Environmental Science

• College Biology (with lab) series: TBIOL 120, TBIOL 130 and TBIOL 140
• College Chemistry (with lab) series: TCHEM 142, TCHEM 152 and TCHEM 162
• Physical Geology (with lab): TGEOS 117
• College Physics (with lab): TPHYS 121
• Calculus: TMATH 124 AND TMATH 125 OR TMATH 210
• Statistics: TMATH 110

NOTES:
Preparatory courses must have been completed within the last 5 years. If they were completed before that time frame please consult an academic advisor.

Online lab courses will not be accepted in the Environmental Science major and cannot serve as pre-requisites for subsequent SAM courses. Exceptions will be made for online lab courses that were completed between Spring 2020 and Spring 2022.

• TESC 310 Environmental Research Seminar (3 credits; to be taken the first quarter of junior standing.)

• TESC 200 Environmental Seminar (2 credits; to be taken with TESC 310)

• 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

• TBIOL 340 Ecology and Its Applications (6)

• TCHEM 333 Environmental Chemistry (6)

• TECON 421 Environmental Policy

• TESC 345 Pollution and Public Policy

• TEST 337 Natural Resources Policy: America's Public Forests and Parks

• TLAW 339 Washington Environmental Law

• TLAW 438 Environmental Law

• TEGL 210 Introduction to Qualitative Methodology and Research Ethics

• TPHIL 364 Topics in the Philosophy of Science

• TPHIL 456 Environmental Ethics

• TRELIG 350 Philosophy, Religion and the Environment

• TBIOL 318 Biogeography

• TCOM 310 Contemporary Environmental Issues and the Media

• TCOM 351 Video Production

• TCOM 470 Documentary Production and Critique

• TECON 421 Environmental Policy

• TEGL 202 Introduction to Contemporary American Indian Issues

• TEGL 304 Indigenous Ethnoecology

• TEGL 365 Indigenous Ethnobiology

• TEGL 464 Indigenous Health, Political Ethnoecology and Governance

• TEST 332 A Natural History of Garbage

• TGEOG 403 Geography of the United States and Canada

• TGEOG 435 Contemporary Geopolitics

• TGEOG 440 Political Geography

• TGH 303 Global Challenges*

• THIST 445 History of Tacoma

• THIST 456 North American Regions

• THIST 487 Technology in the Modern World

• THIST 495 The Metropolis

• THLTH 372 Environmental Health: Local to Global

• THLTH 410 Environmental Equity

• TIAS 443 Ethnicity and the Urban Landscape

• TINST 401 Technology in Service of Global Society

• TLIT 433 Native American Literature and Federal Indian Law

• TNPRFT 231 Introduction to the Nonprofit Sector

• TNPRFT 451 Essentials of Grant Writing

• TSOC 456 Rural Societies and Development

• TSUD 222 Introduction to Sustainability

• TSUD 240 The City and Nature

• TSUD 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 322 Land Use Planning

• TURB 345 Urban Government and Organizations

• TURB 410 Environmental Equity

• TWOMN 211 Women in Science

   

*restricted to Global Honors students

• TARTS 402 Eco-Art: Art in Response to Environmental Crisis

• TEGL 464 Indigenous Health, Political Ethnoecology and Governance

• TGH 303 Global Challenges*

• TLIT 237 Introduction to Literature and the Environment

• TLIT 431 Contemporary Native American Women's Literature

• TLIT 437 Topics in Literature and the Environment

• TPHIL 353 The End of the Modern World, 1600–2000

• TPHIL 361 Ethics in Contemporary Society

• TPHIL 362 The Beautiful and the Good: Philosophy's Quest for Value

• TPHIL 367 Utopias

• TPHIL 451 The Enlightenment

• TPHIL 455 Medicine and Morality: Biomedical Ethics

• TRELIG 210 Modern Theories of Religion

• TWRT 211 Argument and Research in Writing

• TWRT 287 Creative Nonfiction Writing

• TWRT 291 Technical Communication in the Workplace

• TWRT 331 Advanced Disciplinary Writing: Natural Sciences

• TWRT 372 Writing Eco-poetry

• TWRT 388 Writing for Social Change

   

*restricted to Global Honors students

Environmental Science Capstone Form

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.

Environmental Science capstone projects integrate knowledge, skills and ethical practices that you will develop through the Environmental Science curriculum. You, either as an individual or with a peer group, independently or as a self-directed collaborator, engage in the development, planning, and/or analysis of your capstone project.

By completing a capstone project, you will be able to:

1. Communicate the purpose, methods, analysis, and conclusions of your final capstone product in a discipline-specific format to be presented publicly.
2. Engage in revision of your final product based on feedback from mentors and/or peers.
3. Engage in quantitative design or analysis of data that is appropriate to the topic (or question or project), either personally collected or gathered from literature.
4. Reflect on the design and execution of your project, and identify areas for improvement.
5. Identify the impact of your capstone experience on your personal, academic, and professional development.
6. Use scholarly literature to place your project in the broader context of the field of environmental science. 

Meet with your faculty advisor to make plans to complete a capstone project. 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.

• TBIOL 464 Restoration Ecology Capstone: Field Site Restoration
• TBIOMD 490 Context for Global Health Experiential Learning AND TBIOMD 491 Global Health Experiential Learning Program
• TBIOMD 495 Biomedical Research Experience
• TESC 301 Sustainability in Action
• TESC 495 Environmental Research Experiences
• TESC 496 Internship
• TESC 497 Senior Thesis (ideal for IAS Honors)
• TESC 499 Undergraduate Research
• TGIS 415 Critical Theory and GIS Practicum
• TGH 494 Thesis or Project for Global Honors*
• TGH 496 Experiential Learning in Global Honors*
• TMATH 495 Collaborative Mathematics Research Experience

To help you plan to complete the capstone requirements above, please complete the Environmental Science Capstone form. This form is required to count credits from the courses above as a capstone project. Please complete the form and submit it at the beginning of the quarter in which you are doing your capstone project.

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.

• Required:

  • One course from List A

  • One course from List B

  • Three more courses from list A, B, or C

• List A: Conservation Biology and Ecology

  • TBIOL 202 Plant Biology and Ecology

  • TBIOL 203 History and Ecology of Biological Invasions

  • TBIOL 232 Issues in Biological Conservation

  • TBIOL 234 Biology, History and Politics of Salmon in the PNW

  • TBIOL 240 Human Biology and Environmental Interactions

  • TBIOL 306 Animal Behavior

  • TBIOL 320 Vertebrate Anatomy and Diversity (L)

  • TBIOL 362 Introduction to Restoration Ecology (F)

  • TBIOL 404 Neotropical Field Studies Abroad: Ecology and Community (F)

  • TBIOL 422 Evolution

  • TBIOL 432 Forest Ecology Field Studies (F)

  • TBIOL 434 Conservation Biology Practice (L)

  • TBIOL 438 Environmental Biology: Marine Invertebrates (L)

  • TBIOL 442 Marine Ecology

  • TBIOL 455 Ecotoxicology

  • TESC 430 Environmental Modeling (L)

  • TGEOS 445 Estuarine Field Studies (F)

  • TMATH 210 Intermediate Statistics with Applications (B/P)

  • TMATH 390 Probability and Statistics in Engineering and Science (B/P)

• List B: Physical Sciences

  • TBIOL 318 Biogeography (if 6 cr - L)

  • TCHEM 439 Analytical Chemistry with Environmental Applications (L or F)

  • TESC 201 The Science of Environmental Sustainability

  • TESC 210 Introductory Research Experience in the Sciences (L)

  • TESC 239 Energy and the Environment

  • TESC 345 Pollution and Public Policy (if not used towards the Law & Policy requirement)

  • TESC 430 Environmental Modeling (L)

  • TESC 433 Pollutant Fate and Transport (L)

  • TESC 435 Limnology (F)

  • TGEOS 215 Meteorology (if 6 cr- L)

  • TGEOS 216 Pacific Northwest Geology

  • TGEOS 226 Pacific Northwest Field Trip (L, when taken with TGEOS 216)

  • TGEOS 227 Earth History

  • TGEOS 241 Oceanography (P, if 6 cr- L)

  • TGEOS 243 Geography of the Physical World (if 6 cr- L)

  • TGEOS 319 From Mountains to Sea: Comparative Volcanoes (F)

  • TGEOS 337 Environmental Geology (L)

  • TGEOS 341 Climate Change

  • TGEOS 415 Sedimentology (L)

  • TGEOS 417 Field Geology (F)

  • TGEOS 419 Environmental Field Geophysics (F)

  • TGEOS 445 Estuarine Field Studies (F)

  • TGIS 311 Maps and GIS (L) – Urban Studies course

  • TMATH 210 Statistics for Environmental Applications (B/P)

  • TMATH 390 Probability and Statistics in Engineering and Science (B/P)

  • TPHYS 315 Applied Physics w/ Environmental Applications

• List C: Biomedical or Health Sciences

  • TBIOL 270 Genetics and Society

  • TBIOL 331 General Microbiology (L) (formerly TBIOL 301)

  • TBIOL 313 Human Physiology (formerly TBIOL 302)

  • TBIOL 323 Cellular Biology (L) (formerly TBIOL 303)

  • TBIOL 314 Molecular Biology (L) (formerly TBIOL 304)

  • TBIOL 325 Genetics and Genomics (if 6 cr - L ) (formerly TBIOL 305)

  • TBIOL 350 Introduction to Epidemiology

  • TCHEM 251 Organic Chemistry I (L)

  • TCHEM 405 Biochemistry I

  • TCHEM 406 Biochemistry II (if 6 cr - L)

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.

• Required:

  • TBIOL 434 Conservation Biology in Practice (B/L)

  • One course from List D

  • One course from List E

  • One course from List F

  • One course from List D, List E or List F
     

• List D: Biodiversity

  • TBIOL 331 General Microbiology (B, if 6 cr - L) (formerly TBIOL 301)

  • TBIOL 318 Biogeography (P/B, if 6 cr - L)

  • TBIOL 320 Vertebrate Anatomy and Diversity (L)

  • TBIOL 422 Evolution (B, if 6 cr - L)

  • TBIOL 438 Environmental Biology: Marine Invertebrates (B/L)
     

• List E: Ecological Interactions

  • TBIOL 203 History and Ecology of Biological Invasions (B)

  • TBIOL 234 Biology, History and Politics of Salmon in the PNW (B)

  • TBIOL 306 Animal Behavior (B)

  • TBIOL 432 Forest Ecology Field Studies (B/F)

  • TBIOL 442 Marine Ecology (B/F)

  • TGEOS 445 Estuarine Field Studies (P/F)
     

• List F: Methods and Applications

  • TBIOL 314 Molecular Biology (B/L) (formerly TBIOL 304)

  • TBIOL 350 Introduction to Epidemiology (B) 

  • TBIOL 362 Introduction to Restoration Ecology (B/F)

  • TBIOL 455 Ecotoxicology

  • TCHEM 405 Biochemistry I (B/P, if 6 cr - L)

  • TCHEM 439 Analytical Chemistry with Environmental Applications (P/L or P/F)

  • TESC 430 Environmental Modeling (P/L)

  • TESC 435 Limnology (P/F)

  • TGEOS 241 Oceanography (P, if 6 cr- L)

  • TGIS 311 Maps and GIS (P/L) – Urban Studies course

  • TMATH 210 Intermediate Statistics with Applications (B/P)

In addition to the standard Environmental Science BS degree, students may complete a Geoscience option in the degree. These options allow students to obtain an interdisciplinary Environmental Science BS degree while demonstrating extra proficiency in the discipline.

Five courses to include at least one biological science (B) course, at least two laboratory (L) courses (TGEOS 337 and one more from List G or H) and one field (F) course. Some courses designated as labs on this list are not offered as labs every time; check the Registration Guide for credits.

In addition, the student's capstone experience (planned with the faculty advisor) must be focused on the geosciences.

• Required:

  • TGEOS 337 Environmental Geology (L)

  • Three courses from List G

  • One additional course from List G or List H
     

• List G: Geoscience

  • TESC 239 Energy and the Environment

  • TESC 430 Environmental Modeling

  • TESC 433 Pollutant Fate and Transport in the Environment (L)

  • TESC 435 Limnology (F)

  • TGEOS 215 Meteorology (if 6 cr- L)

  • TGEOS 216 Pacific Northwest Geology AND TGEOS 226 PNW Geology Field Trip (L)

  • TGEOS 227 Earth History

  • TGEOS 241 Oceanography (P, if 6 cr- L)

  • TGEOS 243 Geography of the Physical World (if 6 cr- L)

  • TGEOS 319 From Mountains to Sea: Comparative Volcanoes (F)

  • TGEOS 341 Climate Change

  • TGEOS 415 Sedimentology (L)

  • TGEOS 417 Field Geology (F)

  • TGEOS 419 Environmental Field Geophysics (F)

  • TGEOS 445 Estuarine Field Studies (F)

  • TGIS 311 Maps and GIS (L) – Urban Studies course

  • TMATH 210 Intermediate Statistics with Applications (B)

  • TPHYS 315 Applied Physics w/ Environmental Applications
     

• List H: Additional Courses for Geoscience Option

  • TBIOL 202 Plant Biology and Ecology (B)

  • TBIOL 203 History and Ecology of Biological Invasions (B)

  • TBIOL 232 Issues in Biological Conservation (B)

  • TBIOL 234 Biology, History and Politics of Salmon in the Pacific Northwest (B)

  • TBIOL 240 Human Biology and Environmental Interactions (B)

  • TBIOL 270 Genetics and Society (B)

  • TBIOL 314 Molecular Biology (L) (formerly TBIOL 304)

  • TBIOL 318 Biogeography (B, if 6 cr - L)

  • TBIOL 350 Introduction to Epidemiology (B)

  • TBIOL 362 Introduction to Restoration Ecology (B/F)

  • TBIOL 422 Evolution (B, if 6 cr - L)

  • TBIOL 434 Conservation Biology Practice (B/L)

  • TBIOL 455 Ecotoxicology

  • TCHEM 405 Biochemistry I (if 6 cr - L)

  • TESC 201 The Science of Environmental Sustainability

  • TESC 345 Pollution and Public Policy (if not used towards the Law & Policy requirement)