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The BS in Environmental Science provides students with a strong science background with a focus on the environmental issues of the future. Through lecture, lab and field classes, you will get hands-on experience with biology, chemistry, the geosciences, physics and math. In this major, students learn how to draw connections between the disciplines needed to solve the complex environmental problems facing their local community and society at large. A Capstone experience gives you the opportunity to work with a scientist on your own undergraduate research project or to intern with a community group to gain practical experience.
These courses must have been completed within the past 5 years with a minimum grade of 2.0.
- College Biology (with lab) series: TBIOL 120, TBIOL 130 and TBIOL 140 OR equivalent
- College Chemistry (with lab) series: TCHEM 142, TCHEM 152 and TCHEM 162 OR equivalent
- Physical Geology (with lab): TGEOS 117 OR equivalent
- College Physics (with lab): TPHYS 121 OR equivalent
- Calculus (10 credits): TMATH 124 AND TMATH 125 OR TMATH 210
- Statistics: TMATH 110 OR equivalent
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TESC 310 Environmental Research Seminar (3 credits; to be taken the first quarter of junior standing.)
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TESC 200 Environmental Seminar (2 credits; to be taken with TESC 310)
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TESC 410 Environmental Science Senior Seminar (3 credits; to be taken as close as possible to the last quarter of enrollment. This should also be taken concurrently with your Capstone project or after the completion of your Capstone.)
12 credits Environmental Science Core
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TBIOL 340 Ecology and Its Applications (6)
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TCHEM 333 Environmental Chemistry (6)
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TECON 421 Environmental Policy
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TESC 345 Pollution and Public Policy
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TEST 337 Natural Resources Policy: America's Public Forests and Parks
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TEST 343 Water Quality Regulation
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TLAW 339 Washington Environmental Law
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TLAW 438 Environmental Law
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TEGL 210 Introduction to Qualitative Methodology and Research Ethics
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TPHIL 364 Topics in the Philosophy of Science
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TPHIL 456 Environmental Ethics
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TRELIG 350 Philosophy, Religion and the Environment
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TBIOL 204 Tropical Ecology and Sustainability
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TBIOL 318 Biogeography
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TCOM 310 Contemporary Environmental Issues and the Media
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TCOM 351 Video Production
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TCOM 470 Documentary Production and Critique
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TECON 421 Environmental Policy
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TEGL 202 Introduction to Contemporary American Indian Issues
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TEGL 304 Indigenous Ethnoecology
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TEGL 365 Indigenous Ethnobiology
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TEGL 464 Indigenous Health, Political Ethnoecology and Governance
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TEST 332 A Natural History of Garbage
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TGEOG 403 Geography of the United States and Canada
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TGEOG 435 Contemporary Geopolitics
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TGEOG 440 Political Geography
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TGH 303 Global Challenges*
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THIST 445 History of Tacoma
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THIST 456 North American Regions
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THIST 487 Technology in the Modern World
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THIST 495 The Metropolis
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THLTH 372 Environmental Health: Local to Global
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THLTH 410 Environmental Equity
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TIAS 443 Ethnicity and the Urban Landscape
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TINST 401 Technology in Service of Global Society
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TLIT 433 Native American Literature and Federal Indian Law
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TNPRFT 231 Introduction to the Nonprofit Sector
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TNPRFT 451 Essentials of Grant Writing
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TSOC 456 Rural Societies and Development
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TSUD 222 Introduction to Sustainability
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TSUD 240 The City and Nature
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TSUD 445 Urban Ecology
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TURB 205 Images of the City
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TURB 210 Urban Society and Culture
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TURB 220 Introduction to Urban Planning
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TURB 301 The Urban Condition
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URB 312 Race and Poverty in Urban America
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TURB 322 Land Use Planning
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TURB 345 Urban Government and Organizations
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TURB 410 Environmental Equity
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TWOMN 211 Women in Science
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TARTS 402 Eco-Art: Art in Response to Environmental Crisis
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TEGL 464 Indigenous Health, Political Ethnoecology and Governance
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TGH 303 Global Challenges*
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TLIT 237 Introduction to Literature and the Environment
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TLIT 431 Contemporary Native American Women's Literature
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TLIT 437 Topics in Literature and the Environment
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TPHIL 353 The End of the Modern World, 1600–2000
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TPHIL 361 Ethics in Contemporary Society
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TPHIL 362 The Beautiful and the Good: Philosophy's Quest for Value
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TPHIL 367 Utopias
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TPHIL 451 The Enlightenment
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TPHIL 455 Medicine and Morality: Biomedical Ethics
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TRELIG 210 Modern Theories of Religion
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TWRT 211 Argument and Research in Writing
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TWRT 287 Creative Nonfiction Writing
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TWRT 291 Technical Communication in the Workplace
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TWRT 331 Advanced Disciplinary Writing: Natural Sciences
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TWRT 372 Writing Eco-poetry
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TWRT 388 Writing for Social Change
Projects can be completed through the following courses involving internships, research or a combination of both. Your Capstone may span more than one quarter and earn 3–10 credits; *restricted to Global Honors students.
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TBIOL 464 Restoration Ecology Capstone: Field Site Restoration
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TBIOMD 490 Context for Global Health Experiential Learning AND TBIOMD 491 Global Health Experiential Learning Program
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TBIOMD 495 Biomedical Research Experience
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TESC 301 Sustainability in Action
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TESC 495 Environmental Research Experiences
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TESC 496 Internship
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TESC 497 Senior Thesis (ideal for IAS Honors)
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TESC 499 Undergraduate Research
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TGIS 415 Critical Theory and GIS Practicum
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TGH 494 Thesis or Project for Global Honors*
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TGH 496 Experiential Learning in Global Honors*
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TMATH 495 Collaborative Mathematics Research Experience
A minimum of one course from List A and a minimum of one course from List B; at least two courses must be laboratory (L) and one must be field (F). Two of these five courses must be at the 300-level or above.
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Required:
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One course from List A
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One course from List B
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Three more courses from list A, B, or C
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List A: Conservation Biology and Ecology
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TBIOL 202 Plant Biology and Ecology
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TBIOL 203 History and Ecology of Biological Invasions
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TBIOL 204 Tropical Ecology and Sustainability
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TBIOL 232 Issues in Biological Conservation
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TBIOL 234 Biology, History and Politics of Salmon in the PNW
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TBIOL 236 Plants and People: The Science of Agriculture
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TBIOL 240 Human Biology and Environmental Interactions
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TBIOL 306 Animal Behavior
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TBIOL 320 Vertebrate Anatomy and Diversity (L)
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TBIOL 362 Introduction to Restoration Ecology (F)
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TBIOL 404 Neotropical Field Studies Abroad: Ecology and Community (F)
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TBIOL 422 Evolution
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TBIOL 432 Forest Ecology Field Studies (F)
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TBIOL 434 Conservation Biology Practice (L)
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TBIOL 438 Environmental Biology: Marine Invertebrates (L)
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TBIOL 442 Marine Ecology
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TBIOL 455 Ecotoxicology
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TESC 430 Environmental Modeling (L)
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TGEOS 445 Estuarine Field Studies (F)
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TMATH 210 Intermediate Statistics with Applications (B/P)
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TMATH 390 Probability and Statistics in Engineering and Science (B/P)
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TMATH 410 Regression Modeling (B/P)
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List B: Physical Sciences
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TBIOL 318 Biogeography (if 6 cr-L)
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TCHEM 439 Analytical Chemistry with Environmental Applications (L or F)
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TESC 201 The Science of Environmental Sustainability
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TESC 210 Introductory Research Experience in the Sciences (L)
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TESC 239 Energy and the Environment
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TESC 345 Pollution and Public Policy
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TESC 430 Environmental Modeling (L)
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TESC 433 Pollutant Fate and Transport (L)
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TESC 435 Limnology (F)
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TGEOS 215 Meteorology (if 6 cr- L)
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TGEOS 216 Pacific Northwest Geology
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TGEOS 226 Pacific Northwest Field Trip (L, when taken with TGEOS 216)
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TGEOS 227 Earth History
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TGEOS 241 Oceanography (P, if 6 cr- L)
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TGEOS 243 Geography of the Physical World (if 6 cr- L)
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TGEOS 319 From Mountains to Sea: Comparative Volcanoes (F)
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TGEOS 337 Environmental Geology (L)
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TGEOS 341 Climate Change
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TGEOS 343 Atmosphere and Air Pollution (L)
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TGEOS 347 Environmental Earth Materials (L)
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TGEOS 415 Sedimentology (L)
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TGEOS 417 Field Geology (F)
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TGEOS 419 Environmental Field Geophysics (F)
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TGEOS 445 Estuarine Field Studies (F)
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TGIS 311 Maps and GIS (L) – Urban Studies course
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TMATH 210 Statistics for Environmental Applications (B/P)
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TMATH 390 Probability and Statistics in Engineering and Science (B/P)
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TMATH 410 Regression Modeling (B/P)
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TPHYS 315 Applied Physics w/ Environmental Applications
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List C: Biomedical or Health Sciences
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TBIOL 242 Aging and Biology
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TBIOL 270 Genetics and Society
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TBIOL 301 General Microbiology (L)
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TBIOL 302 Human Physiology
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TBIOL 303 Cellular Biology (L)
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TBIOL 304 Molecular Biology (L)
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TBIOL 305 Genetics and Genomics (L)
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TBIOL 350 Introduction to Epidemiology
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TBIOL 436 Systems Biology
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TCHEM 251 Organic Chemistry I (L)
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TCHEM 405 Biochemistry I
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TCHEM 406 Biochemistry II
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A minimum of one physical science (P) course, at least two laboratory (L) courses and one field (F) course. Two of these five courses must be at the 300-level or above.
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Required:
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TBIOL 434 Conservation Biology in Practice (B/L)
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One course from List D
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One course from List E
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One course from List F
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One course from List D, List E or List F
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List D: Biodiversity
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TBIOL 301 General Microbiology (B, if 6 cr - L)
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TBIOL 307 Environmental Entomology (B/L)
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TBIOL 318 Biogeography (P/B, if 6 cr - L)
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TBIOL 320 Vertebrate Anatomy and Diversity (L)
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TBIOL 422 Evolution (B, if 6 cr - L)
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TBIOL 438 Environmental Biology: Marine Invertebrates (B/L)
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List E: Ecological Interactions
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TBIOL 203 History and Ecology of Biological Invasions (B)
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TBIOL 204 Tropical Ecology and Sustainability (B)
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TBIOL 234 Biology, History and Politics of Salmon in the PNW (B)
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TBIOL 306 Animal Behavior (B)
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TBIOL 432 Forest Ecology Field Studies (B/F)
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TBIOL 442 Marine Ecology (B/F)
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TGEOS 445 Estuarine Field Studies (P/F)
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List F: Methods and Applications
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TBIOL 304 Molecular Biology (B/L)
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TBIOL 350 Introduction to Epidemiology (B)
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TBIOL 362 Introduction to Restoration Ecology (B/F)
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TBIOL 455 Ecotoxicology
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TCHEM 405 Biochemistry I (B/P, if 6 cr - L)
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TCHEM 439 Analytical Chemistry with Environmental Applications (P/L or P/F)
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TESC 430 Environmental Modeling (P/L)
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TESC 435 Limnology (P/F)
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TGEOS 241 Oceanography (P, if 6 cr- L)
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TGIS 311 Maps and GIS (P/L) – Urban Studies course
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TMATH 210 Intermediate Statistics with Applications (B/P)
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TMATH 410 Regression Modeling (B/P)
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A minimum of one course from List A and a minimum of one course from List B; at least two courses must be laboratory (L), one must be biological science (B) and one must be field (F). Two of these five courses must be at the 300-level or above.
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Required:
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TGEOS 337 Environmental Geology (L)
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Three courses from List G
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One additional course from List G or List H
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List G: Geoscience
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TESC 239 Energy and the Environment
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TESC 430 Environmental Modeling
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TESC 433 Pollutant Fate and Transport in the Environment (L)
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TESC 435 Limnology (F)
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TGEOS 215 Meteorology (if 6 cr- L)
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TGEOS 216 Pacific Northwest Geology AND TGEOS 226 PNW Geology Field Trip (L)
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TGEOS 227 Earth History
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TGEOS 241 Oceanography (P, if 6 cr- L)
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TGEOS 243 Geography of the Physical World (if 6 cr- L)
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TGEOS 319 From Mountains to Sea: Comparative Volcanoes (F)
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TGEOS 335 Introduction to Geomorphology (P/L)
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TGEOS 341 Climate Change
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TGEOS 343 Atmosphere and Air Pollution (L)
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TGEOS 347 Environmental Earth Materials (L)
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TGEOS 415 Sedimentology (L)
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TGEOS 417 Field Geology (F)
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TGEOS 419 Environmental Field Geophysics (F)
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TGEOS 445 Estuarine Field Studies (F)
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TGIS 311 Maps and GIS (L) – Urban Studies course
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TMATH 210 Intermediate Statistics with Applications (B)
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TMATH 410 Regression Modeling (B/P)
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TPHYS 315 Applied Physics w/ Environmental Applications
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List H: Additional Courses for Geoscience Option
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TBIOL 202 Plant Biology and Ecology (B)
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TBIOL 203 History and Ecology of Biological Invasions (B)
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TBIOL 204 Tropical Ecology and Sustainability (B)
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TBIOL 232 Issues in Biological Conservation (B)
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TBIOL 234 Biology, History and Politics of Salmon in the Pacific Northwest (B)
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TBIOL 236 Plants and People: The Science of Agriculture (B)
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TBIOL 240 Human Biology and Environmental Interactions (B)
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TBIOL 242 Aging and Biology (B)
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TBIOL 270 Genetics and Society (B)
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TBIOL 304 Molecular Biology (B/L)
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TBIOL 318 Biogeography (B, if 6 cr - L)
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TBIOL 350 Introduction to Epidemiology (B)
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TBIOL 362 Introduction to Restoration Ecology (B/F)
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TBIOL 422 Evolution (B, if 6 cr - L)
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TBIOL 434 Conservation Biology Practice (B/L)
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TBIOL 455 Ecotoxicology
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TCHEM 405 Biochemistry I (if 6 cr - L)
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TESC 201 The Science of Environmental Sustainability
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TESC 345 Pollution and Public Policy
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ADVISORS
MAJOR COORDINATORS
DEPARTMENT
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
- Environmental Education and Outreach
- Environmental Policy and Planning
- Environmental/Project Management
- Field and Technical Positions
- Post-graduate Studies
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
- At least 45 lower-division credits
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
For a BS in Environmental Science, you need to complete a minimum of 135 credits, including a Capstone.