Semester Requirements
Christy Tyler, Director
(585) 475-5042, actsbi@rit.edu
http://www.rit.edu/cos/environmental/
Program overview
Habitat loss, global climate change, water and air pollution, ozone depletion, species invasions, loss of biodiversity, and the accumulation of toxic wastes are among the many environmental dilemmas our society faces.
These complex problems pit environmental limits against economic development, diverse cultures, ethics, values, and social stability and therefore require an understanding of science, policy, society, history, and economics. Environmental scientists must use integrated and holistic approaches to understand and find sustainable solutions to these problems. Graduates of the environmental science program are well prepared for a variety of environmental careers including consulting, research, policy, and outreach, or further graduate work towards a doctoral degree.
Curriculum
Built on the concept that environmental issues are inherently interdisciplinary, the program is offered jointly by the School of Life Sciences in the College of Science and by the department of science, technology, and society in the College of Liberal Arts. The curriculum provides students with a deep understanding of the science behind our environmental problems, along with the complex set of circumstances that impact environmental issues, and how environmental decisions and policies must attempt to find a balance between environmental conservation and economic development. Students augment their hands-on classroom work with in-depth experiential learning through an individual thesis or project. The curriculum gives students the chance to work on real-world environmental problems under the guidance of skilled environmental scientists.
The program includes a core curriculum and electives chosen to reflect the student’s background and career goals. A minimum of 30 semester credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree is required. All students must propose, conduct, and report on an original research thesis or project.
Environmental science (thesis option), MS degree, typical course sequence (semesters), effective fall 2013
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| ENVS-601 | Environmental Science Graduate Studies | 3 |
| MATH-696 | Biostatistics or Equivalent Course | 3 |
| Graduate Public Policy Core Elective | 3 | |
| Graduate Science Core Elective | 3 | |
| ENVS-670 | Advanced Concepts of Environmental Chemistry | 3 |
| BIOL-675 | Advanced Conservation Biology | 3 |
| STSO-621 | Graduate Biodiversity and Society | 3 |
| ENVS-650 | Advanced Applications of GIS | 4 |
| Second Year | ||
| Professional Elective | 3 | |
| ENVS-790 | Environmental Science Thesis | 6 |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 30 | |
Environmental science (project option), MS degree, typical course sequence (semesters), effective fall 2013
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| ENVS-601 | Environmental Science Graduate Studies | 3 |
| MATH-696 | Biostatistics or Equivalent Course | 3 |
| Graduate Public Policy Core Elective | 3 | |
| Graduate Science Core Elective | 3 | |
| ENVS-670 | Advanced Concepts of Environmental Chemistry | 3 |
| BIOL-675 | Advanced Conservation Biology | 3 |
| STSO-621 | Graduate Biodiversity and Society | 3 |
| ENVS-650 | Advanced Applications of GIS | 4 |
| Second Year | ||
| Professional Elective | 3 | |
| ENVS-780 | Environmental Science Project | 6 |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 30 | |
Admission requirements
To be considered for admission to the MS program in environmental science, candidates must fulfill the following requirements:
- Hold a baccalaureate degree in environmental science, biological sciences, or a related field of study,
- Submit official transcripts (in English) from all previously completed undergraduate and graduate course work,
- Have a minimum GPA of 3.0 (overall and in science/math),
- Submit a statement outlining the candidate's research/project interests, career goals, and suitability to the program,
- Submit three letters of recommendation, and
- Complete a graduate application.
- International applicants whose native language is not English must submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A minimum score of 550 (paper-based) is required. International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores are accepted in place of the TOEFL exam. Minimum scores will vary; however, the absolute minimum score required for unconditional acceptance is 6.5. For additional information about the IELTS, please visit www.ielts.org.
Students are strongly encouraged to contact program faculty before applying to discuss thesis topics and research projects.
Additional information
Facilities and equipment
The program provides a wide range of research opportunities. Many faculty members are engaged in field-based projects. The college also boasts excellent laboratory facilities that support field research. These include wet laboratories and computer facilities (traditional and geographic information systems). For a list of past and present projects, and faculty research interests, please visit the program website.
Monitoring, mapping, and field equipment: ArcGIS 9.3 and IDRISI Andes GIS software, Garmin and Trimble GPS receivers, pocket PCs with ArcPad software, soil sampling equipment, soil analysis equipment, digital clinometer, water sampling devices, multisonde water quality probes, dissolved oxygen meter, SCT meter, ponar dredges, light meter, plankton samplers, macroinvertebrate nets/samplers, and a library of field reference texts.
Other equipment: Fluorimeter, Raman Spectrometer, UV-Vis, GC-MS, ICP, atomic absorption, polarimeter, TGA’s Micro-extruder, centrifuge, electrochemical equipment, gas chromatography, HPLC detectors, viscometer, ESR (built in-house), infrared carbon dioxide analyzer, microelectrode system, autoanalyzer, incubators, infrared spectrophotometers, capillary electrophoresis, DSCs, DMA, Asher, 300 MHz NMR, drying oven, and a Wiley mill.
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Click to view program requirements in the Quarter Calendar
Quarter Curriculum - For Reference Only
Effective fall 2013, RIT will convert its academic calendar from quarters to semesters. The following content has been made available as reference only. Currently matriculated students who began their academic programs in quarters should consult their academic adviser for guidance and course selection.
Program overview
Habitat loss, global climate change, water and air pollution, ozone depletion, species invasions, loss of biodiversity, and the accumulation of toxic wastes are among the many environmental dilemmas our society faces.
These complex problems pit environmental limits against economic development, diverse cultures, ethics, values, and social stability and therefore require an understanding of science, policy, society, history, and economics. Environmental scientists must use integrated and holistic approaches to understand and find sustainable solutions to these problems. Graduates of the environmental science program are well prepared for a variety of environmental careers including consulting, research, policy and outreach, or further graduate work towards a doctoral degree.
Curriculum
Built on the concept that environmental issues are inherently interdisciplinary, the program is offered jointly by the School of Life Sciences in the College of Science and by the department of science, technology, and society in the College of Liberal Arts. The curriculum is designed to provide students with a deep understanding of the science behind our environmental problems, along with the complex set of circumstances that impact environmental issues, and how environmental decisions and policies must attempt to find a balance between environmental conservation and economic development. Students augment their hands-on classroom work with in-depth experiential learning through an individual thesis or project. The curriculum gives students the chance to work on real-world environmental problems under the guidance of skilled environmental scientists.
The program includes a core curriculum and electives chosen to reflect the student’s background and career goals. A minimum of 51 quarter credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree is required. All students must propose, conduct, and report on an original research thesis or project.
Semester conversion
Effective fall 2013, RIT will convert its academic calendar from quarters to semesters. Each program and its associated courses have been sent to the New York State Department of Education for approval of the semester plan. For reference, the following charts illustrate the typical course sequence for this program in both quarters and semesters. Students should consult their graduate program adviser with questions regarding planning and course selection.
Environmental science, MS degree, typical course sequence (quarters)
| Course | Qtr. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| 1001-760 | Advanced Conservation Biology | 4 |
| 1006-450 | Raster Applications of GIS | 4 |
| 1006-711, 712, 713 | Environmental Science Graduate Study I, II, III | 5 |
| 1006-710 | Environmental Science Graduate Readings Seminar | 3 |
| 1015-720 | Environmental Chemistry | 3 |
| 0307-712 | Fundamentals of Statistics II (or equivalent) | 4 |
| Second Year | ||
| 1006-879 | Environmental Science Graduate Research | 3 |
| Environmental Science Core Graduate Elective | 4 | |
| Environmental Policy Core Graduate Elective | 4 | |
| Environment and Society Core Graduate Elective | 4 | |
| Graduate Professional Electives | 4-8 | |
| 1006-890/891 | Thesis/Project | 5-9 |
| Total Quarter Credit Hours | 47-55 | |
Environmental science (thesis option), MS degree, typical course sequence (semesters), effective fall 2013
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| ENVS-601 | Environmental Science Graduate Studies | 3 |
| MATH-696 | Biostatistics or Equivalent Course | 3 |
| Graduate Public Policy Core Elective | 3 | |
| Graduate Science Core Elective | 3 | |
| ENVS-670 | Advanced Concepts of Environmental Chemistry | 3 |
| BIOL-675 | Advanced Conservation Biology | 3 |
| STSO-621 | Graduate Biodiversity and Society | 3 |
| ENVS-650 | Advanced Applications of GIS | 4 |
| Second Year | ||
| Professional Elective | 3 | |
| ENVS-790 | Environmental Science Thesis | 3 |
| ENVS-790 | Environmental Science Thesis | 3 |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 30 | |
Environmental science (project option), MS degree, typical course sequence (semesters), effective fall 2013
| Course | Sem. Cr. Hrs. | |
|---|---|---|
| First Year | ||
| ENVS-601 | Environmental Science Graduate Studies | 3 |
| MATH-696 | Biostatistics or Equivalent Course | 3 |
| Graduate Public Policy Core Elective | 3 | |
| Graduate Science Core Elective | 3 | |
| ENVS-670 | Advanced Concepts of Environmental Chemistry | 3 |
| BIOL-675 | Advanced Conservation Biology | 3 |
| STSO-621 | Graduate Biodiversity and Society | 3 |
| ENVS-650 | Advanced Applications of GIS | 4 |
| Second Year | ||
| Professional Elective | 3 | |
| ENVS-780 | Environmental Science Project | 3 |
| ENVS-780 | Environmental Science Project | 3 |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 30 | |
Admission requirements
To be considered for admission to the MS program in environmental science, candidates must fulfill the following requirements:
- Hold a baccalaureate degree in environmental science, biological sciences, or a related field of study,
- Submit official transcripts (in English) from all previously completed undergraduate and graduate course work,
- Have a minimum GPA of 3.0 (overall and in science/math),
- Submit a statement outlining the candidate's research/project interests, career goals, and suitability to the program,
- Submit three letters of recommendation, and
- Complete a graduate application.
- International applicants whose native language is not English must submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A minimum score of 550 (paper-based) or 213 (computer-based) is required. International English Language Testing System (IELTS) scores are accepted in place of the TOEFL exam. Minimum scores will vary; however, the absolute minimum score required for unconditional acceptance is 6.5. For additional information about the IELTS, please visit www.ielts.org.
Students are strongly encouraged to contact program faculty before applying to discuss thesis topics and research projects.
Additional information
Facilities and equipment
The program provides a wide range of research opportunities. Many environmental science faculty members are engaged in field-based projects. The college also boasts excellent laboratory facilities that support field research. These include wet laboratories and computer facilities (traditional and geographic information systems). For a list of past and present projects, and faculty research interests, please visit the program website.
Monitoring, mapping, and field equipment: ArcGIS 9.3 and IDRISI Andes GIS software, Garmin and Trimble GPS receivers, pocket PCs with ArcPad software, soil sampling equipment, soil analysis equipment, digital clinometer, water sampling devices, multisonde water quality probes, dissolved oxygen meter, SCT meter, ponar dredges, light meter, plankton samplers, macroinvertebrate nets/samplers, and a library of field reference texts.
Other equipment: Fluorimeter, Raman Spectrometer, UV-Vis, GC-MS, ICP, atomic absorption, polarimeter, TGA’s Micro-extruder, centrifuge, electrochemical equipment, gas chromatography, HPLC detectors, viscometer, ESR (built in-house), infrared carbon dioxide analyzer, microelectrode system, autoanalyzer, incubators, infrared spectrophotometers, capillary electrophoresis, DSCs, DMA, Asher, 300 MHz NMR, drying oven, and a Wiley mill.