B.S. in Environmental Science
The Environmental Science program prepares students for graduate school or high-impact careers in health and safety, natural resource management, consulting, and regulatory compliance. Students gain specialized skills as laboratory technicians, water managers, and environmental educators.
Available Concentrations
Requires 15 sh core + 6-8 sh electives:
- Geoscience
- Environmental Health & Safety
- Environmental Sustainability
- Traditional (Requires a Minor)
Credit Breakdown
- 29-32 sh: General Education
- 35-41 sh: ENST Core Courses
- 30-31 sh: Science & Math Support
- 21-26 sh: Concentration or Minor
Approved Minors (15-19 sh)
Must include 9 sh of upper-division courses (3000+ level).
- Biology / Chemistry
- Geology / GIS
- Environmental Engineering
- Mathematics / Statistics
- Public Health
- Anthropology (Forensic)
- Forensic Science
- Economics
- Law Enforcement
- Mechanical Engineering
*Program Coordinator can approve other minors upon request.
Note: College and university requirements apply. Transfer students may utilize free electives, but additional coursework may be required based on previous preparation.
| COURSE | TITLE | S.H. |
|---|---|---|
| FIRST YEAR REQUIREMENT -STUDENT SUCCESS | ||
| YSU 1500 | Success Seminar | 1-2 |
| or YSU 1500S | Youngstown State University Success Seminar | |
| or HONR 1500 | Intro to Honors | |
| General Education Requirements | ||
| ENGL 1550 | Writing 1 | 3-4 |
| or ENGL 1549 | Writing 1 with Support | |
| ENGL 1551 | Writing 2 | 3 |
| Mathematics Requirement (met with MATH 1570 or 1571 in major) | ||
| Arts and Humanities (6 sh) 3 Hours met with HIST 2650; Select one additional AH course. | 3 | |
| HIST 2650 | CL History of American Democracy | 3 |
| Natural Sciences (2 courses, 1 with lab) (6-7 sh)(Requirement met through science courses in major) | ||
| Social & Behavioral Sciences (6 sh) 3 hrs met with GIS 2611 in major | ||
| General Education Electives (Met with these courses in the major) GEOL 1505, PHYS 1501 | 9 | |
| Communication Foundations | ||
| Major Core Requirements | ||
| ENST 2600 & 2600L | Foundations of Environmental Science and Foundations of Environmental Science Laboratory | 4 |
| ENST 2620 | Seminar 1 | 1 |
| ENST 3700 & 3700L | Environmental Chemistry and Environmental Chemistry Lab | 4 |
| ENST 3730 | Air Quality | 3 |
| ENST 4851 & 4851L | Soil and Water Quality & Analysis and Soil and Water Quality & Analysis Lab | 4 |
| ENST 3750 | Seminar 2 | 1 |
| ENST 3790 | Internship/Cooperative | 4 |
| ENST 5810 | Environmental Safety | 3 |
| ENST 4890 | Environmental Science Capstone | 3 |
| or ENST 3784 | Research Experience in Environmental Science | |
| or ENST 3780 | Environmental Research | |
| ENST 5860 | Environmental Regulations | 3 |
| Science and Math Support Courses: | ||
| BIOL 2601 | General Biology 1: Molecules and Cells 1 | 3 |
| BIOL 2601L | General Biology I: Molecules and Cells Laboratory | 1 |
| CHEM 1515 | General Chemistry 1 1 | 3 |
| CHEM 1515L | General Chemistry 1 Laboratory | 1 |
| CHEM 1516 | General Chemistry 2 | 3 |
| CHEM 1516L | General Chemistry 2 Laboratory | 1 |
| GEOL 1505 | Physical Geology (satisfies GER Science or Lab) 1 | 4 |
| GIS 2611 | Geospatial Foundations | 3 |
| MATH 1571 | Calculus 1 2 | 4 |
| or MATH 1570 | Applied Calculus 1 | |
| PHYS 1501 | Fundamentals of Physics 1 1 | 4 |
| or PHYS 2610 | General Physics 1 | |
| STAT 2601 | Introductory Statistics | 3-4 |
| or STAT 2625 | Statistical Literacy and Critical Reasoning | |
| or STAT 3717 | Statistical Methods | |
| or STAT 3743 | Probability and Statistics | |
| Upper Division Electives | 6-8 | |
Select 2 ENST courses > 3699 | ||
| Concentration Courses (Traditional, Geoscience, Env Health & Safety, or Environmental Sustainability) | 21-26 | |
| Electives to get to 120 hours | 11 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 120-130 | |
- 1
Satisfies General Education Science or Science Lab Domain.
- 2
Satisfies General Education Mathematics Domain.
- 3
Satisfies General Education Science Domain.
CONCENTRATIONS
TRADITIONAL
| COURSE | TITLE | S.H. |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional | ||
| ENST Upper Division Electives | 6-8 | |
Select 2 additional courses from ENST 3699 level courses or higher. One course (3-4 sh) of a 3699 or higher level course may come from Biology, Chemistry, Geology, GIS, or Civil/Environmental Engineering. | ||
| Minor | 15-18 | |
Any Biology minor, Any Chemistry minor, Any Geology minor, GIS, Public Health, Economics, Law Enforcement, Mathematics, Statistics, Anthronology, Forensic Science. | ||
| Total Semester Hours | 21-26 | |
GEOSCIENCE CONCENTRATION
| COURSE | TITLE | S.H. |
|---|---|---|
| Geoscience Concentration | ||
| GEOL 2605 | Historical Geology | 4 |
| GEOL 3711 | Mineralogy | 3 |
| GEOL 3708 | Geological Field Methods | 2 |
| GEOL 5817 | Environmental Geochemistry | 3 |
| GEOL 4804 | Ground Water | 3 |
| Geoscience Electives (Select 2) | 6 | |
| GIS Applications for the Natural Sciences | ||
| Introduction to Remote Sensing | ||
Any GEOL >3700 | ||
| Total Semester Hours | 21 | |
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCENTRATION
| COURSE | TITLE | S.H. |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Health and Safety | ||
| PHLT 1513 | Introduction to Environmental Health and Safety | 3 |
| PHLT 2607 | Ethical Issues in Public Health | 3 |
| PHLT 5807 | Epidemiology | 3 |
| ENST 5815 | Fundamentals of Industrial Hygiene | 3 |
| ENST 5830 | Toxicology and Risk Assessment | 3 |
| EHS Elective (Select 2) | 6 | |
| Environmental Health Concerns | ||
| Ecological Risk Assessment | ||
| Solid and Hazardous Waste Management | ||
| Sources of Contamination | ||
| Total Semester Hours | 21 | |
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
| COURSE | TITLE | S.H. |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Sustainability | ||
| ENST 2610 | Introduction to Environmental Sustainability | 3 |
| ENST 5820 | Sustainability, Climate Change, and Society | 3 |
| ECON 3705 | Environmental Economics | 3 |
| HIST 3774 | Global Environmental History: Topics and Methods | 3 |
| or HIST 3774C | CE Global Environmental History: Topics and Methods | |
| HIST 3775 | Global Industrial Revolution | 3 |
| Biology Elective (Select 1) | 3-4 | |
| Ecology of Lakes | ||
| Stream Ecology | ||
| Conservation Biology | ||
| Forest Ecology | ||
| General Ecology | ||
| Political Science Elective (Select 1) | 3 | |
| Contemporary World Governments | ||
| Law and Society | ||
| Total Semester Hours | 21-22 | |
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | S.H. | |
| YSU 1500 | Success Seminar or Youngstown State University Success Seminar or STEM First Year Orientation or Intro to Honors | 1-2 |
| CHEM 1515 & 1515L | General Chemistry 1 and General Chemistry 1 Laboratory | 4 |
| ENGL 1550 or ENGL 1549 | Writing 1 or Writing 1 with Support | 3-4 |
| MATH prep course | 3-4 | |
| GER SBS or AH Course | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 14-17 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENST 2600 & 2600L | Foundations of Environmental Science and Foundations of Environmental Science Laboratory | 4 |
| CHEM 1516 & 1516L | General Chemistry 2 and General Chemistry 2 Laboratory | 4 |
| ENGL 1551 | Writing 2 | 3 |
| ENST 2620 | Seminar 1 | 1 |
| GER SBS or AH course | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 15 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| MATH 1570 or MATH 1571 | Applied Calculus 1 or Calculus 1 | 4 |
| BIOL 2601 & 2601L | General Biology 1: Molecules and Cells and General Biology I: Molecules and Cells Laboratory | 4 |
| CMST 1545 | Communication Foundations | 3 |
| ENST 3730 | Air Quality | 3 |
GER AH or SBS Course | ||
| Semester Hours | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| GEOL 1505 & 1505L | Physical Geology and Physical Geology Laboratory | 4 |
| GIS 2611 | Geospatial Foundations | 3 |
| HIST 2650 | CL History of American Democracy | 3 |
| ENST Elective >3700 or Concentration Course | 3 | |
| Elective Course (any) | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 16 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Fall | ||
| ENST 5860 | Environmental Regulations | 3 |
| ENST 3700 & 3700L | Environmental Chemistry and Environmental Chemistry Lab | 4 |
| PHYS 1501 | Fundamentals of Physics 1 | 4 |
| Minor or Concentration Course | 3 | |
| GER SBS or AH Course | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENST 4851 & 4851L | Soil and Water Quality & Analysis and Soil and Water Quality & Analysis Lab | 4 |
| STAT 2601 | Introductory Statistics or Statistical Literacy and Critical Reasoning or Statistical Literacy and Critical Reasoning with Co-Requisite Support or Statistical Methods or Probability and Statistics | 3.0 |
| ENST Elective >3700 | 3 | |
| Minor or Concentration Course | 3 | |
| Minor or Concentration Course | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 16 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Fall | ||
| ENST 3790 | Internship/Cooperative | 4 |
| ENST 4890 | Environmental Science Capstone | 3 |
| ENST Elective >3700 | 3 | |
| ENST Elective > 3700 or Concentration Course | 3 | |
| Minor or Concentration Course | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENST 5810 | Environmental Safety | 3 |
| ENST 3750 | Seminar 2 | 1 |
| ENST Elective > 3700 or Concentration Course | 3 | |
| ENST Elective > 3700 or Concentration Course | 3 | |
| Minor or Concentration Course | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 13 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 121-124 | |
Request a Graduation Evaluation after completing 80-85 s.h. from the STEM Advising Center, Sylvestri Hall, (330) 941-2512.
Learning Outcomes
The Environmental Science Program educates students in the fundamental knowledge about the environment, its resources, processes, and the changes and problems that have occurred and potential solutions to those problems. The student learning outcomes for the BS in environmental science are:
LO1 Interdisciplinary: Demonstrate an understanding of basic environmental processes and the contributions of different scientific and social disciplines to environmental issues.
LO2 Problem Solving: Demonstrate the ability to identify and apply appropriate field, laboratory, or modeling methods to address environmental problems and propose sustainable solutions.
LO3 Research: Properly apply the scientific method to research an environmental question including design of experiments, acquisition of data (qualitative and quantitative), and articulate results in discussions and conclusions.
LO4 Communicate: Effectively converse using the language, concepts, and models of environmental science in written, visual, and numerical formats for specific and general audiences.
LO5 Critical Thinking: Students will utilize their understanding of pollution, environmental systems, and published information to systematically, creatively, and analytically examine current issues.