Environmental Science: Biodiversity, Conservation and Natural Resources, B.S.

General Education

(see Certified General Education Courses  for a list of approved courses)

Program Requirements

• ENGL 2820 - Scientific Writing (required within the first 60 hours)

• or

• ESC 4995r - Departmental Thesis

• Students who have taken ENGL 2810 , ENGL 2880  or ENGL 2830  and subsequently changed their major to Environmental Science will have satisfied this requirement.

•  

• MATH 2100 - Introductory Statistics

• Students who have taken ENCE 2220  , HHP 4010  , MATH 3100 , MATH 4140 , PSY 2010  or SOC 2500  and subsequently changed their major to Environmental Science will have satisfied this requirement.

•  

• MATH 1130 - College Algebra and
• MATH 1830 - Calculus for Management, Life, and Social Sciences

• or

• MATH 1710 - Precalculus I
• MATH 1720 - Precalculus II
• MATH 1950 - Calculus with Analytic Geometry I

Biology Requirements

• BIOL 1130 - Principles of Biology III
• BIOL 3250 - Genetics
• BIOL 3350 - Evolution

•  

• CHEM 1110 - General Chemistry I and
• CHEM 1110L - General Chemistry I Laboratory

•  

• CHEM 1120 - General Chemistry II and
• CHEM 1120L - General Chemistry II Laboratory

•  

• CHEM 3210 - Quantitative Analysis

•  

• ESC 4070 - Environmental Conservation

• or

• BIOL 4620 - Economic Botany

• or

• ESC 2500 - World Resources

•  

• GEOL 2250 - Oceanography and
• GEOL 2250L - Oceanography Laboratory

Additional Information and Notes

2.0 GPA in all required major and related courses (including specified General Education courses).

Minimum of 39 hours of 3000 and 4000 level courses.

Electives to complete 120 hours.

See Degree and Graduation Requirements for additional requirements.

NOTE: River Studies and Leadership Certificate. Students have the opportunity to earn the River Studies and Leadership Certificate (RSLC) from the non-profit River Management Society (RMS) in partnership with UTC. Interested students should meet with a designated RSLC advisor in the Department to discuss program specifics. To earn the RSLC, Environmental Science: Biodiversity, Conservation, and Natural Resources majors must complete the following coursework (with no grade lower than a ‘C’) and experiences with a focus on river systems.

1. RSLC Core. To earn the RSLC, students must successfully complete one course in each of the following four core areas.

a. Geographic Information Systems: ESC 4660 *

b. River Science: ESC 4520 *, GEOL 4450 *

c. River Policy: ESC 4100 *

d. River Rescue: Students must complete an approved extracurricular course in river rescue such as a Basic River Rescue, Swiftwater Rescue, or Whitewater Rescue Technician course. Such courses are offered regularly by numerous local and regional river rescue providers. For an updated list of qualifying courses, please see the Department website; other suitable courses may be proposed by the student. Completion of the River Rescue course requirement will not be associated with academic credit at UTC.

2. RSLC Emphasis. To earn the RSLC, students must complete two additional courses from one of the following emphasis areas. For Environmental Science: Biodiversity, Conservation, and Natural Resources majors, the River Science Emphasis is recommended given its alignment with requirements of the major.

a. River Science: BIOL 4110 *, BIOL 4530 *, ESC 3600 *, ESC 4460 *, ESC 4520 *, GEOL 4450 *

b. River-based Policy and Management: ECON 4300 , ECON 4550 , ESC 4070 *, ESC 4300 , PSPS 3420 , PSPS 3430 , PSPS 3520 , PSPS 3620 , PSPS 3710  

c. River-based Recreation, Education, and Tourism: HHP 1050 , HHP 3010 , HHP 3060 , COMM 4100   

3. Professional Experience. To earn the RSLC, students must complete 2 credit hours of an approved river-focused internship, other professional experience, or independent study. This experience should align with the Senior Experience requirement of the ESC major. Associated credit will be earned in ESC 4900 , ESC 4910r , ESC 4920 , ESC 4995r , ESC 4997r , or ESC 4998r  as appropriate.

4. Presentation. To earn the RSLC, students will be required to present aspects of their work at an RMS Symposium or sponsored conference or write an article for the RMS Journal about their experiences. *Also satisfies a requirement in the major. 

ClearPath for Advising

The ClearPath for Advising guides provide students with an opportunity to see program requirements defined in a semester-by-semester format. The ClearPath for Advising guides also provide students with important tips, pointers, and suggestions for staying on track with progress toward the degree.  Your ClearPath is available through the Center for Advisement website at https://www.utc.edu/advisement/advising-resources/clear-paths-for-advising/