||
| Fluvial Geomorphology | ||
| Water and Watersheds | ||
| Water as a Resource | ||
| Introduction to Environmental Engineering | ||
| Fluid Mechanics | ||
| Introduction to Water Resources Engineering | ||
| Environmental Pollution and Health | ||
| Concepts of Environmental Health Science | ||
| Environment & Society | 3 | |
| Water and Sanitation in Global Perspective | ||
| Socionatural Coastlines in Global Perspective | ||
| Environmental Racism and Justice | ||
| Sustainable Cities | ||
| Climate and Society | ||
| Coastal Zone Management | ||
| Environmental Hazards | ||
| Policy and Marine Science | ||
| Environmental Policy | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 13-15 | |
Major Map
A major map is a layout of required courses in a given program of study, including critical courses and suggested course sequences to ensure a clear path to graduation.
Major maps are only a suggested or recommended sequence of courses required in a program of study. Please contact your academic advisor for assistance in the application of specific coursework to a program of study and course selection and planning for upcoming semesters.
Environmental Science, B.S. Climate & Energy Concentration
Environmental Science, B.S. Conservation & Ecology Concentration