Major in Environmental Geosciences
The Major in Environmental Geosciences administered by the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences provides interdisciplinary training for students interested in the environmental sciences including opportunities to study in field, laboratory, and computational environments.
The Major is available to students enrolled at Michigan State University within the College of Natural Sciences.
Students who plan to complete the requirements for the major should consult the undergraduate advisor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Environmental Geosciences Major Requirements
The Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Geosciences requires 120 credits.
The general education requirements are detailed under the Undergraduate Education section of the Registrar's website. Students who are enrolled in the College of Natural Science may complete the alternative track to Integrative Studies in Biological and Physical Sciences and certain major courses may be used to satisfy the alternative track. Please talk to the undergraduate advisor or see the Registrar's website for details.
The credits earned in all the major required courses listed below may be counted toward college requirements as appropriate. The credits that are used to satisfy this requirement may be used to satisfy either the requirements for the environmental geosciences major or the requirements for the geological sciences major, but not both of those requirements.
Required courses outside the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (35 or 38 credits)
(1) All of the following courses (8 credits)
- CEM 161 Chemistry Laboratory I (1 credit)
- MTH 132 Calculus I (3 credits)
- MTH 133 Calculus II (4 credits)
(2) One of the following pairs of courses (7 credits)
(a)
- CEM 141 General Chemistry (4 credits)
- CEM 142 General and Inorganic Chemistry (3 credits)
(b)
- CEM 151 General and Descriptive Chemistry (4 credits)
- CEM 152 Principles of Chemistry (3 credits)
(3) One of the following options (3 or 4 credits)
- MTH 234 Multivariable Calculus (4 credits)
- STT 200 Statistical Methods (3 credits)
- STT 201 Statistical Methods (4 credits)
- STT 231 Statistics for Scientists (3 credits)
- STT 421 Statistics I (3 credits)
(4) One of the following groups of courses (8 credits)
(a)
- PHY 231 Introductory Physics I (3 credits)
- PHY 232 Introductory Physics II (3 credits)
- PHY 251 Introductory Physics Laboratory I (1 credit)
- PHY 252 Introductory Physics Laboratory II (1 credit)
(b)
- PHY 183 Physics for Scientists and Engineers I (4 credits)
- PHY 184 Physics for Scientists and Engineers II (4 credits)
(5) One of the following courses (3 or 4 credits)
- FW 472 Limnology (3 credits)
- GEO 203 Introduction to Meteorology (3 credits)
- IBIO 303 Oceanography (4 credits)
(6) One of the following courses (3 or 4 credits)
- GEO 324 Remote Sensing of the Environment (4 credits)
- GEO 325 Geographic Information Systems (3 credits)
- STT 464 Statistics for Biologists (3 credits)
(7) One of the following courses (3 credits)
- GEO 435 Geography of Health and Disease (3 credits)
- IBIO 355 Ecology (3 credits)
The following courses in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences (31 credits)
- GLG 201 The Dynamic Earth (4 credits)
- GLG 304 Physical and Biological History of the Earth (4 credits)
- GLG 321 Mineralogy and Geochemistry (4 credits)
- GLG 401 Global Tectonics and Earth Structure (4 credits)
- GLG 411 Hydrogeology (3 credits)
- GLG 412 Glacial Geology and the Record of Climate Change (4 credits)
- GLG 421 Environmental Geochemistry (4 credits)
- GLG 431 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy (4 credits)
One course from each of the following areas (9 or 10 credits)
Hydrogeology Component
- CE 421 Engineering Hydrology (3 credits)
- FW 454 Environmental Hydrology for Watershed Management (3 credits)
- GEO 306 Environmental Geomorphology (3 credits)
- GLG 481 Reservoirs and Aquifers (3 credits)
Geochemical Component
- CEM 251 Organic Chemistry I (3 credits)
- CEM 311 Inorganic Chemistry (3 credits)
- CEM 383 Introductory Physical Chemistry I (3 credits)
- CSS 455 Pollutants in the Soil Environment (3 credits)
- ENE 481 Environmental Chemistry - Equalibrium Concepts (3 credits)
- GLG 361 Igneous and Metamorphic Geochemistry and Petrology (4 credits)
Geobiological Component
- ENE 487 Microbiology for Environmental Science and Engineering (3 credits)
- FW 420 Stream Ecology (3 credits)
- GLG 433 Vertebrate Paleontology (4 credits)
- GLG 434 Evolutionary Paleontology (4 credits)
- GLG 435 Geomicrobiology (4 credits)
- IBIO 355 Ecology (3 credits)
- MMG 425 Microbial Ecology (3 credits)
Note: Students may not use IBIO 355 to count towards this requirement if used to fulfill another requirement.
Additional credits in Geological Science courses at the 300-400 level to total 40 credits.
The credits that are used to satisfy this requirement may be used to satisfy either the requirements for the geological sciences major or the requirements for the environmental geosciences major, but not both of these requirements.
Note: Plant Biology 335 and Microbiology and Molecular Genetics 426 may be used to satisfy either the requirements for the major or general graduation requirements but not both of those requirements. Please talk to the undergraduate advisor for details.
Concentration in Geophysics
A concentration in geophysics is also available. Students must complete all of the following courses. Courses that are used to satisfy the requirements for the concentration may also be used to satisfy the requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree in Geological Sciences. The concentration will be noted on the student’s transcript.
All of the following courses (22 credits)
- GLG 470 Principles of Modern Geophysics (3 credits)
- GLG 471 Applied Geophysics (4 credits)
- MTH 234 Multivariate Calculus (4 credits)
- MTH 235 Differential Equations (3 credits)
- PHY 183 Physics for Scientists and Engineers I (4 credits)
- PHY 184 Physics for Scientists and Engineers II (4 credits)