Environmental Sciences (BS)
Program Code: U-ENVS-BS
Degree Designation: Bachelor of Science
Department: Nicholas School of Environment
Website: nicholas.duke.edu/academics/undergraduate-programs/environmental-sciences-policy
Program Summary
The undergraduate major in environmental sciences is offered as a bachelor of science degree to students interested in a scientific perspective on environmental issues. The major is designed to expose students to the breadth of environmental sciences, while engaging students to develop depth in a focus area. This major is designed for students with career objectives in environmental sciences, industry, or management that require a strong scientific background, or for students intending to pursue graduate degrees in environmental sciences. The major also merges well with pre-health requirements. The corequisites for the BS degree stress a firm foundation in the physical and life sciences, and mathematics. The gateway course focuses on local, regional, and global case studies taught by interdisciplinary teams of faculty. The major requirements include five core courses selected from five categories (Environmental Health, Ecology, Environmental Physical Sciences, Environmental Social Science, and Environmental Tools and Skills) and three focus area courses (one of which can be a core course). Students are required to participate in a relevant field experience or internship and many students choose to fulfill this requirement through study abroad, a semester at Duke Marine Lab, or the Stanback Internship Program. The department encourages all students to pursue independent research with Nicholas School faculty members.
Go to Programs by Department to view all related programs.
Advising in Environmental Sciences and Policy
Advisors are assigned based on students’ general areas of interest. Students present a proposed plan of study to their advisors that explains the rationale for their chosen area of concentration within their focused study. The program encourages close relationships between faculty and students with convergent interests.
Academic Requirements
Corequisites
The following courses or their equivalents (for example, Advanced Placement credit) are required. Approval to substitute course taken at other universities must be obtained from the director of undergraduate studies in the department offering the course. Some of these courses are prerequisites to upper-level courses in this major.
Environment 102 (Introduction to Environmental Sciences and Policy)
Biology 201L or 202L or 203L (Gateway to Biology) or equivalent
Chemistry 101DL (Advanced General Chemistry) and either Chemistry 210DL or 201DL or equivalents
Physics 141L, 151L, 161D, or 164L (Introductory Physics) or equivalent
Mathematics 111L and 112L (Introductory Calculus), or equivalent
Statistical Science 101L, 102L, 111L, 130L, or 199L; or Biology 304
Major Requirements
Gateway Course: Environment 201 (Integrating Environmental Sciences and Policy)
Core Areas: One course in each area, chosen from a list of approved courses:
Environmental Health
Ecology
Environmental Physical Sciences
Environmental Social Sciences
Environmental Tools/Skills
Focus Area: Students are required to choose a focus area and take three courses around that focus, at least one of which is a 500-level course. One of these courses can overlap the core courses. Focus areas will be chosen under the direction of the student’s major advisor and will be approved by the director of undergraduate studies upon successful submission of a short essay outlining the focus area and justifying the chosen courses.
Capstone: Environment 495 (Capstone Course). Participating in Graduation with Distinction (GWD) can fulfill this requirement.
Field Experience or Internship: Students will complete a field experience or internship relevant to their major. The Duke Career Center maintains information on available internships. Field experiences may include a semester or summer session at the Duke University Marine Laboratory or participation in field-oriented study abroad programs.
Graduation with Distinction
The environmental sciences and policy and environmental sciences both offer a Graduation with Distinction option. Interested students with a 3.0 grade point average overall and 3.2 grade point average in the environmental sciences/policy major should apply by the beginning of their senior year. The application should include a written request to the director of undergraduate studies describing the proposed research project, and identifying a primary faculty advisor who has agreed to supervise the research. Students are required to take one independent research study as part of the Graduation with Distinction process. Students will write a substantial paper describing their completed research, which is evaluated by the faculty advisor, and will make an oral presentation to students and faculty of the program before the end of classes of the student’s final semester. For additional information and an application form, contact the director of undergraduate programs or visit nicholas.duke.edu/academics/undergraduate-programs/graduation-distinction.