Environmental Science
Environmental science is an interdisciplinary major offered on the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses. Students who complete the requirements of this program will graduate with a B.S. degree in environmental science. A minimum grade of C- is required in all courses taken to fulfill the major.
The environmental science major provides students with a solid foundation in scientific principles and analysis, focusing on applications to the environment. The major emphasizes a rigorous curriculum, using an integrated approach that combines concepts and methods across the fields of biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and environmental science. Research and training opportunities exist within each of the contributing departments, the Louis Calder Center, and at major collaborative scientific institutions in the New York City area. Following a solid scientific grounding in the first two years, upper-level students choose science elective courses that allow them to tailor their interests toward an emphasis on a life or chemical sciences approach and complete an independent science research project on an environmental topic or an internship at an environmental firm or government agency.
Students majoring in environmental science may not double major in biology, chemistry, general science, or natural science. Students majoring in environmental science may choose any available minor at Fordham provided that they fulfill the requirements stipulated by the department or program offering the minor and have approval from the dean’s office.
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Our Courses
ENVS 3000. Environmental Science. (3 Credits)
(Formerly ENVS 1000.) This course covers the biological, chemical, and geological components of world ecosystems. The causes of both air and water pollution will also be covered. The interactions between the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere will be described. The relationship between global change and the effects of human activities will be addressed as well.
Attributes: ENST, ESNS, ESPS, INST, ISIN.
Prerequisites: BISC 1404 or NSCI 1404 and CHEM 1322 or NSCI 1322.
ENVS 4401. Environmental Science Internship. (4 Credits)
Individually tailored research internship in an environmental institution. Placement will be in an environmental organization, government agency or business, under the supervision of a consenting faculty member, and with permission of the Environmental Science Program Faculty Committee. Grade and credits are given only upon the completion and successful defense of a final report integrating the practical internship experience with previous course work in environmental science is required. A weekly seminar that synthesizes previous environmental science coursework with practical experiences is also required. All students choosing this option must complete two semesters (4 credits each). Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
ENVS 4501. Environmental Science Research. (4 Credits)
Individually tailored laboratory or field research conducted throughout the senior year. The project will be on a specific environmental topic under the supervision of a consenting faculty member and with permission of the Environmental Science Program Faculty Committee. Grade and credits are given only upon the completion and successful defense of a final research paper that integrates the project findings with previous published studies in environmental science. A weekly seminar that synthesizes previous environmental science coursework with research experiences is also required. All students choosing this option must complete two semesters (4 credits each). Four-credit courses that meet for 150 minutes per week require three additional hours of class preparation per week on the part of the student in lieu of an additional hour of formal instruction.
ENVS 4999. Tutorial. (1 to 4 Credits)
Courses in Other Areas
The following courses offered outside the program have the ENVS attribute and count toward the Environmental Science major:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 4373 | Environment and Human Survival | 4 |
| ANTH 4722 | Primate Ecology and Conservation | 4 |
| BISC 1403 | Introductory Biology I | 3 |
| BISC 1404 | Introductory Biology II | 3 |
| BISC 2539 | General Genetics | 3 |
| BISC 2561 | Ecology | 3 |
| BISC 3244 | Evolutionary Biology | 3 |
| BISC 3405 | Plant Biology | 3 |
| BISC 3415 | Plant Biology Lab | 2 |
| BISC 3643 | Microbiology | 3 |
| BISC 4642 | Animal Behavior | 4 |
| CHEM 1321 | General Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM 1322 | General Chemistry II | 4 |
| CHEM 2521 | Organic Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM 2522 | Organic Chemistry II | 4 |
| CHEM 3622 | Physical Chemistry II | 4 |
| CHEM 3632 | Physical Chemistry Lab II | 2 |
| CHEM 3721 | Quantitative Analysis | 4 |
| CHEM 3722 | Instrumental Analysis | 4 |
| CHEM 3990 | Directed Research | 1 |
| CHEM 4340 | Environmental Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 4990 | Independent Research | 1-3 |
| ECON 3850 | Environmental Economics | 4 |
| ENST 3307 | Environmental Politics | 4 |
| HIST 3990 | North American Environmental History | 4 |
| HPLC 1603 | Honors: Natural Science I | 4 |
| HPLC 1604 | Honors: Natural Science II | 4 |
| MATH 1203 | Applied Calculus I | 3 |
| MATH 1205 | Applied Statistics | 3 |
| MATH 1206 | Calculus I | 4 |
| MATH 1700 | Mathematical Modelling | 4 |
| NSCI 1321 | General Chemistry Lecture I | 4 |
| NSCI 1322 | General Chemistry Lecture II | 4 |
| NSCI 1403 | General Biology Lecture I | 3 |
| NSCI 1404 | General Biology Lecture II | 3 |
| NSCI 1433 | Concepts in Biology Lab I | 2 |
| NSCI 1434 | Concepts in Biology Lab II | 2 |
| NSCI 2010 | Global Ecology Lecture | 3 |
| NSCI 2020 | An Introduction to Geology | 3 |
| NSCI 2060 | Environment: Science, Law, and Policy | 3 |
| NSCI 2142 | Paleoecology Lecture | 3 |
| NSCI 3101 | Biological Modeling | 4 |
| NSCI 3102 | Biological Modeling Recitation | 0 |
| NSCI 3121 | Organic Chemistry Lecture I | 4 |
| NSCI 3122 | Organic Chemistry Lecture II | 4 |
| NSCI 3133 | Genetics Lecture | 3 |
| NSCI 3821 | Organic Chemistry Lab I | 2 |
| NSCI 3822 | Organic Chemistry Lab II | 2 |
| NSCI 4112 | Animal Physiology Lecture | 3 |
| NSCI 4143 | Advanced Microbiology Lecture | 3 |
| NSCI 4153 | Biological Chemistry Lecture | 3 |
| NSCI 4222 | Science, Technology, and Society Values | 4 |
| PHIL 3109 | Environmental Ethics | 4 |
| PHIL 3990 | Environmental Worldviews and Ethics | 4 |
| PHYS 1501 | General Physics I | 3 |
| PHYS 1511 | Physics I Lab | 1 |
| POSC 3307 | Environmental Politics | 4 |
| POSC 3312 | Introduction to Environmental Politics | 4 |
| VART 2050 | Designing the City | 4 |
| VART 2055 | Environmental Design | 4 |