Environmental, Earth, and Sustainability Sciences, Bachelor of Science (5018)
Program Coordinator
Amy T. Nemon, amy.nemon@wku.edu
The B.S. in Environmental, Earth, and Sustainability Sciences (EESS) equips students to understand and solve environmental challenges through an integrated study of environmental sciences, geosciences, sustainability, and environmental management. Graduates pursue careers in environmental consulting and compliance, geoscience, GIS/remote sensing, sustainability planning, natural resource and environmental management, geotechnical and engineering support, climate and conservation, government agencies, or continue to graduate study and Professional Geologist (PG) licensure pathways.
Through immersive fieldwork, laboratory analysis, and geospatial/data-science training, students learn to analyze complex environmental and geoscience problems while building strong foundations in scientific writing, quantitative reasoning, and professional communication. Students choose between two concentrations: Environmental & Sustainability Sciences, which focuses on global sustainability, environmental processes and resource management, and geospatial applications; and Environmental & Geological Sciences, which focuses on earth materials and environmental processes, energy and critical minerals, and hydrology, and aligns with PG licensure preparation.
Concentrations
- Environmental and Sustainability Sciences (ENSS)
- Environmental and Geological Sciences (ENGS)
Program Requirements (48-53 hours)
The major in Environmental, Earth, and Sustainability Sciences (EESS) requires a minimum of 48-53 hours and leads to a Bachelor of Science degree. Other required math and science cognate courses total an additional 6-9 hours. No minor is required.
A baccalaureate degree requires a minimum of 120 unduplicated semester hours. More information can be found at: www.wku.edu/registrar/degree_certification.php.
Students who began WKU in the Fall 2014 and thereafter should review the Colonnade requirements located at: https://www.wku.edu/colonnade/colonnaderequirements.php.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Common Core: 21-24 hours | ||
| GEOG/GEOL 103 | Our Dynamic Planet | 3-4 |
| or GEOL 111 & GEOL 113 | The Earth and The Earth Laboratory | |
| GEOG 280 | Environmental Science and Sustainability | 3-4 |
| or GEOL 250 | Environmental Geology | |
| GEOG 295 | Introduction to Research Techniques | 3 |
| or GEOL 380 | Introductory Field Techniques | |
| GISC 316 | Geographic Information Systems I | 4 |
| GEOG 300 | Writing in the Geosciences | 3 |
| GEOG 391 | Geoscience Statistical Analysis | 4 |
| GEOG 499 | Professional Preparation | 1-2 |
| or GEOL 499 | Professional Preparation in Geology | |
| Total Hours | 21-24 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental and Sustainability Sciences Concentration (31 hours) | ||
| GEOG 110 | World Regional Geography | 3 |
| GISC 317 | Geographic Information Systems II | 4 |
| GEOG 380 | Global Sustainability | 3 |
| or GEOG 480 | Sustainable Cities | |
| GEOG 495 | Applied Research, Independent Study, or Internship | 3 |
| or GEOG 452 | Applied Geoscience Field Experiences | |
| Electives | ||
| Elective coursework selected from any GEOG, GISC, METR, EMDS, or GEOL 200-400 level course with advisor approval. Up to six hours may be taken outside of the department with advisor approval. | 18 | |
| Total Hours | 31 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental and Geological Sciences Concentration (25 hours) | ||
| GEOL 112 | Earth's Past and Future | 3 |
| GEOL 114 | Earth's Past and Future Lab | 1 |
| GEOL 350 | Mineralogy and Petrology | 4 |
| GEOL 360 | Sedimentology and Stratigraphy | 4 |
| GEOL 408 | Structural Geology | 4 |
| GEOL 301 | Earth's Climate in Time | 3 |
| GEOL 310 | Global Hydrology | 3 |
| or GEOL 440 | Hydrogeology | |
| or GEOL 311 | General Oceanography | |
| GEOL 420 | Geomorphology | 3 |
| or GEOL 399 | Research Problems in Geology | |
| Total Hours | 25 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Additional requirements for both concentrations (Select two from the following) (6-9 hours) | ||
| BIOL 120 & BIOL 121 | Biological Concepts: Cells Metabolism and Genetics and Biological Concepts: Cells, Metabolism, and Genetics Lab | 4 |
| or BIOL 122 & BIOL 123 | Biological Concepts: Evolution, Diversity, and Ecology and Biological Concepts: Evolution, Diversity, and Ecology Lab | |
| BIOL 226 & BIOL 227 | Microbial Biology and Diversity and Microbial Biology and Diversity Lab | 3-4 |
| or BIOL 315 | Ecology | |
| CHEM 105 & CHEM 106 | Fundamentals of General Chemistry and Fundamentals of General Chemistry Laboratory | 4-5 |
| or CHEM 120 & CHEM 121 | College Chemistry I and College Chemistry I Laboratory | |
| PLSS 350 | Introduction to Soils | 3 |
| CS 170 | Problem Solving and Programming | 3-4 |
| or CS 180 | Computer Science I | |
| or GISC 414 | Remote Sensing Fundamentals | |
| or GISC 417 | GIS Analysis & Modeling | |
| or GISC 419 | GIS Programming | |
| DATA 301 | Big Data with its Applications | 3 |
| or STAT 330 | Introduction to Statistical Software | |
| MATH 136 | Calculus I | 4 |
| PHYS 180 & PHYS 181 | Introductory Modern Physics and Introductory Modern Physics Laboratory | 4 |
| or PHYS 231 & PHYS 232 | Introduction to Physics and Biophysics I and Laboratory for Physics and Biophysics I | |
EESS - Environmental and Geological Sciences (ENGS) concentration
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| GEOL 111 | 3 | GEOL 112 | 3 |
| GEOL 113 | 1 | GEOL 114 | 1 |
| ENG 100 | 3 | ENG 200 | 3 |
| GEOG 175 | 2 | GEOL 250 | 3 |
| COMM 145 | 3 | Colonnade - Quantitative Reasoning | 3 |
| HIST 101 or HIST 102 | 3 | ||
| 15 | 13 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| GEOL 380 | 3 | GEOL 350 | 4 |
| GISC 316 | 4 | GEOL 360 | 4 |
| GEOL 301 | 3 | Additional Science Requirement - 1 | 4 |
| Colonnade Explorations - Arts & Humanities | 3 | Colonnade Connections - Social & Behavioral | 3 |
| Independent Research (GEOL 399) | 3 | ||
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| GEOL 408 | 4 | GEOL 420 | 3 |
| GEOG 300 | 3 | GEOG 391 | 4 |
| GEOL 399 | 2 | GEOL 310 or GEOL 311 | 3 |
| Colonnade Connections - Local to Global | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| Additional Science Requirement-2 (CS 170) | 3 | 3 | |
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| GEOL 499 | 2 | Field Study/Internship | 3 |
| Independent Research (GEOL 399) | 3 | Independent Research (GEOL 399) | 3 |
| General Elective | 4 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Hours 120 | |||
EESS - Environmental and Sustainability Sciences (ENSS) concentration
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| GEOG 103 or GEOL 111 | 3 | GEOG 110 | 3 |
| ENG 100 | 3 | GEOG 280 | 4 |
| COMM 145 | 3 | ENG 200 | 3 |
| HIST 101 or HIST 102 | 3 | ENSS Concentration Elective | 3 |
| GEOG 175 | 2 | Colonnade - Quantitative Reasoning | 3 |
| 14 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| GISC 316 | 4 | GEOG 300 | 3 |
| GEOG 295 | 3 | GISC 317 | 4 |
| ENSS Concentration Elective | 3 | Colonnade Connections - Local to Global | 3 |
| Colonnade Explorations - Arts & Humanities | 3 | ENSS Concentration Elective | 3 |
| Colonnade Connections - Systems | 3 | Additional Science Requirements - 1 | 3 |
| 16 | 16 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| GEOG 452 or GEOG 495 | 3 | GEOG 380 or GEOG 480 | 3 |
| Additional Science Requirement - 2 | 3 | GEOG 391 | 4 |
| ENSS Concentration Elective | 3 | ENSS Concentration Elective | 3 |
| ENSS Concentration Elective | 3 | Independent Research | 3 |
| Colonnade Connections - Social & Cultural | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Independent Research | 3 | GEOG 499 | 1 |
| General Elective | 3 | Independent Research | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | Field Study/Internship | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 2 |
| 15 | 12 | ||
| Total Hours 120 | |||