Biology, Geology and Environmental Sciences

Dr. Gretchen E. Potts, Department Head
(423) 425-4341 or email at Gretchen-Potts@utc.edu
Dr. Thomas Wilson, Graduate Program Director
(423) 425-4713 or email at Thomas-Wilson@utc.edu

Mission

The Department of Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science at The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga offers two Master of Science degrees in environmental science. The mission of these programs is to meet the needs of academia, business, government, and the non-profit sector for scholars and professionals in this interdisciplinary field. Toward this goal, the programs provide sound scientific and technical training coupled with an understanding of contemporary socioeconomic, political, and legal realities. Our faculty offer courses that emphasize the development of advanced critical thinking and effective advocacy and communication skills and engage students in research in a wide range of subdisciplines including biodiversity and systematics, conservation and restoration, ecology, environmental and human health, environmental policy and law, evolution and behavior, geospatial science, and molecular biology, cellular biology, and physiology.

Learning Objectives

Core Knowledge. Students demonstrate mastery of knowledge concerning the core areas of environmental science (e.g., analysis, fates of pollution, ecological methods, natural resource management, law, policy, and ethics) as they apply to managing the natural word and solving environmental issues (e.g., including human population growth, resource depletion, urbanization, pollution, and sustainability).
Resources and Tools. Students demonstrate mastery of environmental science regarding collection of data, evaluation of the literature, evaluation of established methodologies and technologies, proper use of laboratory and field equipment, and/or computational tools.
Scientific/Research Process. Students ask and address questions in environmental science by developing questions and/or hypotheses, designing and conducting relevant investigations with empirical, theoretical, and/or conceptual tests, and critically analyzing and interpreting results.
Communication and Engagement. Students disseminate environmental science information in various formats (i.e., oral, written) and engage with various audiences (i.e., scientific, general) as is essential to career development in the discipline.

Admission

Academic Requirements & Recommendations

An applicant for admission to the graduate program in Environmental Science must meet the following requirements:

A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education or foreign equivalent.
An overall GPA of 2.75 or a GPA of 3.0 for the last 60 credit hours.
Background knowledge of environmental science concepts equivalent to a two-semester undergraduate introductory environmental science sequence and/or an undergraduate or graduate ecology course.

The following additional academic preparation is recommended for the Environmental Science, M.S.:

At least four upper-level undergraduate science courses with laboratory components.
One course each in environmental ethics and environmental law.
One course each in college calculus, introductory statistics, and computer science.

The following additional academic preparation is recommended for the Environmental Administration and Management concentration:

15 semester hours (or equivalent) in courses covering the basic principles of life science (including plant and animal diversity, genetics, ecology, and evolution).
6 credit hours of physical sciences (physics, chemistry, soil science, geology, engineering – at least 2 disciplines must be represented).
One year of college mathematics including college algebra, trigonometry, calculus, and statistics (two courses are required).
An undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.25 (A = 4.0).

Application Components

A complete application to the program consists of the following materials:

The online Graduate School application.
Official transcripts from every institution of higher education attended.
A cover letter detailing relevant experiences, reasons for pursuing the degree, and general plans for the graduate program of study, including identification of a graduate faculty advisor who has agreed to serve in this capacity.
A CV or resume’
Letters of recommendation from at least three individuals familiar with the applicant’s academic ability and/or relevant experience.
Optional supplementary materials evidencing any relevant and substantial preparation and/or experience of the applicant, such as a copy of a written capstone project or publication.

Process

After submitting the online application, an applicant will receive a solicitation from the Graduate School for the additional application materials. Complete applications are forwarded from the Graduate School to the program coordinator for review and recommendations in consultation with the graduate program faculty.