Environmental Science (MS)

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Offered by the Department of Environmental Science , College of Arts and Sciences .

Admission to the Program

In addition to meeting the minimum university requirements for graduate study, students must have completed one year of calculus and one year of laboratory science (biology, chemistry, geology, or physics). A semester or more of economics is recommended. Admission is based on academic record, personal statement, and two letters of recommendation.

The Program offers two tracks to the MS degree, a thesis option and a coursework option with internship. During the first semester of academic study, the student choosing the MS with thesis option should identify the professor to work with and notify the graduate advisor, in writing, of their decision. Students who choose the coursework and internship option should identify and secure their position during their first year in the program.

Degree Requirements

36 credit hours of approved graduate work
One comprehensive examination; a maximum of two attempts is permitted
Capstone experience: 3 credit hours of ENVS-689 and one of the following:
- Nonthesis option: 3 credit hours of approved coursework in ENVS-690 /ENVS-691
- Thesis option: 6 credit hours of ENVS-797 and completed thesis. A research proposal must be accepted by the student’s advisor, the graduate studies committee, and the department chair, at least one semester prior to the oral defense of the thesis

Course Requirements

Geographic Information Systems (3 credit hours)

Complete 3 credit hours from the following:

Required (3 credit hours)

Complete 3 credits hours from the following:

Seminar (3 credit hours)

ENVS-689 Seminar in Environmental Science (1) (3 credit hours required)

Environmental Science Cluster (15 credit hours)

Complete 15 credit hours from the following:

Note: A statistics course (STAT-516 , STAT-520 , STAT-615 , or STAT-627 ) may be substituted for one of the courses, or other courses approved by the graduate advisor.

Nonthesis or Thesis Option (12 credit hours)

Complete one of the following options:

Nonthesis Option

Required (3 credit hours)

Complete 3 credit hours from the following:

ENVS-690 Environmental Science Research (1-3) (3 credit hours required)
ENVS-691 Internship in Environmental Studies (1-3) (3 credit hours required)

Environmental Policy/Economics Electives (9 credit hours)

Complete 9 credit hours from the following:

Thesis Option

Required (6 credit hours)

ENVS-797 Master’s Thesis Research (1-6) (6 credit hours required)

Reading/Practicum/Research (6 credit hours)

Complete 6 credit hours from the following:

Combined Bachelor’s Degree and Environmental Science (MS)

American University offers students the opportunity to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees through its combined bachelor’s/master’s programs. See Admission to a Combined Bachelor’s / Master’s Program and Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees for more information.

In addition to meeting the minimum university requirements for combined bachelor’s/master’s programs:

At a minimum, students must have an overall grade point average of 3.00 or higher, and have taken a year of laboratory science (BIO-110 /BIO-210 , CHEM-110 /CHEM-111 /CHEM-210 /CHEM-211 , PHYS-105 /PHYS-205 , or PHYS-110 /PHYS-210 ) and a year of calculus (MATH-211 or MATH-221 , and MATH-222 ). Applications must be accompanied by two letters of recommendation and a statement of purpose. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores may be required for admission to the combined program. Students should discuss their interest in the program with the Environmental Studies coordinator before submitting an application.
Undergraduate students may apply up to 12 credit hours of approved graduate-level coursework to satisfy the requirements of both degrees.