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Graduate Program in Environmental Sciences
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Course Requirements effective Fall 2020

(Click here for previous requirements prior to Fall 2020)

Program Requirements

MS Plan A

  1. 24 course credits
  2. 6 research
  3. Thesis
  4. Oral Thesis Defense
  5. Total: 30 credits

MS Plan B

  1. Plan B completion guide 01/29/2024
  2. Total of 30 course credits which may include up to 6 internships credits performed under 16:375:626 Advanced Special Problems by permission of the Graduate Program Director
  3. Critical Essay
  4. Comprehensive Oral Exam

PhD

  1. Minimum of 30 course credits
  2. Minimum of 30 research or internship credits
  3. Remaining credits (to a total of 72) may be course or research/internship
  4. No more than 6 internship credits performed under 16:375:626 Advanced Special Problems by permission of the Graduate Program Director
  5. Successful completion of qualifying exam
  6. Dissertation
  7. Oral Dissertation Defense
  8. Total: 72 credits

Note that the Exposure Science PhD may have additional requirements: see the end of this document

CURRICULUM

I. Core courses (15 credits):

Student must take the following courses (all of these courses are taught every year):

Chemical processes (one course):

  1. 16:375:517 Applications of Aquatic Chemistry (3)
  2. 16:375:522 Environmental Organic Chemistry (3)
  3. 16:375:540 Atmospheric Chemistry (3)

Biological processes:

  1. 16:375:510 Environmental Microbiology (3)

Physical processes:

  1. 16:375:523 Environmental Fate and Transport (3)

Research methods:

  1. 16:375:501 Environmental Science Analysis (3)

In addition, all MS student must register for the following three courses. PhD student must take these three, plus take 16:375:612 every year that they are in the program up to a total of 4 credits for 16:375:612 (Exposure Science students may have additional requirements):

  1. 16:375:612 Seminar in Environmental Sciences (1)
  2. 16:375:613 Seminar in Environmental Sciences (1)
  3. 16:375:511 Journal club (1)

II. Research or internship (6 credits for MS; 30 to 36 credits for PhD):

  1. 16:375:701/702 Research in environmental science (for Plan A) (3,3)
  2. 16:375:844 Research internship (for plan B) (3,3)

III. Electives:

  1. MS: 9 credits of electives
  2. PhD: 9 to 15 credits of electives

OPTIONS:

  1. Environmental Science: option coordinator is the GPD
  2. Exposure Science: option coordinators will be Mainelis and Weisel

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE OPTION

Within the Environmental Science Option students may take any of the courses listed below as their electives in coordination with their advisor. Other courses can be counted as electives with the approval of the Graduate Program Director. Electives are listed by focus area, but these are suggestions only.

Recommended Electives by Focus Area

Environmental Chemistry

  1. 16:375:503 Analytical Techniques in Environmental Chemistry (3)
  2. 16:375:517 Applications of Aquatic Chemistry (3)
  3. 16:375:522 Environmental Organic Chemistry (3)
  4. 16:375:527 Process Dynamics in Environmental Systems (3)
  5. 16:375:540 Atmospheric Chemistry (3)
  6. 16:375:544 Coastal Biogeochemical Cycles in a Changing World
  7. 16:460:551 Isotope Geochemistry (3)
  8. 16:712:514 ICP Spectroscopy Principles and Applications (3)
  9. 16:712:540 Chemical Oceanography (3)
  10. 16:712:561 Professional Science Writing & Presentation (3)

Environmental Microbiology

  1. 16:375:504 Water and Wastewater Treatment (3)
  2. 16:375:512 Pollution Microbiology Lab (2)
  3. 16:375:529 Biodegradation and Bioremediation (3)
  4. 16:375:563 Geomicrobiology (3)
  5. 16:375:573 Soil Ecology (3)
  6. 16:682:501 Microbial Life (3)
  7. 16:682:572 Microbial Ecology and Diversity (3)
  8. 16:712:561 Professional Science Writing & Presentation (3)

Air Pollution Science and Technology

  1. 16:375:540 Atmospheric Chemistry (3)
  2. 16:375:524 Source Control of Atmospheric Pollution (3)
  3. 16:375:522 Environmental Organic Chemistry (3)
  4. 16:375:536 Air Sampling and Analysis Techniques (3)
  5. 16:375:527 Process Dynamics in Environmental Systems (3)
  6. 16:960:590 Design of Experiments (3)
  7. 16:375:503 Analytical Techniques in Environmental Chemistry (3)
  8. 16:712:561 Professional Science Writing & Presentation (3)

Environmental Engineering

  1. 34:970:523 Environmental Law & Policy (3)
  2. 16:375:522 Environmental Organic Chemistry (3)
  3. 16:375:527 Process Dynamics in Environmental Systems (3)
  4. 16:180:562 Design of Water and Wastewater Treatment
  5. 16:180:563 Advanced Hydrology
  6. 16:180:566 Sediment Transport
  7. 16:180:574 Groundwater Engineering I
  8. 16:180:576 Groundwater Engineering II
  9. 16:375:504 Water and Wastewater Treatment
  10. 16:375:506 Industrial Treatment
  11. 16:375:524 Source Control of Atmospheric Pollution
  12. 16:375:525 Principles of Solid Waste Management
  13. 16:375:531 Biological Waste Treatment
  14. 16:375:534 Environmental Sustainability
  15. 16:375:541 Environmental Models
  16. 16:712:561 Professional Science Writing & Presentation (3)

Pollution Prevention and Control

  1. 16:375:504 Water and Wastewater Treatment (3)
  2. 16:375:510 Environmental Microbiology (3)
  3. 16:375:512 Pollution Microbiology Laboratory (2)
  4. 16:375:524 Source Control of Atmospheric Pollution (3)
  5. 16:375:525 Principles of Solid Waste Management and Treatment (3)
  6. 16:375:527 Physiochemical Process Dynamics in Environmtl Systems(3)
  7. 16:375:529 Biodegradation and Bioremediation (3)
  8. 16:375:530 Hazardous Waste Management (3)
  9. 16:375:534 Environmental Sustainability (3)
  10. 16:375:573 Soil Ecology (3)
  11. 16:712:561 Professional Science Writing & Presentation (3)

Climate Change and Sustainability

  1. 16:375:534 Environmental Sustainability (3)
  2. 16:107:545 Physical Climatology (3)
  3. 16:107:571 Climate Change Risk Analysis (3)
  4. 16:375:540 Atmospheric Chemistry (3)
  5. 34:970:523 Environmental Law & Policy (3)
  6. 16:375:524 Source Control of Atmospheric Pollution (3)
  7. 16:375:541 Environmental Models (3)
  8. 16:378:502 Environmental Change (3)
  9. 16:712:560 History Earth System (3)
  10. 16:712:561 Professional Science Writing & Presentation (3)

Geomatics and Data Science

  1. 16:375:541 Environmental Models (3)
  2. 16:960:590 Design of Experiments (3)
  3. 16:378:502 Environmental Change (3)
  4. 16:712:615 Geophysical data analysis (3)
  5. 16:960:668 Bayesian data analysis (3)
  6. 16:712:561 Professional Science Writing & Presentation (3)

EXPOSURE SCIENCE OPTION

The following three courses are required:

  1. 32:832:595 Environmental Exposure Measurements & Assessment (3)
  2. 16:115:556 (IDST-5000) Ethical Scientific Conduct (1)
  3. 16:375:511 Journal Club in Exposure Science (1) (fulfills Journal Club core requirement)

Candidates also must take at least 21 credits from the following courses, with at least one course being taken from each area. Substitutions may be allowed if approved in writing by the major advisor and option coordinator.

Epidemiology

  1. 16:375:508 Interpretational Epidemiology (3)
  2. 16:832:520 Principles of Epidemiology (3)

Environmental Science

  1. 16:375:541 Environmental Models (3)
  2. 32:832:589 Advanced Environmental Hygiene Measurements (4)

Health

  1. 32:832:541 Toxicology (3)
  2. 32:832:586 Environmental Risk Assessment (3)

Statistics

  1. 16:960:467 Applied Multivariant Analyses (3)
  2. 16:960:590 Design of Experiments (3)
  3. 16:970:527 Adv. Multivariant Methods: Environmtl & Health Issues (3)