Environmental Science

Bachelor of Science

Learn about the fundamentals of our soil, vital to terrestrial life and a critical component of many environmental issues. Understanding soil management is key to sustainable environmental stewardship. In this course and corresponding lab, you will consider soils as complex systems with unique functions and behaviors arising from chemical, physical and biological components in both classroom, laboratory and field settings. 

Discover how we can solve environmental challenges facing humanity, including climate change, pollution, loss of biodiversity, and water shortages. This course focuses on collaborative activities and active learning to help you grasp the physical, biological, and human processes as well as economics, ethics and policy, underlying major environmental issues.

The critical zone extends from the top of the vegetation canopy through the groundwater table, supporting life on Earth with air, water and soil. However, human activity alters the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere, thus changing the structure of function of Earth’s ‘living skin.’ This course integrates core concepts of geology, hydrology, ecology and soil science to provide a foundational understanding of the critical zone and its role in addressing environmental problems.

This course teaches you the fundamental skills and statistical approaches necessary to solve environmental issues. Using Excel software, you will explore and visualize real-world data to derive meaningful and useful interpretations. Additionally, you will learn how to effectively interpret, visualize and analyze biological and environmental data.

Ascertain how pollutants behave in our environment. You will be introduced to abiotic and biotic scientific processes in soil and water that affect the fate and transport of pollutants. This course lays the groundwork for understanding strategies behind mitigating the effects of pollution on human health and the environment, as well as risk assessments for managing pollution and contamination.

Get a grasp on how solar energy, atmosphere, oceans, terrestrial environment, and biosphere interact with each other at global and regional scales. You will evaluate the dynamic nature of Earth's systems, evaluating their evolution over geological times as well as projected future changes to the climate and ozone layer. This course emphasizes conceptual understanding of mechanisms, data sets and modeling techniques, using elementary math and physics principles for a comprehensive understanding of our environment’s physical aspects.

Study the interface between human activities and microbiology, from the diversity of microorganisms to microbial interactions with pollutants and the fate of microbial pathogens in the environment. You will learn about microbiological techniques and microbial environments, detection of bacteria and their activities in the environment, microbial biogeochemistry, bioremediation, and water quality.

This course introduces the principal chemical constituents and processes occurring in soils and sediments so you can better evaluate and address environmental issues. You will learn the conceptual framework for understanding chemical reactions in heterogeneous natural systems as well as applying chemical thermodynamics and kinetics to unravel biogeochemistry of earth.

Advance your knowledge of assessing contaminated sites, waste places, and disturbed sites to ensure efficient and effective remediation and restoration programs. In this course, you will be trained in standard assessment approaches used in analyzing the socioeconomic and biophysical conditions of the impacted sites, and exposed to fundamental law, regulations, and policies.

Gain valuable insight into the field of environmental science with guest presentations, University of Arizona career services visits, and interactive lecturers. This course is designed to help environmental science majors and students exploring major options broaden their understanding of diverse environmental science occupations, the job application process, and career pathways.