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Earth & Environmental Sciences

Undergraduate Requirements

Requirements for all Earth and Environmental Sciences Majors, Concentrators, and Special Concentrators

Advising

All majors and concentrators, when planning their programs of study, should regularly consult the directors of undergraduate studies, who can be contacted through the department office on the fifth floor of Schermerhorn. The requirements are different for each major and concentration and must be met in conjunction with the general requirements for the bachelor's degree. Declararation of the major must be approved by the department and filed in the departmental office.

SUBSTITUTIONS AND EXCEPTIONS

  1. Higher-level courses may be used to satisfy supporting mathematics and science requirements for students with Advanced Placement preparation with the permission of the major adviser.
  2. In addition to the courses listed for the depth, and breadth and related courses requirements, several graduate-level courses offered in the department as well as several advanced courses offered at Barnard may be substituted with the permission of the major adviser.
  3. 1000-level courses in the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department can not be used toward meeting the requirements of any of the majors, concentrations, or special concentrations.
  4. The following courses are not suitable for undergraduates and can not be used toward meeting any of the requirements for the majors, concentrations, or special concentrations:
    • EESC W4001 Advanced general geology
    • EESC W4400 Dynamics of climate variability and climate change
    • EESC W4401 Quantitative models of climate-sensitive natural and human systems
    • EESC W4404 Regional climate and climate impacts
    • EESC W4930 Earth's oceans and atmosphere

Grading

A grade of C- or better must be obtained for a course to count toward the majors, concentrations, or special concentrations. The grade of P is not acceptable, but a course taken Pass/D/Fail may be counted if and only if the P is uncovered by the Registrar's deadline.

For a Major in Earth Science

Please read Requirements for all Earth and Environmental Sciences Majors, Concentrators, and Special Concentrators above.
A minimum of 45.5 points is required as follows:


FOUNDATION COURSES

  1. EESC V2200 Earth's environmental systems: solid earth (4.5 points)
  2. One of the following:
    • EESC V2100 Earth's environmental systems: climate (4.5 points)
    • EESC V2300 Earth's environmental systems: life (4.5 points)
    Students who wish to take both EESC V2100 and EESC V2300 can include one of these under breadth and related fields below.

SUPPORTING MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE COURSES

  1. One of the following (3 points):
  2. One of the following three-course sequences:


CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE

  1. One of the following:
    • EESC BC3800 or EESC BC3801 Senior research seminar (3 points), and EESC W3901 Environmental Science senior seminar (3 points)
    • A six to eight week summer geology field course


BREADTH AND RELATED FIELDS REQUIREMENT

A minimum of 6 points (two courses) chosen with the major adviser are required.

Breadth and related field courses are science courses relevant for an earth science major that do not require an earth science background. Several such courses are offered at the 2000, 3000 and 4000 level in the department and at Barnard. Examples include:

  1. EESC V2100 Earth's environmental system: climate
  2. EESC V2300 Earth's environmental system: life
  3. EESC W3010 Field geology
  4. EESC W3018 Weapons of mass destruction
  5. EESC BC3017 Environmental data analysis
  6. EESC W4050 Remote sensing
  7. EESC W4056 Teaching and learning concepts in Earth science
  8. EESC W4600 Earth resources and sustainable development
  9. EESC W4917 Earth/human interaction
  10. EESC E2002 Alternative energy resource

Also included among breadth and related fields courses are science, mathematics, statistics, and engineering courses offered by other departments that count toward fulfilling degree requirements in those departments.


DEPTH REQUIREMENT

A minimum of 12 points (four courses) chosen with the major adviser to provide depth in the field of Earth science.

These courses build on the foundation and supporting courses listed above and provide a coherent focus in some area of Earth science. Students should include at least one of the following in their course of study:

  1. EESC V3101 Geochemistry for a habitable planet
  2. EESC V3201 Solid Earth dynamics

Areas of focus include one of the courses listed above and three or more additional courses. Students are not required to specialize in a focus area, but examples are given below for those who choose to.

  1. Geological Science:
    • EESC W4076 Geologic mapping
    • EESC W4090 Introduction to geochronology and thermochronology
    • EESC W4113 Introduction to mineralogy
    • EESC W4223 Sedimentary geology
    • EESC W4230 Crustal deformation
    • EESC W4480 Paleobiology and Earth system history
    • EESC W4701 Introduction to igneous petrology
    • EESC W4887 Isotope geology I
    • EESC W4947 Plate tectonics
    It is strongly recommended that students focusing in geological science take the summer geology field course as their capstone experience.





  2. Geochemistry:
    • EESC V3015 The Earth's carbon cycle
    • EESC BC3016 Environmental measurements
    • EESC BC3200 Ecotoxicology
    • EESC W4090 Introduction to geochronology and thermochronology
    • EESC W4113 Introduction to mineralogy
    • EESC W4701 Introduction to igneous petrology
    • EESC W4885 The chemistry of continental waters
    • EESC W4887 Isotope geology I
    • EESC W4926 Principles of chemical oceanography
    It is recommended that students focusing in geochemistry take CHEM C1403-C1404 General chemistry I and II, and PHYS V1201 General physics I as their supporting science sequence.

  3. Atmosphere and Ocean Science:
    • EESC W4008 Introduction to atmospheric science
    • EESC W4924 Introduction to atmospheric chemistry
    • EESC W4925 Principles of physical oceanography
    • EESC W4926 Principles of chemical oceanography
    • EESC W4920 Paleoceanography
    • EESC W4937 Cenozoic paleoceanography
    It is recommended that students focusing on atmosphere and ocean science also take a course in fluid dynamics and a course in differential equations.

  4. Solid Earth Geophysics:
    • EESC W4230 Crustal deformation
    • EESC W4300 The Earth's deep interior
    • EESC W4947 Plate tectonics
    • EESC W4949 Introduction to seismology
    It is recommended that students focusing in solid earth geophysics take PHYS V1201-V1202 General physics I and II, and CHEM C1403 General chemistry I as their supporting science sequence and also take MATH V1201 Calculus III.

  5. Climate:
    • EESC V3015 The Earth's carbon cycle
    • EESC BC3025 Hydrology
    • EESC W4008 Introduction to atmospheric science
    • EESC W4330 Introduction to terrestrial paleoclimate
    • EESC W4835 Wetlands and climate change
    • EESC W4920 Paleoceanography
    • EESC W4924 Introduction to atmospheric chemistry
    • EESC W4925 Principles of physical oceanography
    • EESC W4937 Cenozoic paleoceanography

  6. Paleontology:
    • EESC W4223 Sedimentary geology
    • EESC W4480 Paleobiology and Earth system history
    • EESC W4550 Plant ecophysiology
    • EESC W4920 Paleoceanography
    • EESC W4937 Cenozoic paleoceanography
    It is recommended that students focusing in paleontology take EESC V2300 Earth's environmental systems: life as one of their foundation courses.


For a Major in Environmental Science

Please read Requirements for all Earth and Environmental Sciences Majors, Concentrators, and Special Concentrators above.

A minimum of 47 points is required as follows:

FOUNDATION COURSES

  1. EESC V2100 Earth's environmental systems: climate (4.5 points)
  2. EESC V2200 Earth's environmental systems: solid earth (4.5 points)
  3. EESC V2300 Earth's environmental systems: life (4.5 points)


SUPPORTING MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE COURSES

  1. One of the following (3 points):
  2. One of the following three-course sequences:


CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE

  1. EESC BC3800 or EESC BC3801 Senior research seminar (3 points)
  2. EESC W3901 Environmental Science senior seminar (3 points)


BREADTH AND RELATED FIELDS REQUIREMENT

A minimum of 6 points (two courses) chosen with the major adviser are required.

Breadth and related field courses are science courses relevant for an environmental science major that do not require an environmental science background. Several such courses are offered at the 2000, 3000 and 4000 level in the department and at Barnard. Examples include:

  1. EESC W3010 Field geology
  2. EESC W3018 Weapons of mass destruction
  3. EESC BC3017 Environmental data analysis
  4. EESC W4050 Remote sensing
  5. EESC W4056 Teaching and learning concepts in Earth science
  6. EESC W4600 Earth resources and sustainable development
  7. EESC W4917 Earth/human interaction

Also included among breadth and related fields courses are science, mathematics, statistics, and engineering courses offered by other departments that count toward fulfilling degree requirements in those departments.


DEPTH REQUIREMENT

A minimum of 9 points (three courses) chosen with the major adviser to provide depth in the field of environmental science.

These courses build on the foundation and supporting courses listed above and provide a coherent focus in some area of environmental science. Students should include at least one of the following in their course of study:

  1. EESC V3101 Geochemistry for a habitable planet
  2. EESC V3201 Solid Earth dynamics

Areas of focus include one of the courses listed above and two or more additional courses. Students are not required to specialize in a focus area, but examples are given below for those who choose to.


Plan of Study

  1. Environmental Geology:

    It is recommended that students focusing in environmental geology also take EESC W4050 Remote sensing.

  2. Environmental Geochemistry:
  3. Hydrology:
  4. Climate Change:

    It is recommended that students focusing in environmental geology also take EESC W4050 Remote sensing.

  5. Energy and Resources:

    It is recommended that students focusing in environmental geology also take EESC W3018 Weapons of mass destruction.


For a Concentration in Earth Science

Please read Requirements for all Earth and Environmental Sciences Majors, Concentrators, and Special Concentrators above.

A minimum of 25 points is required as follows:


FOUNDATION COURSES

  1. EESC V2200 Earth's environmental systems: solid earth (4.5 points)
  2. One of the following:
    • EESC V2100 Earth's environmental systems: climate (4.5 points)
    • EESC V2300 Earth's environmental systems: life (4.5 points)



SUPPORTING MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE COURSES

Two science or mathematics courses (6-7 points) selected from among those listed for the earth science major above.


DEPTH AND BREADTH AND RELATED FIELDS REQUIREMENTS


A minimum of 10 points (typically three courses) is required as follows:

  1. One of the following:
  2. One additional course chosen from those listed under Depth Requirement for the earth science major above
  3. The third course selected from those listed under either Depth Requirement or Breadth and Related Fields Requirement for the earth science major above.


For a Concentration in Environmental Science

Please read Requirements for all Earth and Environmental Sciences Majors, Concentrators, and Special Concentrators above.

A minimum of 25.5 points is required as follows:


FOUNDATION COURSES

  1. EESC V2200 Earth's environmental systems: solid earth (4.5 points)
  2. EESC V2100 Earth's environmental systems: climate (4.5 points)
  3. EESC V2300 Earth's environmental systems: life (4.5 points)


SUPPORTING MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE COURSES

Two science or mathematics courses (6-7 points) selected from among those listed for the environmental science major above.

DEPTH AND BREADTH AND RELATED FIELDS REQUIREMENTs

A minimum of 6 points (two courses) is required as follows:

 

  1. One of the following:
  2. One additional course selected from those listed under either Depth Requirement or Breadth and Related Fields Requirement for the environmental science major above.


For a Special Concentration in Environmental Science for Majors in Environmental Biology

Please read Requirements for all Earth and Environmental Sciences Majors, Concentrators, and Special Concentrators above.

The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences sponsors a special concentration which must be done in conjunction with the environmental biology major. Students should be aware that they must complete the environmental biology major in order to receive credit for the special concentration.

A minimum of 31.5 points is required as follows:


INTRODUCTORY ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE (13.5 points):

  1. EESC V2100 Earth's environmental systems: climate
  2. EESC V2200 Earth's environmental systems: solid earth
  3. EESC V2300 Earth's environmental systems: life


INTRODUCTORY SCIENCE (6 points):

  1. Two courses in chemistry, physics, mathematics, or environmental biology from the supporting mathematics and science list for the environmental science major above.


ADVANCED ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE (12 points):

  1. Four courses at the 3000 level or above chosen from those recommended for the environmental science major above.

Advanced courses used to fulfill requirements in the environmental biology major cannot count toward requirements for the special concentration.


For a Special Concentration in Environmental Biology for Majors in Environmental Science

The Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology sponsors a special concentration which must be done in conjunction with the environmental science major. Students should be aware that they must complete the environmental science major in order to receive credit for the special concentration.

A minimum of 39 points are required as follows:


INTRODUCTORY ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE (17 points):

  1. EEEB W2001 Environmental biology, I: molecules to cells
  2. EEEB W2002 Environmental biology, II: organisms to ecosystems (equivalent to EESC V2300)
  3. EESC V2100 Earth's environmental systems: climate
  4. EESC V2200 Earth's environmental systems: solid earth


INTRODUCTORY SCIENCE (13 points):

  1. One of the following sequences:
  2. One of the following:


ADVANCED ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY (9 points):

  1. Three additional advanced EEEB courses (3000 level and above), each chosen from a different curricular area (evolution/genetics, ecology/behavior/conservation, anatomy/physiology/diversity, biology laboratory courses).

Advanced courses used to fulfill requirements in the environmental science major cannot count toward requirements for the special concentration.


Sustainable Development

Students interested sustainable development should refer to the Sustainable Development section in this bulletin.

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