Degrees
Major
- Environmental Science (B.S.)
Minor
- Environmental Science
Students may minor in Environmental Science by completing 19 hours of specified courses.
Concentrations
- Geoscience: Mineralogy/petrology, structural geology, hydrology, and soils related courses meld to provide an understanding of earth processes with an environmental emphasis. All students are required to take core lab courses, but may tailor additional courses to emphasize soils, mineral processing, economic geology, and/or hydrology and water quality. Students seeking teacher licensure must fulfill all requirements for the Geoscience concentration, as well as other requirements in the education department.
- Ecology: Forest and wetland ecology, freshwater biology, and wildlife management are just a few of the areas that may be explored, depending on the student’s professional interests. Students may choose from a variety of advanced environmental science, ecology, botany, and zoology courses.
- Environmental Management and Policy: This concentration’s interdisciplinary curriculum provides students with a solid understanding of the scientific, economic, political, and social complexities of contemporary environmental management challenges. As well, students learn about the tools for evaluating and carrying out management strategies. The goal of the concentration is to provide students with the broad education and experience necessary for careers in natural resource and environmental management. Students must have 6 additional EMP-relevant credits, at least 3 credits at the 300-400 level.
Recommended courses:
ECON 242 – Economics of Food
ECON 245 – Land Economics
ECON 359 – Climate Finance
BUS 230 – Organizational Behavior and Theory
BUS 300 – Law and Ethics
POLS 235 – Introduction to Law
POLS 327 – Constitutional Law
POLS 333 – United States Courts
POLS 351 – Public Policy and Administration
POLS 354 – Environmental Politics
Other courses that count toward the requirement:
ECON 314 – Economic Growth and Development
INTS 201 – Introduction to Global Studies
BUS 388 – Strategies for Leading Change
BUS423 – Seminar in Public Management and Leadership
BUS 424 – Seminar in Organizational Power and Politics
HRST 301 – Writing Human Rights Wrongs
POLS 220 – Introduction to American Politics (usually waived as a prereq
for upper-level POLS courses for ENVS-EMP students. Not recommended.)
POLS 281 – Principles of International Relations
POLS 331 – Immigration and Refugee Law and Policy
POLS 333 – United States Courts
POLS 336 – Money in Politics in the United States
POLS 339 – Politics and Place
POLS 351 – Public Policy and Administration
POLS 374 – Media and US Politics
POLS 383 – International Political Economy
POLS 387 – International Organizations
POLS 388 – Human Rights and International Politics
POLS 389 – International Law
SOC 352 – Social Movements and Democracy
SOC 387 – Gender, Globalization, and Development
Or other approved by advisor - Individualized: This concentration provides the opportunity for design of a curriculum unavailable in the concentrations above. Like all majors, students complete the core courses in Environmental Science but specialized courses are tailored to a common theme through consultation between the student and department chairperson. Examples of individualized options completed include environmental education, environmental planning, environmental journalism, and human ecology.
Declaration of Major or Minor
Students can declare their major or minor online.
Course Requirements
Review the course requirements in the UNC Asheville Course Catalog for each of the Environmental Science concentrations and Environmental Science minor.