Home › Undergraduate Programs › Environmental Science, BA
Environmental Science, BA
Preparing environmental policy and management professionals, our nationally recognized BA in Environmental Science program integrates policy, management, and law with the natural sciences. Students gain practical experiences at the intersection of science and policy through coursework and real-world problem solving in our senior capstone course, internships, research, and cooperative education programs. Majors may focus their studies on policy and management (Policy and Management Track), policy-earth systems (Earth and Hydrologic Science Track), and policy-marine systems (Marine Science Track).
Students interested in a career in the sciences or pursuing a graduate degree in the sciences should pursue a BS in environmental science.
What the School Offers to Ensure Your Success
Our Academic Achievement Services Center (AASC@SFE) offers a breadth of programs and activities designed to support you in your journey. Whether you seek additional support for your classes, want to explore internships or research, or merely want to more deeply engage with our alumni or fellow students, AASC@SFE is always here for you. AASC@SFE offers support and connections for advising, student support (academic, financial, health), career services and opportunities, access to Living-Learning Community programs, and Student Clubs and Organizations.
What You Can Take
The BA in environmental science provides students the opportunity to focus their studies, through degree tracks, in marine science, policy & management, and earth & hydrologic science. Students may also pursue a general track allowing them to take a breath of courses across the environmental disciplines.
Current students in all track programs should refer to the undergraduate catalog for program requirements.
Learning Objectives for this program can be viewed here.
General Track
Course requirements for a BA in environmental science comprise a total of 120 academic credits, at least 30 of which must be taken at UMass Boston. In addition to UMass Boston general education requirements, students take introductory courses in environmental science and environmental policy, skills courses in statistics and GIS, natural science courses in geology, oceanography, and global environmental change, social science courses in urbanization and globalization and the environment, upper level electives across all disciplines of environmental science and a senior capstone research course.
Policy and Management Track
Course requirements for a BA in environmental science comprise a total of 120 academic credits, at least 30 of which must be taken at UMass Boston. In addition to UMass Boston general education requirements students take introductory courses in environmental science and environmental policy, and skills courses in statistics and GIS. Students complete an introductory core in natural sciences such as geology, oceanography, global environmental change, or coastal biological systems and a social science core in coupled human-natural systems.Upper-level electives include natural resource economics, sustainability and ecological economics, marine resource economics, coastal law and policy, environmental management and sustainability, climate change and business strategies, clean energy and environmental management, land use policy, urban planning, economic development, and climate adaptation. All students complete a senior capstone research course.
Earth and Hydrologic Sciences Track
Course requirements for a BA in environmental science comprise a total of 120 academic credits, at least 30 of which must be taken at UMass Boston. In addition to UMass Boston general education requirements students take introductory courses in environmental science and environmental policy, and skills courses in statistics and GIS. Students in this Track typically complete 2 semesters of introductory physics or chemistry. Students complete their natural science core in physical geology, global environmental change, and oceanography followed by upper-level elective courses in geochemistry, coastal geology, hydrology, geospatial information science, remote sensing, aquatic ecology, ecosystems ecology, geomorphology, and glacial geology. All students complete a senior capstone research course.
Marine Science Track
Course requirements for a BA in environmental science comprise a total of 120 academic credits, at least 30 of which must be taken at UMass Boston. In addition to UMass Boston general education requirements students take introductory courses in environmental science and environmental policy, and skills courses in statistics and GIS. Students in this Track typically complete 2 semesters of introductory biology. Students complete a natural science core in oceanography, coastal biological systems, and population biology and a social science core course on human-natural system dynamics. Upper-level electives include biological oceanography, zooplankton ecology, marine mammal biology, marine invertebrate ecology, aquatic ecology, ecosystems ecology, coastal zone management, biology of whales, geochemistry, and coastal geology, natural science courses in marine science, social science courses in urbanization and globalization and the environment, upper level electives in ecology, oceanography, and marine biology, and a senior capstone research course.
Program Contact
For more information contact the director of AASC Elizabeth Boyle (elizabeth.boyle@umb.edu; 1.617.287.4756)
