The Environmental Science major at Saint Joseph’s University emphasizes a strong core in the natural sciences, which is necessary for understanding many issues of environmental relevance. This solid training in the natural sciences is paired with the opportunity to select upper-level courses in a student’s specific area of environmental interest, thus helping our students prepare for a wide range of career opportunities. Students take fifteen core courses in the sciences, in addition to any five upper-level courses from a range of environmentally relevant courses offered in the areas of biological sciences, the physical sciences, and environmental policy.
Requirements for the Environmental Science Major
Due to the implementation of the new General Education Program, there are currently two programs of study for the Environmental Science major.
For students who entered SJU before the fall of 2010, or transfer students who entered SJU in the fall of 2010 with 15 or more credits:
GER Common Courses (See Curricula): six courses
GER University Distribution (See Curricula): fourteen courses, including
Mathematics
MAT 128 Applied Statistics
MAT 155 OR 161 Fundamentals of Calculus or Calculus I
Natural Science
BIO 101 Biology I: Cells
BIO 102 Biology II: Genetic and Evolutionary Biology
GER Electives: any five courses
Major Concentration: fifteen courses
Biology:
BIO 201 Biology III: Organismic Biology
ENV 101 Environmental Science
ENV 102 Environmental Theory and Ethics Seminar
Chemistry:
CHM 120-125 General Chemistry
CHM 120L-125L General Chemistry Laboratory
CHM 210 Organic Chemistry I
CHM 210L Organic Chemistry Laboratory I
Physics:
PHY 101 General Physics
PHY 101L General Physics Laboratory
Internship:
ENV 490 Environmental Science Internship
One course from each of the following groups:
GROUP A: BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
BIO 401 Animal Behavior
BIO 405 BioMechanics
BIO 409 Ecology
BIO 413 Plant Physiological Ecology
BIO 414 Plant Systematics
BIO 416 Microbiology
GROUP B: PHYSICAL SCIENCES
CHM 420 Environmental Chemistry
ENV 301 Environmental Chemistry
ENV 302 Environmental Geology
PHY 102 General Physics II
PHY 102L General Physics II Laboratory
PHY 106 University Physics II
PHY 106L University Physics II Laboratory
CHM 215 Organic Chemistry II
CHM 215L Organic Chemistry II Laboratory
GROUP C: ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
HIS 386 American Environmental History
POL 327 Environmental Politics in America
SOC 330 Urban Society
SOC 344 Populations
Four additional upper level environmental science courses