Masters in Environmental Science Online

The curriculum for the Master of Science in Environmental Sciences is designed to allow students to gain strong scientific understanding of ways to study, evaluate, and interpret environmental realities and their impacts, as well as to manage and mitigate environmental problems. Objectives are to enable students to:

• develop a basic literacy in the natural and social sciences and the humanities as they contribute to an understanding of environmental issues;
• critically analyze environmental problems;
• identify, research, and evaluate environmental problems;
• provide focused development of research skills in one or more of the physical, chemical, and/or biological systems in the environment; and
• compare, contrast, implement, and manage short- and long-term solutions to environmental problems.

There is one concentration available: general environmental sciences. Students entering the MS in Environmental Sciences must be able to demonstrate a knowledge of geology, chemistry, physics, algebra, statistics, and biology. Students without a substantial background in the natural sciences will not be admitted. Students will gain competency in research and management of interactions among physical, chemical, and biological systems in the environment.

Because Environmental Studies faculty consider that a period of time working in an environmental agency or organization can be a vital part of professional training, students may, with their advisor’s permission, count up to four hours of ENS 530 Internship and one hour of GPSI internship seminar toward their Environmental Sciences degree.

The MS in Environmental Sciences can be completed in a fully online format in addition to the on-ground program. A key difference between our MA and MS degrees is that MA students can complete their degree using our Capstone Course closure; that option is not available for MS students. See our Graduate Handbook 2015-16 for the descriptions of the closure options.