The Ecology and Environmental Management emphasis allows students to complete the B.S. in Biology (BIOL) and the Master in Environmental Management (MEM) at Western in five years. Students who declare this emphasis must maintain degree progress as suggested in the degree plan and receive approval from the MEM Program Director to apply for provisional admission to the graduate program between August 1st and February 1st.
Provisional Admission Requirements
• Complete a minimum of 66 credits hours;
• Hold a 3.0 cumulative GPA and a 3.25 GPA within the major;
• Earn a B or above in two social science, two natural science, and one statistics course;
• Fulfill the undergraduate internship requirement with a B or above, and provide a positive letter from the project sponsor;
• Three letters of recommendation, including at least one professional reference and at least one academic reference from the student’s major;
• Statement of Purpose to the MEM Application Committee outlining early career goals and potential ideas for the master’s project.
At this point, if any aspect of a student’s performance is found to be insufficient, the MEM Director may reject a 3+2 student from the MEM program, in which case the student will need to find a new emphasis or minor in order to complete the undergraduate degree. Upon meeting the requirements above, and after Junior Year holding to the same GPA standards as outlined above) and completion of BIOL nucleus plus one systems and application course and one organismal course in the requirements (96 credits in this plan—see “Degree Plan" tab), the School of Graduate Studies will designate students as “MEM candidates with provisional acceptance.” Upon completion of the final 24 credits (18 graduate credits + 6 undergraduate credits) of the Western B.S. in Year Four of this plan, the School of Graduate Studies will designate students as “MEM degree seeking students.” Students who have completed all other requirements of the 3+2 program and all Western undergraduate requirements, yet choose to leave the MEM program before Year 5, will still have completed the undergraduate emphasis in Ecology and Environmental Management (with a 3+2 MEM) and have earned the 120 credits necessary for a Western undergraduate degree.
Program Requirements
The Ecology and Environmental Management Emphasis requires a minimum of 81 credits, including the 26-credit Biology Nucleus, 19 additional credits in Biology, 15 credits of supporting courses, 3 credits of internship, and 18 credits of MEM coursework. In the fifth year, an additional 18 credits of MEM coursework results in the MEM degree.
All Biology majors require the 26-credit Biology Nucleus.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Biology Nucleus | ||
| BIOL 150 | Biological Principles (with laboratory) (GT-SC1) | 4 |
| BIOL 151 | Diversity and Patterns of Life (with laboratory) | 4 |
| BIOL 301 | General Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 310 | Cell Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 312 | Genetics (with recitation) | 4 |
| CHEM 111 | General Chemistry I (GT-SC2) | 3 |
| CHEM 112 | General Chemistry Laboratory I (GT-SC1) | 1 |
| CHEM 113 | General Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHEM 114 | General Chemistry Laboratory II | 1 |
| Total Credits | 26 | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Biology Courses | ||
| BIOL 302 | Ecology Laboratory and Recitation | 2 |
| Select six credits in two or more of the following systems and applications courses: | 6 | |
| Evolution | ||
| Wildlife Ecology and Management (with laboratory) | ||
| Wildlife Techniques Workshop | ||
| Conservation Biology | ||
| Colorado Ecoregions | ||
| Aquatic Ecology (with laboratory) | ||
| Plant Ecology (with laboratory) | ||
| Forest Ecology (with laboratory) | ||
| Select two of the following organismal courses: | 6 | |
| Ornithology (with laboratory and recitation) | ||
| Mammalogy (with laboratory and recitation) | ||
| Field Entomology (with laboratory) | ||
| Botany (with laboratory) | ||
| Rocky Mountain Flora | ||
| Biology of Fishes | ||
| Select at least two credits of Capstone Experience courses: | 2 | |
| Senior Seminar (may be repeated) | ||
| Senior Thesis | ||
| Complete at least three credits of internship (can be in any discipline): | 3 | |
| Internship In Biology | ||
| Total Credits | 19 | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum supporting courses | ||
| CHEM 231 | Introduction to Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 234 | Introductory Organic and Biochemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| GEOL 101 | Physical Geology (GT-SC2) | 3 |
| GEOL 105 | Physical Geology Laboratory (GT-SC1) | 1 |
| MATH 213 | Probability and Statistics (GT-MA1) | 3 |
| PHYS 140 | Introductory Physics (with laboratory) (GT-SC1) | 4 |
| Total Credits | 15 | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core MEM Courses | ||
| ENVS 602 | Headwaters Conference | 1 |
| ENVS 605 | The Field of Environmental Management | 2 |
| ENVS 607 | Approaches in Conservation and Sustainability | 3 |
| ENVS 608 | Environmental Politics & Policy | 3 |
| ENVS 611 | Environmental Project Development and Management | 5 |
| ENVS 623 | Studies in Environmental Management | 1 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Quantitative Methods in Environmental Management | ||
| Qualitative Methods in Environmental Management | ||
| Total Credits | 18 | |
Upon successful completion of the prescribed courses listed above, University defined General Education, and elective requirements totaling 120 credits (with 40 at the 300-level or higher), students are eligible for their B.S. conferral. Students electing to complete MEM must follow the balance of their declared emphasis curriculum.
For a full description of the required Graduate coursework, please see the appropriate MEM program in the Western Graduate Catalog.
Capstone Course Requirement
The following courses in the Biology Major fulfill the capstone course requirement: BIOL 495 Senior Seminar, BIOL 496 Senior Thesis , or EDUC 409 Secondary Student Teaching.
Western Watershed General Education Requirements
Students must complete all Western Watershed General Education requirements to graduate.
Graduation Requirements
Undergraduate programs require a minimum of 120 semester credits for graduation. Of those 120 credits, 40 credits must be in upper-division courses (those marked 300 and above). Fifteen of these 40 upper-division credits must be earned in courses that are part of the standard or comprehensive major program being pursued.
Students are expected to review all graduation requirements, which can be found in the Western Undergraduate Catalog: Graduation Requirements.
Sample Plan
Degree Plans are for planning purposes. They reflect a suggested plan to complete the degree in a projected timeframe per program of study.
“Western Watershed Course(s)” refers to a course from the Tributaries area of the Western Watershed program. These courses should be chosen in consultation with the student’s advisor.
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| BIOL 151 | Diversity and Patterns of Life (with laboratory) | 4 |
| CHEM 111 | General Chemistry I (GT-SC2) (Western Watershed Scientific Inquiry) | 3 |
| CHEM 112 | General Chemistry Laboratory I (GT-SC1) | 1 |
| MATH 140 | College Algebra (GT-MA1) (Western Watershed - Fundamental Skills - Math) | 3 |
| ENG 102 | Writing and Rhetoric I (GT-CO1) (Western Watershed - Fundamental Skills - Writing I) | 3 |
| WWGE 101/102/103/104 | Western Watershed - Headwaters (select one) | 2 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| BIOL 150 | Biological Principles (with laboratory) (GT-SC1) | 4 |
| CHEM 113 | General Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHEM 114 | General Chemistry Laboratory II | 1 |
| MATH 141 | Precalculus (GT-MA1) | 4 |
| ENG 103 | Writing and Rhetoric II (GT-CO2) (Western Watershed Fundamental Skills - Writing II) | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall | ||
| BIOL 301 | General Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 302 | Ecology Laboratory and Recitation | 2 |
| CHEM 231 | Introduction to Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 234 | Introductory Organic and Biochemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| Western Watershed | Western Watershed Course (Life Skills suggested) | 3 |
| Western Watershed | Western Watershed Course (Social Inquiry suggested) | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| BIOL 310 | Cell Biology | 3 |
| MATH 213 | Probability and Statistics (GT-MA1) | 3 |
| PHYS 140 | Introductory Physics (with laboratory) (GT-SC1) | 4 |
| Western Watershed | Western Watershed Course | 3 |
| Western Watershed | Western Watershed Course (Historical Inquiry suggested) | 3 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Summer | ||
| SCI 499 | Internship in Science | 3 |
| Credits | 3 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall | ||
| BIOL 312 | Genetics (with recitation) | 4 |
| GEOL 101 | Physical Geology (GT-SC2) | 3 |
| GEOL 105 | Physical Geology Laboratory (GT-SC1) | 1 |
| Western Watershed | Western Watershed Course (Humanistic Inquiry suggested) | 3 |
| Western Watershed | Western Watershed Course (Creative Expression suggested) | 3 |
| Western Watershed | Western Watershed Course | 3 |
| Credits | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| BIOL | Biology Systems/Apps | 3 |
| BIOL | Biology Organismal Elective | 3-4 |
| Western Watershed | Western Watershed Course | 9 |
| WWGE 301/302/303/304 | Delta | 1 |
| Credits | 16-17 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall | ||
| BIOL 495 or BIOL 496 |
Senior Seminar or Senior Thesis |
1 |
| ENVS 605 | The Field of Environmental Management | 2 |
| ENVS 608 | Environmental Politics & Policy | 3 |
| ENVS 611 | Environmental Project Development and Management | 5 |
| Credits | 11 | |
| Spring | ||
| BIOL | Biology Organismal Elective | 3-4 |
| BIOL 495 or BIOL 496 |
Senior Seminar or Senior Thesis |
1 |
| ENVS 612 | Quantitative Methods in Environmental Management | 3 |
| ENVS 615 | From Climate Science to Action | 3 |
| ENVS 616 or ENVS 618 |
Environmental Organization Development and Management or Public Lands Management and Policy |
3 |
| Credits | 13-14 | |
| Total Credits | 122-124 | |
Western is committed to doing our part to provide each student a clear path to graduation. This four‐year degree plan is a sample map for fulfilling requirements in the major and General Education. The pathway that you take to your degree may differ somewhat from this illustration, depending on where you start and the detours and side trips you may take along the way. You are responsible for ensuring your overall, upper division, and major‐specific credits as well as GPA requirements are fulfilled for graduation.