Nov 23, 2024  
2024-2025 Graduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Graduate Catalog

Environmental Science, M.S.


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The graduate plan in environmental science leads to the Master of Science 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 , ENSC 6731  or ENSC 6939 . Prior to enrolling in ENSC 5530  (proposal), students must have a faculty adviser and an approved research topic. Following completion of ENSC 5530, students will be advised into ENSC 6731  (seminar), 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, thesis committee and an approved research proposal.

Degree Requirements


Environmental Science Basic Requirements


Students seeking the master’s degree in Environmental Science must have coursework preparation appropriate to their area of specialization. At least 34 hours of natural science (of which 15 hours must be upper-level science courses) and six hours of mathematics are required prior to admission. No is GRE required for applicants with an undergraduate GPA ≥3.0. For applicants with a GPA <3.0, a GRE ≥290 (≥150 quantitative and ≥140 verbal) is required. 

Students should submit a written statement to the Science and Computer Engineering Academic Advising Office (sceadvising@uhcl.edu) specifying 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 if their GPA is <3.0. Basic requirement courses do not count toward the degree. These courses do, however, count toward the total hours required for admission (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

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

All ENSC graduate students must complete one of the following graduate Statistics courses in their first semester of enrollment at UHCL.

STAT 5135- Applied Statistical Methods Credit Hours: 3

EDUC 6032- Applied Statistics Credit Hours: 3

Environmental Science Thesis Option (36 hours)


Designated electives 24 hours (maximum of six hours of 4000-level credit) and 6 hours of thesis. 

Additional Information


  • A maximum of six hours of environmental management (ENVR) courses may be included.

Environmental Science Research Project Course Option (36 hours)


Designated electives 27 hours (maximum 6 hours of 4000-level credit) and 3 hours of project or seminar.

Additional Information


  • Students will be advised to take ENSC 6838  or ENSC 6731 .
  • A maximum of six hours of environmental management (ENVR) courses may be included.

Environmental Science Specializations


Additional Information


BIOL 5235  and BIOL 5215  are co-requisites.

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