Apr 01, 2025  
2021-2022 Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog 
    
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2021-2022 Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Environmental Resource Science, M.S.

The Master of Science degree program in Environmental Resource Science prepares highly-trained environmental scientists to address challenges related to the critical environmental resources of water and soil. In this program, students learn about the interactions between water and soil resources within a biophysical system. The program focuses on the principles and practices of investigating and characterizing water and soil resources as well as those employed for their successful management and remediation. Considerable emphasis is dedicated to preparing students to identify and use state-of-the-art environmental methods and technologies in these areas.

Admission and Prerequisites

In addition to the general admission requirements of the Graduate School, admission to the M.S. program in Environmental Resource Science requires:

  • a Bachelor’s degree in a related scientific or engineering field
  • completion of nine credit hours of general science requirements (or their equivalents)
  • satisfactory scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE); official scores must be sent directly from the test administrator to the Graduate School

Substitutions for the general science requirements may be considered on a case-by-case basis by the program; approval of substitutions must be conveyed by the Graduate Coordinator to the Dean of the Graduate School at the time of application review by the department.

Degree Requirements

To earn the M.S. degree in Environmental Resource Science, students must complete the 35-hour curriculum, with thesis and non-thesis tracks, as outlined below. Courses are organized into the categories of:

Water Resources

Soil Resources

Environmental Methods

Biophysical Relationships

Note

With approval from the Graduate Coordinator, additional courses, offered at the 500-level or higher only, with appropriate content in any of the four course categories in the table above may be used to satisfy elective course requirements.

Thesis Track

The thesis track requires completion of the following 35 hours of graduate coursework:

  • Water Resources Required Courses (6 graduate credit hours):
    GEOL 470G Ground Water 
    ENVS 484G Watershed Science  
     
  • Soil Resources Required Courses (6 graduate credit hours):
    ENVS 490G Environmental Pedology  
    ENVS 580 Fate of Pollutants in Soils and Natural Waters  
     
  • Environmental Methods Required Courses (3 graduate credit hours):
    To be selected from the Environmental Methods courses identified in the table above.
     
  • Seminar Required Course (2 graduate credit hours):
     
  • Elective Courses (12 graduate credit hours required):
    To be selected from the courses in the table above with no more than 9 graduate credit hours from courses identified as Biophysical Relationship courses.
     
  • Thesis (6 graduate credit hours required)

For thesis-track students, at least 15 credit hours must be 500-level courses.

Non-Thesis Track

The non-thesis track requires completion of the following 35 hours of graduate coursework:

  • Water Resources Required Courses (6 graduate credit hours):
    ENVS 484G Watershed Science  
    GEOL 470G Ground Water  
     
  • Soil Resources Required Courses (6 graduate credit hours):
    ENVS 490G Environmental Pedology  
    ENVS 580 Fate of Pollutants in Soils and Natural Waters 
     
  • Environmental Methods Required Courses (3 graduate credit hours):
    To be selected from the courses in the table above with no more than 9 graduate credit hours from courses identified as Biophysical Relationship courses.
     
  • Seminar Required Course (2 graduate credit hours required)
     
  • Elective Courses (12 graduate credit hours required):
    To be selected from the courses in the table above with no more than 9 graduate credit hours from courses identified as Biophysical Relationship courses.
     
  • Non-thesis students must also complete one of the following to demonstrate a general, comprehensive knowledge of the field of study:
  1. The Capstone Project
    • Additional Elective (3 graduate credit hours)
    • The final Capstone Project (ENVS 589-3 hours) requirement shall be assigned by a faculty advisor and approved by a Capstone Committee comprised of graduate faculty members of the Environmental Science Program. The outcome of the project shall include a written report, which must be approved by the student’s faculty advisor and the Capstone Committee. The faculty advisor and Capstone Committee shall assess satisfactory completion of this comprehensive requirement.
  2. The Internship
    • The Internship (ENVS 579-6 hours) course requirement includes the equivalent of one semester of part-time work (a minimum of 400 hours) with an industry partner. Prior to initiation of the internship, the student is required to develop a work plan with the company/agency and his/her graduate faculty advisor outlining the expected requirements or products of the internship. At a minimum, the student shall complete a final written report and deliver a presentation of his or her work. Details regarding the length and format of the report and presentation will be developed by the student’s faculty advisor and an Internship Committee comprised of graduate faculty members of the Environmental Science Program in consultation with the industry partner. The internship requirement includes the equivalent of one semester of part-time work with an industry partner. Prior to initiation of the internship, the student is required to develop a work plan with the company/agency and his/her graduate faculty advisor outlining the expected requirements or products of the internship. At a minimum, the student shall complete a final written report and deliver a presentation of his or her work. Details regarding the length and format of the report and presentation will be developed by the student’s faculty advisor and an Internship Committee comprised of graduate faculty members of the Environmental Science Program in consultation with the industry partner.

Non-thesis students must complete at least 18 credit hours of 500-level courses applicable toward the degree.

Notes

Comprehensive Examination

Each candidate for a Master’s degree is required to demonstrate a general, comprehensive knowledge of their field of study. Towards this, students in the Environmental Resource Science Master’s program are required to achieve a grade of A or B on a minimum of three, 500-level courses. Each of these classes must be taken for 3 or more credits (i.e., classes offered with variable credit less than 3 do not count towards this requirement).

Procedures

Following admission to the M.S. program in Environmental Resource Science, students will register for courses upon the advice of the Graduate Coordinator. Throughout the entirety of a student’s study, the Graduate Coordinator shall provide comprehensive, long-range planning and advising for each semester’s registration. After the completion of 12 hours of graduate coursework, the student must declare (via the Graduate School Application for Candidacy) their intention to pursue the thesis or non-thesis track. In consultation with the Graduate Coordinator, students pursuing a thesis track may select the chair of their thesis committee and begin working toward this goal at any time; official identification of the committee chair and committee members shall be done at the time of application for candidacy, however.

For the thesis track, students must develop a written thesis proposal that will be orally defended to the Thesis Committee. The committee must approve (unanimously) the written document and oral defense at least one semester prior to the student’s thesis defense. The final written thesis must also be defended orally and approved by the Thesis Committee.

For the non-thesis track, students must receive approval by the Graduate Coordinator for plans for the capstone project/additional elective capstone project or the internship. Approval should occur as soon as possible after the student declares his or her intent to follow the non-thesis track (via the Graduate School Application for Candidacy).

The maximum course load for a graduate student in Environmental Resource Science shall be twelve graduate credit hours during a regular semester and nine graduate credit hours during a summer session. It is expected that full- time students will complete all requirements for the M.S. degree within two years.