Study local and global environmental issues

As an Environmental Science major you will study a broad science-based curriculum that will expose you to multiple fields of scientific study, provide you with an understanding of environmental problems and solutions and prepare you for a technical career in environmental science. Environmental Science faculty members are active researchers in soil and wetland science, restoration ecology, geology, paleontology, and conservation biology, offering environmental science majors many opportunities to gain hands-on research experience.

DePaul’s close proximity to Lake Michigan, Chicago’s urban ecosystem, as well as the many environmental science conferences that are held in the city, will allow you to interact and work with professionals in the field and learn about important environmental issues.

In addition to a variety of combined degree programs, we offer a combined bachelor’s + master’s degree program in Environmental Science, a combined bachelor’s + master’s degree in Environmental Studies and Sustainable Management or a combined bachelor’s + master’s degree in Environmental Science and Secondary Education Environmental Science. Each of these programs allow you to complete a bachelor’s degree and a graduate degree in as few as five years.

Classes

Coursework

• Biology
• Chemistry
• Environmental Science
• Mathematics
• Physics

Resources

• Major Requirements
• Schedule of Classes
• Department Website

• Minor offered
• Combined bachelor's + master's degree offered

Career Options

Common Career Areas

• Compliance
• Education
• Environmental consulting
• Environmental engineering
• Forestry planning
• Hazardous waste management
• Solid waste management
• Water quality management
• Wetlands protection

More career info

86%

of Environmental Science graduates were employed, continuing their education or not seeking employment after graduation.

Major Requirements

Students are advised to talk with their advisor before double majoring, because some major combinations are prohibited. No more than 50% of the credits that apply to one major may be drawn from another major.

Major Requirements

Course Requirements

Course	Title	Quarter Hours
ENV 250	APPLIED ECOLOGY	4
or BIO 215	ECOLOGY
ENV 216	EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE	4
ENV 217	HUMAN IMPACTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT	4
ENV 260	ENVIRONMENTAL DATA ANALYSIS	4
or BIO 206	BIOSTATISTICS
ENV 294	SECOND YEAR SEMINAR	2
ENV 360	RESEARCH METHODS	4
ENV 362	SENIOR THESIS	2
ENV 350	ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND STUDIES CAPSTONE (Liberal Studies Program Capstone) 1	4
Select three of the following:		12
ENV 300	PLANT IDENTIFICATION (WITH LAB)
ENV 305	ANIMAL DIVERSITY
ENV 310	ENVIRONMENTAL SOIL SCIENCE (WITH LAB)
ENV 315	PLANT ECOLOGY (WITH LAB)
ENV 316	CHEMISTRY OF EARTH SYSTEMS (WITH LAB)
ENV 320	CONSERVATION BIOLOGY (WITH LAB)
ENV 322	ECOSYSTEM ECOLOGY (WITH LAB)
ENV 340	URBAN ECOLOGY (WITH LAB)
ENV 341	URBAN FORESTS AS SOCIAL-ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS (WITH LAB)
ENV 355	INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
ENV 359	ADVANCED ENVIRONMENTAL DATA ANALYSIS WITH R
ENV 390	SPECIAL TOPICS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 2
BIO 191	GENERAL BIOLOGY I FOR SCIENCE MAJORS	4
BIO 192	GENERAL BIOLOGY II FOR SCIENCE MAJORS	4
BIO 193	GENERAL BIOLOGY III FOR SCIENCE MAJORS	4
Select one of the following:		4-6
CHE 130 & CHE 131	GENERAL CHEMISTRY I and GENERAL CHEMISTRY I LABORATORY
CHE 120 & CHE 131	GENERAL CHEMISTRY IP and GENERAL CHEMISTRY I LABORATORY
Select one of the following:		4-6
CHE 132 & CHE 133	GENERAL CHEMISTRY II and GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY II
CHE 122 & CHE 133	GENERAL CHEMISTRY IIP and GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY II
CHE 134 & CHE 135	GENERAL CHEMISTRY III and GENERAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY III	4
Select one of the following:		4-6
MAT 147	CALCULUS WITH INTEGRATED PRECALCULUS I
MAT 150	CALCULUS I
MAT 170	CALCULUS FOR LIFE SCIENCES I
Select one of the following:		4-6
MAT 148	CALCULUS WITH INTEGRATED PRECALCULUS II
MAT 151	CALCULUS II
MAT 171	CALCULUS FOR LIFE SCIENCES II
Select one of the following:		4-6
MAT 149	CALCULUS WITH INTEGRATED PRECALCULUS III
MAT 152	CALCULUS III
MAT 172	CALCULUS III WITH DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
Alternatively, to complete the calculus sequence, select both of the following:
MAT 155	SUMMER CALCULUS I
MAT 156	SUMMER CALCULUS II
PHY 150	GENERAL PHYSICS I	4
PHY 151	GENERAL PHYSICS II	4
PHY 152	GENERAL PHYSICS III	4
Select three courses from within one discipline in consultation with your advisor:		12
Biology
BIO 210	MICROBIOLOGY
BIO 235	EVOLUTION
BIO 260	GENETICS
BIO 315	TOPICS IN ECOLOGY
BIO 317	AQUATIC BIOLOGY
BIO 318	FIELD STUDIES IN MARINE AND ESTUARINE BIOLOGY
BIO 321	MOLECULAR METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
Chemistry
CHE 230 & CHE 231	ORGANIC CHEMISTRY I and ORGANIC CHEMISTRY LABORATORY I
CHE 232 & CHE 233	ORGANIC CHEMISTRY II and ORGANIC CHEMISTRY LABORATORY II
CHE 234 & CHE 235	ORGANIC CHEMISTRY III and ORGANIC CHEMISTRY LABORATORY III
CHE 204 & CHE 205	ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY and ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY LABORATORY
CHE 264 & CHE 265	ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY and ATMOSPHERIC CHEMISTRY LABORATORY
CHE 268 & CHE 269	SOLID WASTE CHEMISTRY and SOLID WASTE CHEMISTRY LABORATORY
CHE 340 & CHE 341	BIOCHEMISTRY I and EXPERIMENTAL BIOCHEMISTRY I
Geography (GIS)
GEO 141	GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS I: DIGITAL MAPPING
GEO 242	GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS II: COMMUNITY GIS
GEO 243	EARTH OBSERVATION
GEO 343	EARTH OBSERVATION II
GEO 344	GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS III: SPATIAL ANALYSIS FOR SUSTAINABILITY

1	Students in the University Honors Program and students with a double major may be required to take a different Capstone. If this is the case, they may choose to substitute ENV 350 as one of their required 300-level ENV courses or as an open elective.
2	Each quarter one or more versions of ENV 390 are offered. Some might be applicable to your major requirements.  Please contact your advisor for details.

Environmental Science (BS) students are not eligible to earn a double major in Environmental Studies (BA)

Open Electives

Open elective credit also is required to meet the minimum graduation requirement of 192 hours.  

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