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

At least 17 units total to complete the major. At least 34 units total to earn a degree.

• Corequisites (7 units)

  • Biology: BIOLOGY 201L, or BIOLOGY 202L, or BIOLOGY 203L

  • Calculus: MATH 111L and MATH 112L, or MATH 122L

  • Chemistry I: CHEM 20, or CHEM 21, or CHEM 101DL, or CHEM 110DL

  • Chemistry II: CHEM 201DL, or CHEM 210DL

  • Environmental Sciences: ENVIRON 20, or ENVIRON 102

  • Physics: PHYSICS 121L, or PHYSICS 151L

  • Statistics: STA 101L, or STA 102L, or STA 199L, or SOCIOL 333

• Gateway (1 unit)

  • ENVIRON 201

• Core (5 units)

  • Any 1 course from each of the following areas:

    • Environmental Health

    • Ecology

    • Environmental Physical Sciences

    • Environmental Social Sciences

    • Environmental Tools/Skills

  • A comprehensive list of elective courses is available to students in the degree audit system.

• Focus Area (3 units)

  • Any 3 courses within a focus area

  • At least 1 course 500-level and above

  • Focus areas will be chosen under the direction of the student’s major advisor.

• Capstone (1 unit)

  • ENVIRON 495

  • ENVIRON 545 and ENVIRON 546

  • Participation in Graduation with Distinction may satisfy this requirement.

• Field Experience or Internship

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, visit nicholas.duke.edu/academics/undergraduate-programs/graduation-distinction.