Apr 30, 2025  
2025-2026 General Catalog [Effective Fall 2025] 
    
2025-2026 General Catalog [Effective Fall 2025]

Environmental Science (BS)

Location(s): Main Campus



Program Information

  • All courses must be passed with a “C” (2.0) or better to be counted in the major.
  • Some of the requirements fulfilled at other institutions may transfer to SUU and count toward the major with the approval of the Department Chair.
  • A minimum of 18 credit hours, including the capstone project, must be completed at SUU.
  • Some courses are taught every other year or as needed. Consult your Student Success Advisor for scheduling help.
  • Courses may not be repeated more than two (2) times without instructor approval.
  • Credits over 10 years old may not be accepted for use in the major.
  • This program requires the completion of MATH 1040 - Statistical Inference MATH 1190 - Introduction to Data Science , or MATH 1210 - Calculus I . Students who are not prepared for this math course may need additional math credits/preparation, which may affect time to graduation. Please consult your Student Success Advisor for more information.

Bachelor of Science (BS) Degree Requirement (12 Credits*)


  • Bachelor of Science Degree - Math or Science minimum requirement 12 Credits

* Note: A portion of the BS requirements may be met by fulfilling the General Education  Core and Breadth Areas. Consult your Student Success Advisor for details. 

General Education Requirement (28+ Credits)


See General Education  for course options.

  • Core Course Requirements (12+ Credits)
  • Breadth Area Requirements (16+ Credits)

Environmental Science Curriculum (67-69 Credits)


Environmental Science Foundation (3-4 Credits)


Complete one of the following lecture/lab pairings. Please note that ENVS 1000 does not have an associated lab but will fulfill this requirement:

Complete One of the Following


Capstone Research or Internship (3 Credits)


Complete one of the following:

Environmental Science Electives (21 Credits)


Natural Science Electives (12 Credits)


Complete at least 12 credits from the following (prerequisites met with core requirements, unless otherwise noted):

Environment-Society Electives (9 Credits)


Complete at least 9 credits from the following (prerequisites met with core requirements, unless otherwise noted):

Free Electives and University Requirements


Students’ total free elective credit is determined by their General Education courses taken, degree type selected (if applicable), additional credits earned, and any additional math or other prerequisite courses needed. Some students and/or programs may not have any free electives.

For a bachelor’s degree, students must earn

  • A minimum of 120 total credits;
  • A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 in both SUU coursework and combined transfer/SUU coursework;
  • 40 upper-division credits , 20 of which are earned from SUU (students may need to select additional upper-division courses not included in their major requirements in order to reach this minimum 40); and
  • 30 credits completed  through SUU.

Total Credits, BS Degree: 120


Program Learning Outcomes


  • Demonstrate knowledge of the physical and natural world.
  • Demonstrate integrative learning through teamwork, problem solving, inquiry, and analysis.
  • Demonstrate proficiency in environmental field and lab skills.
  • Demonstrate written and oral scientific communication skills.