Earth and Environmental Science, Nanyang Technological University

Program Design & Assessment

Overview

The B.S. in Earth and Environmental Science is an interdisciplinary degree program that examines the interactions between the Earth, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. There are two specializations within the major, one in geosciences, and the other in Earth systems and society.

Impetus

It is an expectation from the university that divisions offer undergraduate majors. The faculty are also eager to start the undergraduate major. Our hope is that we can educate students who will become leaders in Earth sciences and related fields in Singapore, the region, and world.

Program Goals

Graduates from our Earth and environmental science major program will have deep knowledge in this discipline, but will also have a strong background in mathematics, physics, biology, and/or chemistry. Students will have developed problem-solving, collaborative, and communication skills to continue on in the Earth science field, or apply their skills in related fields.

Alumni Careers

Graduates with this background will be prepared to fill a variety of positions after graduation, or to pursue additional specialized training program. If they choose, graduates can pursue employment locating and extracting natural resources such as oil, gas, water, and minerals. In the construction industry, Earth and environmental scientists will have fundamental knowledge that is necessary in planning, designing, and executing projects, and managing the environmental consequences of these projects. Graduates who have chosen the Earth systems and society specialization will be uniquely prepared to work in public and private sectors planning for the future demands of a growing and modernizing Singapore.

Courses and Sequencing

Entry into the program

Natural Hazards, Climate Change, and Society

(Note that undergraduates apply to their major program when applying for admission to the university. It is rare for students to change major programs once they have been accepted into the undergraduate program.)

Core courses

• Earth System Science and Global Change
• Introductory Field Experience
• Computational Earth Systems Science
• Calculus for the Sciences 1&2
• A series of 2-3 courses each in two supporting sciences (chosen from chemistry, biology, physics)
• Earth materials
• Fluids of the Earth
• Research Writing in the Physical and Mathematical Sciences
• Mastering Communication
• Defense Science
• Environmental Sustainability

Additional core for geosciences specialization:

• Layers and Landforms
• Structural Geology and Tectonics
• Introduction to Geochemistry
• Introduction to Geophysics
• Advanced Field Course

Additional core for Earth systems and society specialization:

• Human Impacts on the Earth
• Introduction to Environment and Urban Studies
• Introduction to Environmental Chemistry
• The Climate System
• Environmental Economics
• Energy Economics

Note on Prerequisites: although we will likely specify prerequisites for some courses, in general the schedule of courses our students take will be fairly prescribed in terms of what classes they take each semester. The prerequisites would only come into play if a student had a special circumstance that caused them to not take the courses in the prescribed progression.

Electives

Students are required to take 12-15 credits depending on specialization (usually 3-4 classes, or 1-2 courses if completing a Final Year Project or Industrial Attachment (10 units)), chosen from the following list:

Geoscience Specialization:

• Any course from the Earth systems and society specialization
• Final Year Project
• Industrial Attachment
• Living with Coastal Processes and Hazards
• Tectonics and Seismotectonics
• Volcanic Processes
• Hydrogeology/Ecohydrolgy
• Introcution to Geobiology
• Probability and Introduction to Statistics
• Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry
• Bioinformatics and Statistics

Earth systems and society specialization:

• Any course from the geosciences specialization
  
• Final Year Project
  
• Industrial Attachment
  
• Living with Coastal Processes and Hazards
  
• Tectonics and Seismotectonics
  
• Volcanic Processes
  
• Hydrogeology/Ecohydrolgy
  
• Introduction to Geobiology
  
• Environmental Microbiology
  
• Geo-environmental Engineering
  
• Environmental Quality
  
• Science, Technology, and Society or Environmental Sociology
  
• Probability and Introduction to Statistics
  
• Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry
  
• Bioinformatics and Statistics

Capstone

• Futures in Earth and Environmental Science
  
• Interdisciplinary Approaches in Earth System Science

Supporting Materials

Program Structure (Acrobat (PDF) 612kB Apr26 12)