Author Profile
Initial Publication Date: May 8, 2012

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Supporting Essay

MS Detailed Program Description

BS in Environmental Science at UT Brownsville

Information for this profile was provided by Jeff Wilson, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, University of Texas at Brownsville, The. Information is also available on the program website. Students in this program are pursuing a bachelors degree.

Program Design & Assessment

Overview

The Bachelors of Science degree in Environmental Science at UT-Brownsville provides broad training that prepares our graduates for employment in government agencies, private environmental consulting firms, and industry as well as for future graduate studies.

Impetus

This program was designed out of the demand in the region for trained Environmental Scientists. Our region is experiencing extreme growth in industries such as alternative energy (wind power), traditional energy extraction (gas fracking), off-shore exploration (Gulf Coast) and even space exploration (Space-X).

Program Goals

The ENVR program is geared towards students seeking a holistic set of skills that range from hands-on field experience at our South Padre Island field station, to Geographic Information Systems modeling of water resources, to analysis of how the environment interacts with human health. The student learns the theoretical constructs behind the field, and uses this knowledge to act in ways that ultimately benefit the environment and society.

Alumni Careers

Our program is designed to prepare graduates for these career paths:
Local, state and federal environmental agency work as well as private firms and graduate school.

Other careers our alums have pursued:
We have graduates that have gone into entrepreneurial businesses.

Program Assessment

We are one of the fastest growing majors on campus, and our numbers continue to grow. We have doubled our majors and graduates over the past 3 years.

Courses and Sequencing

Entry into the program

  • Environmental Science I/Lab I
  • Biology I/Lab I
  • Biology II/Lab II
  • Physical Geology/Lab
  • Historical Geology/Lab
  • College Physics II/Lab OR Chem II/Lab II
  • Calc I

Core courses

  • Environmental Science II/Lab II
  • Oceanography/Lab
  • Conservation of Natural Resources
  • Env. Science Field Methods and Data Analysis
  • Env. Regulations
  • Env. Science Internship
  • Research Problems in Env. Sci.

Electives

Students are required to take four credits - a course and a lab (open electives) - and 17 credits - 4-5 courses/labs (restricted electives), chosen from the following list:

Restricted Electives (Choose 17 Hours from a set of Biology, Chem, or Geosciences options). Only Geosciences listed below. For full list see https://www.utrgv.edu/geopaths/goals-personnel/environmental-science/index.htm

  • Hydrology
  • Geomorphology
  • Sedimentology
  • Coastal Geology
  • GIS
  • Remote Sensing
  • Geoscience Field Excursion
  • Latin American Geography
  • Topics in ENVR/Lab

Other requirements or key features

The internship is a somewhat unique feature of our program.

Program Themes