Department of Environmental Sciences : Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences

Area of Concentration

For the ENSC degree, all students must have an area of concentration in a Natural Science department.  For departments other than this one, the requirement is at least 21 hours of course work.  Most ENSC majors elect one of the two tracks within the Department for their concentration (biology or geology), but a number of tracks are available:

Other Tracks

Other concentration tracks are also available, such as in Physics, Mathematics, or Astronomy; however, few students opt for these.

NEW Tracks Available

• Public Health Track:  This track requires the student to maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher during the first 2 years of university study. The student normally will apply at the end of the sophomore year (year 2).  In addition to the courses listed above, students electing this concentration take CHEM 2410, 2420  (Organic Chemistry I & II) during the junior year (year 3 and take the following graduate courses at the University's Health Science Campus during their senior year (year 4): PUBH 600 (Public Health Statistics), PUBH 664 ( Issues in Public Health), PUBH 601 (Public Health Epidemiology) and PUBH 660 (Health Behavior).  If students maintain a 3.0 average in these 4 courses and their overall GPA,  these students will be able to use these 12 credits toward the Master of Public Health Degree and should be able to complete BOTH the BS in Environmental Science and the MPH degrees in 5 years.  Students interested in the Master of Science in Occupational Health degree rather than the MPH should also take PHYS 1750 (Introduction to Physics) as an undergraduate elective.   

Internship

All students majoring in ENSC participate in environment-related projects with a government agency, University laboratory, private corporation, non-profit organization, or other approved sponsor.  This experience must last for at least 100 hours, and must be approved in advance by an Environmental Sciences advisor.  A written report on the internship is required.   Up to 3 hours of course credit may be granted for the internship by enrolling in EEES 4940 (internship); however, credits earned in this way may not be substituted for required courses in the area of concentration.  This requirement may be fulfilled at any time prior to graduation.

Exchange Program

Students with strong academic records may wish to participate in our exchange program with the University of Hertfordshire (England).  Participants spend their junior year studying at Hertfordshire.  Courses taken there transfer back to Toledo, and students graduate on schedule.  Hertfordshire is one of only twelve Environmental Science programs in the United Kingdom receiving a rating of “excellent” by their accrediting agency.

For general information on the Department's undergraduate program click here.