Initial Publication Date: June 11, 2015

Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania

Information for this profile was provided by Jane Dmochowski. Information is also available on the program website. University of Pennsylvania is a university with graduate programs, including doctoral programs. Students in this program are pursuing a Bachelors degree.

Program Design & Assessment

Overview

This Environmental Science curriculum is focused on modern processes within Earth Science and Ecology. It integrates primarily geology, biology, chemistry, and physics in an effort to have students undertake a scientific study of the environment and the effects of humans on earth systems. This is a proposed track in our Geology Major, which we are proposing to rename: "Earth Science".

Strengths of this program

We do not know what is most effective, because this is a proposed curriculum.

Types of students served

Program Goals

The goals of this program are as follows:

We have a large document in progress on our broad curriculum objectives. More specifically, this curriculum was designed because there is a clear need and desire from undergraduate students at Penn to undergo an Environmental Science curriculum focused on modern processes within Earth Science and Ecology. Roughly one third of the Penn students inquiring about the EES majors (and many prospective Penn students who visit while still in high school) are disappointed to learn there is not an Environmental Science major at Penn. While our existing Geology and Environmental Studies curricula can be and sometimes are manipulated to fit the needs of individuals who are interested in Environmental Science, the students are not awarded an Environmental Science degree and do not have a clear curriculum to follow that details the courses necessary to give them an Environmental Science background. While both are interdisciplinary, an Environmental Science program is fundamentally different than an Environmental Studies program in its core classes and approach. Environmental Studies programs, such as our existing major at Penn, integrate studies in the natural sciences, humanities, social sciences, policy fields and management in order to study complex issues of the environment and human's interaction with the environment. Environmental Science programs, such as the one proposed below, integrate primarily geology, biology, chemistry, and physics in an effort to have students undertake a scientific study of the environment and the effects of humans on earth systems.

The learning goals were informed by the following resources:

How program goals are assessed

We are in the process of defining our curriculum objectives. If the courses in this curriculum in fact fulfill the curriculum objectives, something we will understand when we complete the curriculum objective matrix, then we will have confidence the curriculum is meeting our goals.

Design features that allow goals to be met


Alumni Careers

Graduation rate

Careers pursued by our alumni

Courses and Sequencing

Diagram of course sequencing and requirements

Entry into the program

Students must take 2 of the 5 courses below, Introduction to Geology and/or Introduction to Environmental Analysis is required:
  • Introduction to Environmental Analysis (1 CU)
  • Introduction to Geology (1 CU)
  • Environmental Case Studies (1 CU)
  • Environmental Studies Seminar (1 CU)
  • Natural Disturbances and Human Disasters (1 CU)

Capstone

  • For the honors option: Junior Research Seminar (1 CU) and two semesters of Senior Thesis Seminar (2 times 0.5 CU)

Electives

Students must take five course units from the following list (at least 2 CU's should be 300-level or above and at least 1 CU of the 5 must be ENVS and at least 1CU GEOL):
  • EAS 401: Energy and Its Impacts (1 CU)
  • EAS 402: Renewable Energy and It's Impact (1 CU)
  • ENVS 200*: Introduction to Environmental Analysis (1 CU)
  • ENVS 204: Global Climate Change (1CU)
  • ENVS 301*: Environmental Case Studies (1 CU) (prereq: ENVS200)
  • ENVS 312: Ocean Atmosphere Dynamics (1CU)
  • ENVS 400*: Environmental Studies Seminar (1 CU)(prereq: ENVS200)
  • ENVS 502 or CHEM 012: Environmental Chemistry (1CU)
  • ENVS 507: Wetlands (1CU)(ENVS200 prereq)
  • ENVS 541: Modeling Geographic Objects (1CU)
  • GEOL 100*: Introduction to Geology (1 CU)
  • GEOL 103*: Natural Disturbances and Human Disasters (1 CU)
  • GEOL 111: Geology Laboratory (1 CU)
  • GEOL 201: Mineralogy (1 CU) (prereq: Intro to Geology)
  • GEOL 205: Paleontology (1CU)
  • GEOL 206: Stratigraphy (1CU) (prereq: Intro to Geology)
  • GEOL 208: Structural Geology (1 CU) (prereq: Intro to Geology)
  • GEOL 305: Earth Surface Processes (1CU)
  • GEOL 317: Petrology and Petrography (1CU)(prereq: Intro to Geology and Mineralogy)
  • GEOL 401: Environmental Geology (1CU)
  • GEOL 418: Geochemistry (1CU)(prereq: Intro to Geology and Mineralogy)
  • GEOL 420: Introduction to Geophysics (1CU)
  • GEOL 421: Elemental Cycling in Global Systems (1CU) (prereq: ENVS200)
  • GEOL 428: Intro to Isotope Geochemistry (1 CU)
  • GEOL 503: Earth Systems and Hazards (1 CU)
  • GEOL 511: Geology of Soils (1 CU) (prereq: Intro to Geology)
  • GEOL 515: Evolution/Revolution of Land Ecosystems (1 CU)(prereq: Intro to Geology)
  • GEOL 528: Aqueous Geochemistry (1 CU)(prereq: Intro to Geology)
  • GEOL 530: Hydrogeology (1CU)(prereq: Intro to Geology)
  • PHYS 016: Energy, Oil, Global Warming (1 CU)
Students must take the following 4 course units:
  • BIOL 101 Introduction to Biology A lecture and lab (1.5 CU) AND BIOL 102 Introduction to Biology B lecture and lab (1.5)
AND
  • BIOL 240: Ecology: from individuals to ecosystems (1 CU)
Plus, 1 course unit from the following list:
  • ANTH 003: Intro to Human Evolution (1 CU) (not to be taken if BIOL 230 is chosen above)
  • ANTH 133: Native Peoples and the Environment (1 CU)
  • ANTH 242: World Ethnography (1 CU)
  • BIOL 140 (or BIOL440): Humans & the Environment (1 CU)
  • BIOL 230: Evolution (1 CU) (if not used above)
  • BIOL 240: Ecology: from individuals to ecosystems (1 CU) (if not used above)
  • BIOL 325 Marine Biology (1 CU)
  • BIOL 330 Vertebrate Biology (1 CU)
  • BIOL 400 Field Botany (1 CU)
  • BIOL 410 Advanced Evolution (1 CU) (Biol 230 is a pre-requisite.)
  • BIOL 414 Advanced Ecology (1 CU)
  • BIOL 415 Freshwater Ecology (1 CU)
  • BIOL 423 Plant Ecology (1 CU)
  • BIOL 465 Ecological Techniques in Conservation (1 CU) (One week of field work in Virginia required in the spring semester for this course.)
  • BIOL 535 Mathematical Ecology (1 CU)

Other required courses

Students must take three course units from the following list, with at least one course from two different groups (Math, Physics, Chemistry):
Math:
  • MATH 104: Calculus, Part I (1 CU)
  • MATH 114: Calculus Part II (1 CU)
  • MATH 115: Calculus Part II with Probability and Matrices (1 CU)
  • STAT 111: Intro Statistics (1 CU)
Physics:
  • PHYS 101/150 or 170 and corresponding lab: General Physics I (1.5 CU)
  • PHYS 102/152 or 171 and corresponding lab: General Physics II (1.5 CU)
  • GEOL 420: Introduction to Geophysics (1CU)
Chemistry:
  • CHEM 101 or CHEM 001 and corresponding lab: Chemistry I (1.5 CU)
  • CHEM 102 or CHEM 002 and corresponding lab: Chemistry II (1.5 CU)
  • GEOL 418: Geochemistry (1CU)

Other key features of this program:

There is also an honors track that includes 4 extra classes, including thesis courses and elective courses.

Supporting Materials