Overview
The Department of Earth and Environmental Science provides students the opportunity to study the Earth with a variety of traditional and environmental geology course work. The faculty work closely with students to give a combination of field-based experience and current laboratory and computational techniques.
The department offers the Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science. Students must select one of the following concentrations:
- Applied Ecology
- Climate
- Environmental Geochemistry
- Hydrology
Students in the Concentration in Climate will be equipped with the scholarly background and intellectual skills to understand a wide range of pressing environmental issues, and they will come to appreciate the physical, economic, political, demographic and ethical factors that define those issues. Our graduates find employment with government environmental agencies, citizens' organizations, consulting firms and corporate environmental affairs departments.
Global climate change is a major challenge of this century. The Environmental Science with concentration in Climate establishes the science and tools used to assess our changing climate and opportunities to mitigate its impacts on human societies and environmental systems. Students completing this concentration will understand the essential attributes of resilient environments, infrastructure, and sustainable resource management.
Campus Location: Main
Program Code: ST-ENVS-BS
Distinction in Major
To graduate with distinction in this major, a student must satisfy the following criteria:
- achieve a minimum 3.5 major GPA
- if the difficulty of courses chosen as electives is high, then a 3.3 GPA will suffice. This determination will be made by the appropriate faculty
- no grade below C in a major requirement
Undergraduate Contact Information
Sujith Ravi, Program Director
Beury Hall, Room 317C
215-204-7122
sravi@temple.edu
Steven Chemtob, Faculty Advisor, Environmental Science
Beury Hall, Room 325B
215-204-3958
chemtob@temple.edu
Learn more about the Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science.
These requirements are for students who matriculated in academic year 2023-2024. Students who matriculated prior to fall 2023 should refer to the Archives to view the requirements for their Bulletin year.
Bachelor of Science Requirements
Summary of Requirements for the Degree
- University Requirements (123 total s.h.)
- Students must complete all University requirements including those listed below.
- All undergraduate students must complete at least two writing-intensive courses for a total of at least six credits at Temple as part of their major. The specific writing-intensive course options for this major are:
Course List Code Title Credit Hours EES 2096 Climate Change: Oceans To Atmosphere 4 ENVS 4198 Environmental Science Senior Seminar 3 - Students must complete the General Education (GenEd) requirements.
- See the General Education section of the Undergraduate Bulletin for the GenEd curriculum.
- Students who complete CST majors receive a waiver for 2 Science & Technology (GS) and 1 Quantitative Literacy (GQ) GenEd courses.
- Students must satisfy general Temple University residency requirements.
- College Requirements
- A minimum of 90 total credits within the College of Science & Technology (CST), the College of Liberal Arts (CLA), and/or the College of Engineering (ENG).
- A minimum of 45 of these credits must be upper-level (courses numbered 2000 and above).
- Complete a one-credit first-year or transfer seminar.
- A minimum of 90 total credits within the College of Science & Technology (CST), the College of Liberal Arts (CLA), and/or the College of Engineering (ENG).
- Major Requirements for Bachelor of Science (74-77 s.h.)
At least 10 courses required for the major must be completed at Temple.Course List Code Title Credit Hours Biology BIOL 1111 Introduction to Organismal Biology 4 or BIOL 1911 Honors Introduction to Organismal Biology Chemistry Select one of the following: 4 General Chemistry I
and General Chemistry Laboratory IHonors General Chemical Science I
and Honors Chemical Science Laboratory I (F)Earth & Environmental Science EES 2001 Physical Geology 4 EES 2061 Introduction to Geochemistry 4 EES 2096 Climate Change: Oceans To Atmosphere 4 EES 3011 Remote Sensing and GIS (S) 4 Select one of the following: 4 Groundwater Hydrology (S) Physical Hydrology (F) EES 4502 Ice and Global Climate 3 Economics ECON 1102 Microeconomic Principles 3 or ECON 1902 Honors Microeconomic Principles Environmental Science ENVS 4198 Environmental Science Senior Seminar 3 Environmental Science Electives Select 7 Environmental Science Electives chosen from the categories below: 1 2 Land Electives 7-8 2 Hazard Electives 6 2 Mixed Electives 6-8 1 Policy Elective 3 Mathematics and Quantitative Methods MATH 1041 Calculus I 4 or MATH 1941 Honors Calculus I SCTC 1013 Elements of Data Science for the Physical and Life Sciences 3 Select one of the following: 4 Calculus II Honors Calculus II Introduction to Probability and Statistics for the Life Sciences Physics Select one of the following: 4 Elementary Classical Physics I or PHYS 1961Honors Elementary Classical Physics I General Physics I or PHYS 2921Honors General Physics I Total Credit Hours 74-77 Course List Code Title Credit Hours (F) - Fall only course (S) - Spring only course - 1
See the Table below for a listing of specific courses within each Elective category.
Course List Code Title Credit Hours Hazard Electives CTRP 2251 Sustainable Food Systems Planning 3 RMI 2101 Introduction to Risk Management 1 3 RMI 3502 Managing Property Liability Risk I 2 3 RMI 3504 Managing Property Liability Risk II 3 3 RMI 3567 Managing International Risk 4 3 Land Electives EES 2002 Energy and Environment 3 EES 2021 Sedimentary Environments 4 EES 2097 Process Geomorphology (F) 4 EES 3042 Coastal Processes and Geomorphology (S) 4 Mixed Electives Hazard or Land Elective 3-4 Hazard or Land Elective 3-4 EES 2067 Introduction to Environmental Toxicology 3 EES 3065 Nanoscience & the Environment (F) 4 EES 4896 Planetary Geology 4 BIOL 2227 Principles of Ecology 3 Policy Electives CDEV 2255 Environmental Justice in Communities 3 ENST 2025 Environmental Law and Regulation 3 ENST 2157 Environmental Ethics 3 ENST 3051 Environmental Policy Issues 3 Course List Code Title Credit Hours (F) - Fall only course (S) - Spring only course - 1
ECON 1101 is a prerequisite for this course.
- 2
RMI 2101 is a prerequisite for this course.
- 3
RMI 3502 is a prerequisite for this course. If self-registration is not possible for RMI 3504, please seek an override for the RMI 3501 prerequisite from your CST advisor.
- 4
RMI 2101 and RMI 3502 are prerequisites for this course. If self-registration is not possible for RMI 3567, please seek an override for the RMI 3501 prerequisite from your CST advisor.
Suggested Academic Plan
Please note that this is a suggested academic plan. Depending on your situation, your academic plan may look different.
Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science with Concentration in Climate
Suggested Plan for New Students Starting in the 2023-2024 Academic Year
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credit Hours | |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| General Chemistry I and General Chemistry Laboratory I | ||
| Honors General Chemical Science I and Honors Chemical Science Laboratory I (F) | ||
| MATH 1041 or MATH 1941 | Calculus I or Honors Calculus I | 4 |
| SCTC 1001 | CST First Year Seminar | 1 |
| SCTC 1013 | Elements of Data Science for the Physical and Life Sciences | 3 |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| EES 2001 | Physical Geology | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Calculus II or Honors Calculus II | ||
| Introduction to Probability and Statistics for the Life Sciences | ||
| ENG 0802 | Analytical Reading and Writing or Analytical Reading and Writing: ESL or Honors Writing About Literature | 4 |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| BIOL 1111 or BIOL 1911 | Introduction to Organismal Biology or Honors Introduction to Organismal Biology | 4 |
| EES 2061 | Introduction to Geochemistry | 4 |
| IH 0851 or IH 0951 | Intellectual Heritage I: The Good Life or Honors Intellectual Heritage I: The Good Life | 3 |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3-4 | |
| Elective | 1-0 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| EES 2096 | Climate Change: Oceans To Atmosphere | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Elementary Classical Physics I | ||
| Honors Elementary Classical Physics I | ||
| General Physics I | ||
| Honors General Physics I | ||
| Environmental Science Elective 1 - Land 1 | 3-4 | |
| IH 0852 or IH 0952 | Intellectual Heritage II: The Common Good or Honors Intellectual Heritage II: The Common Good | 3 |
| Elective | 1-0 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Fall | ||
| Select one of the following: 2 | 4 | |
| Groundwater Hydrology (S) | ||
| Physical Hydrology (F) | ||
| Environmental Science Elective 2 - Mixed 1 | 3-4 | |
| Environmental Science Elective 3 - Land 1 | 4 | |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Elective | 2-1 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| EES 3011 | Remote Sensing and GIS (S) | 4 |
| ECON 1102 or ECON 1902 | Microeconomic Principles or Honors Microeconomic Principles | 3 |
| Environmental Science Elective 4 - Policy 1 | 3 | |
| GenEd Breadth Course | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Fall | ||
| EES 4502 | Ice and Global Climate (Ice and Global Climate) | 3 |
| Environmental Science Elective 5 - Mixed 1 | 3-4 | |
| Environmental Science Elective 6 - Hazard 1 | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3-2 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENVS 4198 | Environmental Science Senior Seminar | 3 |
| Environmental Science Elective 7 - Hazard 1 | 3 | |
| Elective | 4 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Elective | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 123 | |
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| (F) - Fall only course | ||
| (S) - Spring only course | ||