Climate and Environmental Change B.S.
Minimum Requirements for Climate and Environmental Change B.S.: 120 credits
Concentrations: Ecological Processes, Environmental Earth Science, Physical Processes, Sustainability
Students must earn a C- grade or better in each course.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General University Requirements | ||
| Complete the general university requirements. | ||
| General Education Requirements | ||
| Complete the general education requirements. | 35-40 | |
| As part of the general education requirements, complete the following: 1,2 | ||
| Introduction to Natural Resource Economics | ||
| Calculus I | ||
or MATH F230X | Essential Calculus with Applications in the Life Sciences | |
| Introduction to Sustainability Science | ||
| Introduction to American Government and Politics | ||
| B.S. Degree Requirements | ||
| Complete the B.S. degree requirements. | 15 | |
| As part of the B.S. requirements, complete the following: 3 | ||
| Environmental Ethics and Actions | ||
| Elementary Statistics 4 | ||
or STAT F300 | Statistics | |
| Climate and Environmental Change Program Requirements | ||
| Complete the following: | ||
| ATM/GEOS F480 | Climate Change Processes: Past, Present, Future | 4 |
| BIOL F115X | Fundamentals of Biology I 4 | 4 |
| or BIOL F103X | Biology and Society | |
| or BIOL F104X | Natural History of Alaska | |
| CHEM F105X | General Chemistry I | 4 |
| CLIM F400 | Climate and Environmental Change Capstone ePortfolio 5 | 1 |
| GEOS F101X | The Dynamic Earth | 4 |
| GEOS F483 | Research Design, Writing and Presentation Methods | 3 |
| or STO F401 | Communicating Science | |
| or ENGL F314 | Technical Writing | |
| or ENGL F414 | Research Writing | |
| NRM F125 | Our Changing Climate: Past, Present, Future | 3 |
| NRM F338 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | 3 |
| PHYS F123X | College Physics I | 4 |
| or PHYS F211X | General Physics I | |
| PS F447 | U.S. Environmental Politics | 3 |
| Concentration | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 35-36 | |
Ecological Processes | ||
Environmental Earth Science | ||
Physical Processes | ||
Sustainability | ||
| Electives | ||
| General Electives | 0-2 | |
| Total Credits | 120-124 | |
- 1
Students in the Environmental Earth Science and Physical Processes concentrations must take MATH F251X to meet this requirement.
- 2
WRTG F213X is recommended.
- 3
Quantitatively-inclined students are encouraged to take STAT F300.
- 4
Students in the Ecological Processes and Sustainability Concentrations must take BIOL F115X
- 5
Fulfills the baccalaureate capstone requirement.
Concentrations
Ecological Processes
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Ecological Processes Concentration Requirements | ||
| As part of the general education requirements, complete the following: | ||
| Essential Calculus with Applications in the Life Sciences | ||
or MATH F251X | Calculus I | |
| As part of the B.S. requirements, complete the following: | ||
| Fundamentals of Biology I | ||
| Fundamentals of Biology II | ||
| Complete the following: | ||
| BIOL F371 | Principles of Ecology | 4 |
| BIOL F385 | Global Change Biology | 3 |
| BIOL F476 | Ecosystem Ecology | 4 |
| CHEM F106X | General Chemistry II | 4 |
| GEOS F112X | The History of Earth and Life | 4 |
| STAT F401 | Regression and Analysis of Variance | 4 |
| Complete two courses from the Policy, Society and Humanities course list 6 | 6 | |
| Complete one course from the Physical Processes Course List 6 | 3 | |
| Complete one course from the Biotic Processes or Technical & Data Skills lists 6 | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 35 | |
- 6
When choosing electives, students should consider the requirement for 39 credits of upper division coursework prior to graduation.
Environmental Earth Science
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Earth Science Concentration Requirements | ||
| As part of the general education requirements, complete the following: | ||
| Calculus I | ||
| As part of the B.S. requirements, complete the following: | ||
| The History of Earth and Life | ||
| Complete the following: | ||
| ATM F456 | Climate and Climate Change | 3 |
| or OCN F481 | The Ocean and Global Change | |
| GEOS F213 | Mineralogy | 4 |
| GEOS F304 | Geomorphology | 3 |
| GEOS F315 | Paleobiology and Paleontology | 4 |
| or GEOS F322 | Stratigraphy and Sedimentation | |
| GEOS F422 | Geoscience Applications of Remote Sensing | 3 |
| NRM F370 | Introduction to Watershed Management | 3 |
| NRM F380 | Soils and the Environment | 3 |
| Complete two courses from the Policy, Society and Humanities course list 6 | 6 | |
| Complete one additional course from the Physical Processes course list 6 | 3 | |
| Complete one additional course from the Biotic Processes or Technical & Data Skills course lists 6 | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 35 | |
- 6
When choosing electives, students should consider the requirement for 39 credits of upper-division coursework prior to graduation.
Physical Processes
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Physical Processes Concentration Requirements | ||
| As part of the general education requirements, complete the following: | ||
| Calculus I | ||
| As part of the B.S. requirements, complete the following: | ||
| General Physics I | ||
| General Physics II | ||
| Complete the following: | ||
| ATM F401 | Introduction to Atmospheric Sciences | 3 |
| ATM F456 | Climate and Climate Change | 3 |
| or OCN F481 | The Ocean and Global Change | |
| GEOS F304 | Geomorphology | 3 |
| GEOS F422 | Geoscience Applications of Remote Sensing | 3 |
| or NRM F435 | GIS Analysis | |
| GEOS F477 | Ice in the Climate System | 3 |
| or GEOS F481 | Snow in the Environment | |
| MATH F252X | Calculus II | 4 |
| MATH F253X | Calculus III | 4 |
| Complete two courses from the Policy, Society, and Humanities course list 6 | 6 | |
| Complete two additional courses from the Physical Processes or Technical & Data Skills course lists 6 | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 35 | |
- 6
When choosing electives, students should consider the requirement for 39 credits of upper-division coursework prior to graduation.
Sustainability
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Sustainability Concentration Requirements | ||
| As part of the general education requirements, complete the following: | ||
| Essential Calculus with Applications in the Life Sciences | ||
or MATH F251X | Calculus I | |
| As part of the B.S. requirements, complete the following: | ||
| Fundamentals of Biology I | ||
| Fundamentals of Biology II | ||
| Complete the following: | ||
| ANS F461 | Native Ways of Knowing 7 | 3 |
| or ANS F347 | Voices of Native American Peoples | |
| ATM F101X | Weather and Climate of Alaska | 4 |
| or BIOL F104X | Natural History of Alaska | |
| or ECON F111X | The Economy of Rural Alaska | |
| BIOL F371 | Principles of Ecology | 4 |
| NRM F101 | Natural Resources Conservation and Policy | 3 |
| or FISH F110 | Fish and Fisheries in a Changing World | |
| or WLF F101 | Survey of Wildlife Science | |
| NRM F210 | Principles of Sustainable Agriculture | 3 |
| NRM F277 | Introduction to Conservation Biology | 3 |
| NRM F380 | Soils and the Environment | 3 |
| or NRM F370 | Introduction to Watershed Management | |
| NRM F430 | Resource Management Planning | 3 |
| or NRM F407 | Environmental Law | |
| STAT F401 | Regression and Analysis of Variance | 4 |
| Complete one course from the Biotic or Physical Processes course list 6 | 3 | |
| Complete one course from the Technical & Data Skills course list 6 | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 36 | |
- 6
When choosing electives, students should consider the requirement for 39 credits of upper-division coursework prior to graduation.
- 7
ANS F461 fulfills the Alaska Native-themed requirement.
Course Lists
Physical Processes
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ATM F401 | Introduction to Atmospheric Sciences | 3 |
| ATM F456 | Climate and Climate Change | 3 |
| CHEM F321 | Organic Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM F325 | Organic Chemistry II | 4 |
| CHEM F331 | Physical Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM F332 | Physical Chemistry II | 4 |
| GEOS F304 | Geomorphology | 3 |
| GEOS F380 | Geological Hazards | 3 |
| GEOS F460 | The Dynamic Alaska Coastline | 3 |
| GEOS F477 | Ice in the Climate System | 3 |
| OCN F419 | Concepts in Physical Oceanography | 3 |
| OCN F481 | The Ocean and Global Change | 3 |
| PHYS F413 | Atmospheric Radiation | 3 |
| or ATM F413 | Atmospheric Radiation | |
Biotic Processes
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL F371 | Principles of Ecology | 4 |
| BIOL F418 | Biogeography | 3 |
| BIOL F457 | Environmental Microbiology | 3 |
| BIOL F476 | Ecosystem Ecology | 4 |
| GEOS F315 | Paleobiology and Paleontology | 4 |
| GEOS F453 | Palynology and Paleopalynology | 4 |
| GEOS F485 | Mass Extinctions, Neocatastrophism and the History of Life | 3 |
| MBI F482 | Human Impacts to the Marine Biosphere | 3 |
| NRM F370 | Introduction to Watershed Management | 3 |
| NRM F380 | Soils and the Environment | 3 |
| NRM F466 | Environmental Soil Chemistry | 3 |
Policy, Society and Culture
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ACNS F449 | Northern and Environmental Literature | 3 |
| ACNS F453 | Fire, Ice, and the Fate of Humanity: A History of Energy and Climate Change | 3 |
| ANS F242X | Indigenous Cultures of Alaska 8 | 3 |
| ANS F347 | Voices of Native American Peoples | 3 |
| ANS F350 | Cross-cultural Communication: Alaska Perspectives 8 | 3 |
| ANS F365 | Alaska Native Art History 8 | 3 |
| ANS F461 | Native Ways of Knowing 8 | 3 |
| HIST F483 | 20th-century Circumpolar History | 3 |
| HSEM F461 | Human Security in Alaska 8 | 3 |
| NRM F204 | Public Lands Law and Policy | 3 |
| NRM F407 | Environmental Law | 3 |
| NRM F430 | Resource Management Planning | 3 |
| PS F403 | Public Policy | 3 |
- 8
Fulfills the Alaska Native-themed requirement.
Technical and Data Skills
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ATM F473 | Micrometeorology with Focus on Subarctic and Arctic Ecosystems | 3 |
| CS F201 | Computer Science I | 3 |
| GEOS F422 | Geoscience Applications of Remote Sensing | 3 |
| MATH F302 | Differential Equations | 3 |
| MATH F314 | Linear Algebra | 3 |
| NRM F240 | Natural Resources Measurement and Inventory | 3 |
| NRM F435 | GIS Analysis | 4 |
| STAT F401 | Regression and Analysis of Variance | 4 |
| STAT F402 | Scientific Sampling | 3 |
| STAT F461 | Applied Multivariate Statistics | 3 |
Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes are measurable statements that describe knowledge or skills achieved by students upon completion of the program.
Students graduating from this program will be able to:
- Apply scientific knowledge and concepts gained in foundational courses to the practice of scientific inquiry, with appropriate communication of the outcome
- Demonstrate mastery of advanced scientific knowledge in at least one specific discipline related to climate and environmental change
- Demonstrate effective communication both in writing and orally in accordance with professional norms on issues relevant to environmental change
- Apply technical or data skills to analyzing and solving problems related to environmental change
- Demonstrate skills for civic engagement by bridging science and policy, integrating an awareness of social, cultural, and scientific issues relevant to human decision-making about the environment
- Synthesize and reflect on knowledge and skills learned about climate and environmental change across courses
