The Ecology emphasis allows students to complete the B.A. in Environment and Sustainability (ENVS) and the Master of Science in Ecology (Ecology M.S.) at Western in five years. To remain qualified for the 3+2, upon earning 66 credits each student must have:
- maintained a 3.0 cumulative GPA and a 3.25 GPA within the major;
- completed BIOL 150, BIOL 151, BIOL 301, and MATH 213;
- fulfilled the 3-credit Internship requirement with a B or above and positive letter from the project sponsor;
- provided three letters of recommendation, at least one of which is to be a professional reference and at least one of which is to be an academic reference from the student’s major at Western;
- confirmed acceptance by an Ecology MS faculty advisor;
- written a Statement of Purpose to the Ecology MS program, detailing early career ambitions and ideas and connections for the eventual master’s thesis.
At this point, if any aspect of a student’s performance is found to be insufficient, the Ecology MS Coordinator will recommend denial of acceptance to the Graduate Studies Dean and the School of ENVS Dean, 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, after satisfactorily completing the GRE, and after Junior Year (reaching 97 credits in this plan—see “DEGREE PLAN”) holding to the same GPA and general performance standards outlined above, if the student is accepted by a faculty advisor into the program, the School of Graduate Studies will designate the student as an “Ecology MS candidate with provisional acceptance.” At this point the student must also declare their MS emphasis. Upon completion of Year Four of this plan, the student will receive the BA and the School of Graduate Studies may designate the student as an “Ecology MS degree seeking student.” After Year Four, students who have completed all other requirements of the 3+2 program and all Western undergraduate requirements (120 total credits, 40 upper-division credits, general education requirements, the ENVS undergraduate courses listed under the Ecology emphasis, and the 18 credits of ENVS Ecology emphasis courses that come from the MS in Year 4), yet choose to leave the Ecology MS program before Year 5, will still have completed the undergraduate ENVS emphasis in Ecology and have earned the 120 credits necessary for a Western undergraduate degree.
Program Learning Goals:
Upon completion of the Environment and Sustainability Comprehensive Major: Ecology Emphasis (with a 3+2 Master of Science in Ecology) students will have the skills and capability to:
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Apply an extensive knowledge of natural sciences and the scientific method to understand and analyze environmental problems and solutions.
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Utilize environmental policies and frameworks to develop local, national, and global sustainable solutions.
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Use the insights of environmental history, literature, and ethics to inform current environmental decision making.
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Develop interdisciplinary critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills to foster community and ecological resilience.
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Serve as leaders in sustainability, guiding colleagues in any industry and field towards enhanced practices in sustainability.
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Improving student understanding of biology, particularly concepts in ecology, evolution, conservation, wildlife, and/or fisheries.
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Developing students’ capacities for basic and applied research in ecology, including acquiring information, developing methods, conducting sampling and data analysis, demonstrating scientific communication, and advancing broader impacts.
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Advancing the role of science in society, through training ecologists prepared to elevate the ability of agencies, organizations, and communities to address ecological problems.
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Enhancing opportunities for careers and advanced research in ecology.
Program Requirements
A minimum of 78 credits is required for the B.A. components of the emphasis. In the fifth year, an additional 21 credits of Ecology MS coursework results in the MS in Ecology degree. For all 3+2 Ecology students, at least 12 credits of biology upper-level and/or graduate electives (BIOL 320-489; 620-689) are required.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENVS 100 | Introduction to Environment and Sustainability (GT-HI1) | 3 |
| ENVS 200 | Writing the Environment | 3 |
| ENVS 250 | Environmental Justice (GT-SS3) | 3 |
| ENVS 301 | Science of Sustainability and Resilience | 3 |
| ENVS 350 | U.S. and Western Environmental Politics | 3 |
| ENVS 390 | Environmental Monitoring | 4 |
| ENVS 400 | Applied Sustainability | 3 |
| ENVS 410 | Environmental Ethics | 3 |
| ENVS 499 | Internship in Environmental Studies | 1-6 |
| Required supporting courses | ||
| BIOL 150 | Biological Principles (with laboratory) (GT-SC1) | 4 |
| BIOL 151 | Diversity and Patterns of Life (with laboratory) | 4 |
| BIOL 301 | General Ecology | 3 |
| 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 |
| ECON 215 | Environmental Economics | 3 |
| MATH 213 | Probability and Statistics (GT-MA1) | 3 |
| PHYS 125 | Energy and the Environment (GT-SC2) | 3 |
| One of the following: | ||
| ENVS 360 | Global Environmental Policy | 3 |
| ENVS 370 | Water Policy and Politics | 3 |
| GEOG 340 | Intro Geographic Info Systems | 3 |
| One of the following: | ||
| HWTR 200 | This Is The Headwaters | 1 |
| HWTR 398 | Headwaters Conference | 1 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Cultural Anthropology (with laboratory) | ||
| Cultural Ecology | ||
| Borderlands: Representing Race, Class, Gender, and Sexuality | ||
| Politics of the Environment | ||
| Politics of Social Movements | ||
| Human Rights | ||
| The Global South | ||
| Political Economy | ||
| Environmental Psychology | ||
| Multicultural Psychology | ||
| Social Psychology | ||
| Communities & Social Change | ||
| Environmental Sociology | ||
| Social Movements | ||
| Social Class, Status, and Power | ||
| Core Ecology MS Courses, to be taken in Year 4 of 3+2 (Year 1 of MS): | ||
| BIOL 606 | Ecological Research Methods | 3 |
| BIOL 613 | Advanced Ecological Analysis | 3 |
| BIOL 690 | Ecology MS Proposal Development | 3 |
| One or more of the following to be taken in Fall 4 of 3+2 (Fall 1 of MS): | ||
| Biology elective (620 or above, excluding 690, 695, 696) | 3-4 | |
| ENVS 608 | Environmental Politics & Policy | 3 |
| ENVS 611 | Environmental Project Development and Management | 5 |
| ENVS 623 | Studies in Environmental Management | 1-6 |
| ENVS 625 | Studies in Integrative and Public Land Management | 3 |
| One or more of the following to be taken in Spring 4 of 3+2 (Spring 1 of MS): | ||
| Biology elective (620 or above, excluding 690, 695, 696) | 3-4 | |
| ENVS 615 | From Climate Science to Action | 3 |
| ENVS 618 | Public Lands Management and Policy | 3 |
| ENVS 623 | Studies in Environmental Management | 1-6 |
| ENVS 625 | Studies in Integrative and Public Land Management | 3 |
| Total Credits | 105-122 | |
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.A. (ENVS) or B.S. (BIOL) conferral. Students electing to complete the M.S. in Ecology must follow the balance of their declared emphasis curriculum.
Upon the acceptance of MS proposals (BIOL 690), MS candidates must be continuously enrolled for at least 1 credit of BIOL 695 or 696 until successful thesis defense.
For a full description of the required Graduate coursework, please see the appropriate MS program in the Western Graduate Catalog.
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.
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.
Sample Plan
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| ENVS 100 | Introduction to Environment and Sustainability (GT-HI1) | 3 |
| Western Watershed Courses | 6 | |
| BIOL 150 | Biological Principles (with laboratory) (GT-SC1) | 4 |
| WWGE 101/102/103/104 | Headwaters:First Year Seminar (WWGE) | 2 |
| ENG 102 | Writing and Rhetoric I (GT-CO1) | 3 |
| Credits | 18 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENVS 200 | Writing the Environment | 3 |
| PHYS 125 | Energy and the Environment (GT-SC2) | 3 |
| BIOL 151 | Diversity and Patterns of Life (with laboratory) | 4 |
| ENG 103 | Writing and Rhetoric II (GT-CO2) | 3 |
| MATH 141 | Precalculus (GT-MA1) | 4 |
| Credits | 17 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall | ||
| ENVS 250 | Environmental Justice (GT-SS3) | 3 |
| CHEM 111 & CHEM 112 |
General Chemistry I (GT-SC2) and General Chemistry Laboratory I (GT-SC1) |
4 |
| Western Watershed Gen Ed (Natural Sciences with or without/ lab | 3 | |
| Western Watershed Courses | (WWGE) | 6 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENVS 350 | U.S. and Western Environmental Politics | 3 |
| ECON 215 | Environmental Economics | 3 |
| MATH 213 | Probability and Statistics (GT-MA1) | 3 |
| BIOL 301 | General Ecology | 3 |
| CHEM 113 & CHEM 114 |
General Chemistry II and General Chemistry Laboratory II |
4 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Summer | ||
| ENVS 499 | Internship in Environmental Studies (**Internship in ENVS) | 3 |
| **Summer courses count towards a student’s GPA, Academic Standing, and follow summer tuition fee structure. | ||
| Credits | 3 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall | ||
| ENVS 390 | Environmental Monitoring | 4 |
| GEOG 340 or ENVS 370 |
Intro Geographic Info Systems or Water Policy and Politics |
3 |
| ENVS 410 | Environmental Ethics | 3 |
| Elective, Western Watershed Courses or Internship if still needed. | 6 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENVS 301 | Science of Sustainability and Resilience | 3 |
| ENVS 360 | Global Environmental Policy | 3 |
| Elective | Western Watershed Course chosen from selection of classes on cultural, racial, ethnic, gender, sex, sexuality, and/or class contexts | 3 |
| WWGE 301/302/303/304 | Delta: Western Watershed Integration Seminar (WWGE) | 1 |
| Elective or Western Watershed Courses | 6 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Summer | ||
| Submit 3+2 application materials by July 1 (66 credit mark completed) | ||
| **Summer courses count towards a student’s GPA, Academic Standing, and follow summer tuition fee structure. | ||
| Credits | 0 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall | ||
| BIOL 606 | Ecological Research Methods | 3 |
| ENVS 602 | Headwaters Conference | 1 |
| BIOL 620 | Ornithology (or other BIOL 600-level elective course) | 4 |
| ENVS 608 | Environmental Politics & Policy | 3 |
| WWGE | Western Watershed Courses | 6 |
| Credits | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| BIOL 613 | Advanced Ecological Analysis | 3 |
| BIOL 620 | Ornithology (or other 600-level elective course) | 4 |
| ENVS 623 | Studies in Environmental Management | 3 |
| BIOL 690 | Ecology MS Proposal Development | 3 |
| ENVS 400 | Applied Sustainability | 3 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Total Credits | 135 | |
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.