Environmental Science M.S.

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The graduate plan in Environmental Science leads to the Master of Science (M.S.) degree. The plan seeks, through an interdisciplinary approach, to prepare students for opportunities in government and the private sector. Graduates of the plan may also be prepared to pursue further academic training in environmental sciences. Students must specialize in one of the following areas:

• Environmental Biology
• Environmental Chemistry 
• Environmental Geology

All graduate students are required to produce a major paper and present a public seminar via ENSC 5530 and ENSC 6838, 6731 or 6939. Prior to enrolling in ENSC 5530 (proposal), students must have a faculty adviser and an approved research topic.  Following completion of ENSC 5530, the student will be advised into ENSC 6731 (seminar) or ENSC 6838 (project)or ENSC 6939 (thesis).

Students pursuing the research project option may be advised to complete hours in independent study or internship in addition to ENSC 6838. Before enrolling in thesis, students must have a faculty thesis adviser and an approved research proposal.

Degree Requirements

Environmental Science Basic Requirements

Students seeking a master's degree must have course work preparation appropriate to their area of specialization. At least 34 hours of natural science and six hours of mathematics are required prior to admission. Candidates should have a B average (GPA) 3.0 on the last 60 hours of credit. GRE scores are required by all students applying for the graduate program. Scores will be evaluated by the college's admissions committee.

Students should submit a written statement to the Science and Computer Engineering Academic Advising Office (sceadvising@uhcl.edu) specifying their educational goals and objectives as well as their intended areas of specialization, i.e., Environmental Biology, Environmental Chemistry or Environmental Geology. Applicants are also encouraged to submit letter(s) of recommendation as supporting documents. Basic requirement courses do not count toward the degree. These courses do, however, count toward the total hours required above.

The following must be completed prior to admission into the graduate plan:

• General Chemistry I and II with labs
• General Physics I and II with labs
• Calculus I

The following must be completed prior to or within the first year of study:

• Organic Chemistry I with lab
• Statistics

The master's degree requires completion of a minimum of 36 hours.

Environmental Science Thesis Option (36 hours)

Environmental Science Research Project Course Option (36 hours)

Environmental Science Specializations

Environmental Biology Specialization Electives:

Environmental Chemistry Specialization Electives:

Environmental Geology Specialization Electives:

Environmental Science M.S. Online Option

All graduate students are required to produce a major paper and present an online public seminar. Prior to enrolling in ENSC 5530, students must have a faculty adviser and an approved research topic. Following completion of ENSC 5530, and in consultation with their faculty adviser, on-line students will enroll in ENSC 6731 or ENSC 6838 and prepare their major capstone research paper.

Degree Requirements