For Environmental Science, you need to complete 50 preparatory credits and 70 credits to meet the degree requirements. You must earn a total of 180 quarter credits, or 225 quarter credits for a double degree, to earn a bachelor degree in your chosen major.
Track your progress
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE CHECKLIST - For students seeking a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science
BIOLOGY TRACK CHECKLIST - For students seeking a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science focusing on Biology. Use this course list for the Biology Track.
GEOSCIENCES TRACK CHECKLIST - For students seeking a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science focusing on Geosciences. Use this course list for the Geosciences Track.
Preparatory courses
| Preparatory courses for Environmental Science |
Minimum grade |
UW Tacoma equivalent |
| 15 credits college biology (majors sequence with labs) |
1.5 |
TESC 120, 130, 140 |
15 credits college chemistry
(majors sequence with labs) |
1.7 |
TESC 141, 151, 161 |
| 5 credits physical geology with lab |
2.0 |
TESC 117 |
| 5 credits college physics (mechanics with lab) |
2.0 |
TESC 121 |
| 5 credits college calculus |
2.0 |
TMATH 124 or 122 |
| 5 credits statistics |
2.0 |
TMATH 110 |
Preparatory courses must have been completed within the last 5 years. If they were completed before that time frame or for specific transfer courses that are accepted, please consult an academic adviser.
Additionally, students must be computer literate, which is defined as the ability to use word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation and communication software. Workshops are available for students with deficiencies in any of these areas.
Overview of requirements
- Required "bookend" core courses: 6 credits
- Capstone experience: 3-10 credits
- Environmental science core: 12 credits
- Environmental science courses: 29 credits
- Environmental law/policy: 5 credits
- Environmental ethics: 5 credits
- Social science/environmental focus: 5 credits
- Humanities course/environmental focus: 5 credits
"Bookend" core courses - both courses required
one at the beginning of your coursework, the other at the end |
- TESC 310 Environmental Research Seminar (3)
to be taken in the first Autumn of enrollment – sophomore or junior year
- TESC 410 Environmental Science Senior Seminar (3)
to be taken in the last Spring of enrollment after or concurrent with capstone experience
|
| Capstone experience |
| Plan capstone with faculty adviser through internship, research or combination; may span more than one quarter and earn 3-10 credits |
| Environmental science core courses - both courses are required |
- TESC 333 Environmental Chemistry (6)
- TESC 340 Ecology and Its Applications (6)
|
| Environmental science courses |
Five TESC courses to include at least one biological science (B) and one physical science (P) course. Of the remaining courses, at least two must be laboratory (L) courses (6 credits) and one must be a field (F) course (7 credits). Some courses designated as labs on this list are not offered as labs every time; check the Registration Guide for credits.
Note: If a course below is taken to fulfill prerequisite courses, it is an elective. TESC 213 is an elective for the BS degree.
Choose at least 29 credits from the following list
- TESC 202 Plant Biology and Ecology (B)
- TESC 211 The Science of Environmental Sustainability (P)
- TESC 215 Meteorology (P/if 6 cr- L)
- TESC 227 Earth History (P)
- TESC 232 Issues in Biological Conservation (B)
- TESC 236 Plants and People: The Science of Agriculture (B)
- TESC 238 Human Interactions with Marine Invertebrates (B)
- TESC 239 Energy and the Environment (P)
- TESC 240 Human Biology and Environmental Interactions
- TESC 241 Oceanography (P/if 6 cr- L)
- TESC 243 Geography of the Physical Environment (P)
- TESC 247 Maritime History and Science in the Pacific Northwest (P)
- TESC 302 Ecology of Mt St. Helens (B/P/F)
- TESC 303 Sustainable Development in Africa (B/P/F)
- TESC 304 Tropical Ecology and Sustainability (B)
- TESC 315 Applied Physics with Environmental Applications (P/L)
- TESC 316 Pacific Northwest Geology (P)
- TESC 317 Geology, Landscape and Culture (Field course to England) (P/F)
- TESC 318 Biogeography (P/B, if 6 cr- L)
- TESC 319 Water Quality Concepts and Watershed Studies (P/L)
- TESC 321 Soils and Environmental Applications (P)
- TESC 326 Pacific Northwest Geology Field Trip (P/if 316 is taken, then L)
- TESC 332 Conservation Biology in Practice (B/L)
- TESC 337 Environmental Geology (P/L)
- TESC 341 Climate Change (P)
- TESC 343 The Atmosphere and Air Pollution (P/L)
- TESC 345 Pollution and Public Policy (P)
- TESC 349 Research at SEA (P/B/F)
- TESC 362 Introduction to Restoration Ecology (B/F)
- TESC 370 Genetics and Society (B)
- TESC 378 Environmental Microbiology (B/L)
- TESC 380 Molecular Biology (B/L)
- TESC 402 History and Ecology of Biological Invasions (B)
- TESC 404 Costa Rica Field Studies: Ecology and Community (B/F)
- TESC 405 Introduction to Biochemistry I (P/ if 6 cr, L)
- TESC 408 Marine Plankton (B/L)
- TESC 415 Sedimentology (P/L)
- TESC 417 Field Geology (P/F)
- TESC 422 Evolution (B/if 6 cr- L)
- TESC 426 Ecological History Field Studies (B/F)
- TESC 430 Environmental Modeling (B/P/L)
- TESC 431 Water Resources and Pollution (P/F)
- TESC 432 Forest Ecology (B/F)
- TESC 433 Pollutant Fate and Transport (P/L)
- TESC 434 Biology, History/ Politics of Salmon in the Pacific NW (B/if 6 cr- L)
- TESC 435 Limnology (P/F)
- TESC 437 Stream Ecology (B/P/L)
- TESC 438 Environmental Biology: Marine Invertebrates (B/L)
- TESC 439 Analytic Chemistry with Environmental Application (P/L)
- TESC 440 Environmental Entomology (B/L)
- TESC 442 Marine Ecology (B/F)
- TESC 445 Estuarine Field Studies (B/P/F)
- TESC 452 Plants, Insects and their Interactions (B/F)
- TESC 490 Special Topics: Ecological History Field Studies (B/F)
- TGIS 311 Maps and GIS (P/L) – Urban Studies course
- TMATH 310 Statistics for Environmental Applications (B/P)
|
Environmental law/policy course: choose one course from the following list,
TECON 421 will NOT count |
- TEST 333 Environmental Policy Application and Compliance
- TEST 335 Environmental Impact Analysis
- TPOL S 438 Environmental Law
|
| Environmental ethics course: choose one course from the following list |
- T PHIL 363 Philosophical Perspectives on the Environment
- T PHIL 364 Topics in the Philosophy of Science
- T PHIL 456 Environmental Ethics
|
| Social science/environmental focus: choose one course from the following list |
- T ANTH 418 Interpreting Enigmatic India
- T ANTH 464 Native American Cultural Areas
- TCOM 310 Contemporary Environmental Issues and the Media
- TCOM 351 Video Production
- TCOM 470 Documentary Production and Critique
- TECON 421 Environmental Policy
- TESC 107 Geohazards and Natural Disasters
- TESC 304 Tropical Ecology and Sustainability
- TESC 318 Biogeography
- TEST 211 Women in Science
- TEST 221 Environmental History: Water
- TEST 332 A Natural History of Garbage
- T GEOG 403 Geography of the USA and Canada
- T GEOG 435 Contemporary Geopolitics
- T GEOG 440 Political Geography
- T GH 303 Global Challenges
- T HIST 445 History of Tacoma
- T HIST 456 North American Regions
- T HIST 487 Technology in the Modern World
- T HIST 488 Urbanization and the Environment
- T HIST 490 Medieval Technology
- T HIST 495 The Metropolis
- THLTH 472 Human Health and the Environment
- TIAS 443 Ethnicity and the Urban Landscape
- T INST 401 Technology in Service of Global Society
- TNPRFT 431 Community Organizations in the Nonprofit Sector
- TNPRFT 451 Essentials of Grant Writing and Fundraising
- TPOL S 326 Modern Brazil
- TPOL S 342 Third World Cities
- TPOL S 435 Popular Movements in Latin America
- T SOC 436 Rural Societies and Development
- T SUD 222 Introduction to Sustainability
- T SUD 240 The City and Nature
- T SUD 323 Sustainable Urban Development Practices
- T SUD 445 Urban Ecology
- TURB 205 Images of the City
- TURB 210 Urban Society and Culture
- TURB 220 Introduction to Urban Planning
- TURB 301 The Urban Condition
- TURB 312 Race and Poverty in Urban America
- TURB 321 History of Planning, Theory and Practice
- TURB 322 Land Use Planning
- TURB 326 Climate Change within the Urban Context
- TURB 330 City Worlds
- TURB 345 Urban Government and Organizations
- TURB 410 Environmental Equity
- TURB 450 Planning for Sustainability
|
| Humanities/environmental focus: choose one course from the following list |
- T ANTH 464 Native American Cultural Areas
- T ARTS 402 Eco-Art: Art in Response to Environmental Crisis (VLPA)
- T ARTS 284 Art and Culture of the Pacific (VLPA)
- T GH 303 Global Challenges
- T HIST 379 Modern Architecture (VLPA)
- T HIST 226 American Architecture (VLPA)
- T LIT 437 Nature and the Environment in American Literature (VLPA)
- T LIT 431 Contemporary Native American Women's Literature (VLPA)
- T PHIL 353 The End of the Modern World, 1600-2000
- T PHIL 361 Ethics in Contemporary Society (VLPA)
- T PHIL 362 The Beautiful and the Good: Philosophy's Quest for Value
- T PHIL 364 Topics in the Philosophy of Science
- T PHIL 367 Utopias
- T PHIL 451 The Enlightenment
- T PHIL 455 Medicine and Morality: Biomedical Ethics (VLPA)
- T PHIL 458 Ways of Knowing
- TRELIG 367 East Asian Religions: Zen and Taoism
- TRELIG 463 God: East and West
- TWRT 211 Intermediate Academic Writing
- TWRT 291 Technical Communication in the Workplace
- TWRT 331 Advanced Disciplinary Writing: Natural Sciences (VLPA)
- TWRT 387 Creative Nonfiction Writing (VLPA)
- TWRT 431 Studies in Writing: Writing for Social Change (VLPA)
|
In addition to the science/math preparatory courses and the Environmental Science core courses, all B.S. students must complete the following requirements prior to graduation from UW Tacoma:
- 10 credits of foreign language - two quarters in college or two years in high school of a single language
- 20 credits of VLPA - Visual, Literary and Performing Arts (humanities)
- 20 credits of I&S - Individual and Societies (social science courses)
It is common for transfer students to have already met some or all of these requirements. Whatever you may be missing will become part of your study plan while at UW Tacoma.
