Environmental Careers and the NWMSU Program
Careers
Environmental scientists study man's impact on his surroundings;
ecologists study nature, largely in the absence of man's activities.
The number of environmental positions is probably greater than any
other field of biology. These careers are very diverse, so the best that any
college can do is provide a strong background in the sciences (environmental,
ecology, chemistry, statistics). Employers realize that they will need to
provide significant on-the-job training. Students should be willing to relocate
after graduation.
The NWMSU program is new, but graduates from similar programs,
typically 90%, first work for the government. Salaries tend to be relatively
low (starting at $20,000 per year), but the hours are fixed (40 hrs/week) and
the benefits and experience are good. These positions are found in departments
of:
1. Environment/Conservation (environmental assessment, pollution
monitoring, fee assessment, permit tracking, landfill operations, etc)
2. Parks/Recreation (human use of public resources)
3. Health (restaurant inspection, landfill inspection, etc)
4. Planning (municipal concerns)
Alternatively, students may work for consulting firms, which may do
many of the above assignments under government contract. Consulting firms
typically pay better, but there are often extended overtime hours and the
benefits tend to be reduced.
The_NWMSU_Program: B.S. in Biology, Environmental Concentration
Students considering this Concentration should start the Biology and
Chemistry sequences early, and take a few sciences and a few general education
courses each semester. If the student takes mainly general education classes
early, then it becomes difficult to schedule classes as an upperclassman
(because so many classes have labs that conflict) and to earn good grades as
well.
In order to finish in four years, the student should take at least 16
hours per semester.
The complete courselist in this Concentration is given below (but be
sure to consult your Degree Audit too, because requirements change). We also
suggest:
1. a minor in chemistry (for those interested in field analysis)
2. a minor in management (for those interested in environmental
management)
3. additional coursework in statistics
4. be willing to relocate after graduation
BS Biology: ENVIRONMENTAL
Graduation Requirements, '98-00 catalog
This is only a guide. Be sure to consult your Degree Audit form.
Check prerequisites in the Catalog.
General_Studies_Core (20 hrs) (minimum GPA 2.00)
__ Freshman Seminar (71-101, 72-101, 73-101, or 76-101)
__ Composition (Eng 10-111 and 112, or Eng 10-115 and test-out)
__ Oral Communication (Sp 29-102)
__ Math (Math 17-118) (required for Biology BS degrees)
__ Computer Literacy (Comp Sci 12-130)
__ Life Values Phys Fitness (PE 22-111, and either PE 22-110 or HES 15-110)
__ PE Activity (PE 22-101,106,107,112,113,116,121,131,134,139,160,161,165,170)
Liberal_Studies (32 hrs)
__ Government (34-102)
__ History (33-155)
__ Chemistry (24-114/115) (required for Biology BS degrees)
__ Physics (25-110/111) (required for Biology BS degrees)
__ Literature (Eng 10-220)
__ Humanities/Philos (Hum 26-101, 102, 103, 104, Phil 39-171, 274, or Sp 29-235)
__ Fine Arts (Art 13-102, 110, Mus 19-201, PE 22-262, or Th 43-101)
__ Social Sci (Econ 52-130, 150, Geog 32-101, Soc 35-101, 108, or Ag 03-102)
__ Behavioral Sciences (Psych 08-103, 303)
__ Multicultural Studies (Ed 61-569, Sp 29-225, Gov 34-103, Econ 52-103, Geog
32-102, MC 20-221, Eng 10-224, Hist 33-225, or foreign language >100)
Biology_Core (21 hrs)
__ Bio 04-112/113 Botany
__ Bio 04-114/115 Zoology
__ Bio 04-310 Cell Biology
__ Bio 04-350 Genetics
__ Bio 04-376 Basic Ecology
__ Bio 04-383 Practicum
__ Bio 04-491 Seminar
Biology_Required_Collateral_Areas (14 hrs)
__ Chem 24-116/117 General Chem II
__ Chem 24-342/343 Organic Chem I
__ Phys 25-112/113 General Physics II
Environmental_Concentration (16 hrs)
__ Bio 04-575 or 577 (Methods in Plant Ecology or in Animal Ecology)
__ Bio 04-420 Environmental Issues
__ Geol 27-340 Hydrogeology or Geol 27-360 Environmental Geology
__ advisor-approved electives to total 16 hrs for the Concentration
Minor (BS required)
__ 24 hrs
Upper Level Requirement
__ at least 40 hours of courses over the 300-level (in major, minor, or other)