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 Undergraduate:
Environmental Science Program |
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The
Environmental Science Program offers an interdisciplinary science degree that
gives students the opportunity to take a wide variety of classes in all 8 colleges at the University of Idaho. There are three
option
areas to choose from: biological
science, physical science and
social
science. Students should refer to checklists as a reference and make appointments for
advising. Students have the flexibility to explore several disciplines
during their first two years and then choose emphases areas in their last
two years. Transfer students are able to easily transfer credits
into the program because of the breadth of the degree.
UI Environmental Science Program has
been extremely successful since its inception in 1993. Margrit
von Braun, Ph.D., P.E., helped found the program and was the director
until 2003. Since the first
graduates in 1996, 43 M.S. degrees and 185 B.S. degrees have been awarded.
In Moscow, the M.S. program has 44 students; the B.S. program has 130
students. In Idaho Falls (where the program has been offered since 1996),
21 students are seeking the M.S. and 7 are seeking the B.S. degree. Of
those graduated, 94% are employed or chose to continue their education.
The University of Idaho has also offered both B.S. and M.S. degrees
statewide in environmental science since January 2001 using live
instruction, compressed video, and the Internet.
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All students are required to take
Environmental Science 101 and the Environmental
Science 102 field lab (transfer credit is
accepted). This course will
give students a basic understanding of environmental science and allows
students to visit 10 field sites that are of interest to environmental
scientists.
Environmental field sites that have been visited in past labs
include:
Wolf Education Center
Paradise Creek Watershed
Moscow Recycling Center
WSU Nuclear Reactor
Waste to Energy Plant, Spokane
Moscow Waste Water Treatment Plant
WSU Composting Center
Lower Snake River Dams
UI Experimental Forest
Students in the control room at the WSU Nuclear Reactor
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| Environmental
Science sophomores take a seminar class (EnvS 225) on international
environmental issues. This is an exciting class that
explores issues from varied perspectives and requires students to exercise
their writing and public speaking skills. |
| In student's
senior year they have the opportunity to do primary research as part of
EnvS 497 senior practicum. Students choose a project and a
thesis professor under which to conduct their research. Students write a 20 page thesis (Link
to thesis titles) and do Power Point and poster presentations of their work.
Students have the opportunity to have one on one contact with faculty members
and they have the opportunity to develop their public speaking, interviewing and
research skills. This cap stone class readies students for the job
market or graduate studies and alumni often comment that
this class was extremely valuable in getting the job they wanted. |
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