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DEPARTMENT OF EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

The degree programs offered by the Department of Earth and Environmental Science reflect its policy of offering the opportunity for a comprehensive education of the highest quality, individualized to the needs and interests of the student. Completion of a basic science curriculum allows students to apply for entry into one of several highly specialized areas in geology or environmental science. Students who have majored in either of these degree programs are eligible to apply for positions in industry and government as well as for entry into professional and graduate schools. The Bachelor of Science degree in multidisciplinary science gives students broad training in the sciences and is suitable as preparation to teach science at the secondary school level. Students seeking teacher certification should contact the College of Education and Human Development Teacher Advising and Certification Center early in their studies for information about certificate requirements and admission procedures. Undergraduates seeking elementary teacher certification must complete the interdisciplinary studies degree. The department also offers a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Minor in Geology.

Bachelor of Science Degree in Multidisciplinary Science

The Bachelor of Science degree in Multidisciplinary Science is primarily for students preparing to teach science at the secondary school level. Students seeking teacher certification should also refer to the requirements listed in the College of Education and Human Development portion of the catalog.

The minimum number of semester credit hours required for this degree, including the Core Curriculum requirements, is 126 to 137.

All candidates seeking this degree must fulfill the Core Curriculum requirements and the degree requirements, which are listed below.

Core Curriculum requirements: Students seeking the Bachelor of Science degree in Multidisciplinary Science must fulfill University Core Curriculum requirements in the same manner as other students. The courses listed in the table below satisfy both major requirements and Core Curriculum requirements; however, if these courses are taken to satisfy both requirements, then students will need to take additional courses in order to meet the minimum number of semester credit hours required for this degree. For a complete listing of courses that satisfy the Core Curriculum requirements in this catalog.

Core Curriculum Requirements
Courses that Satisfy Core Curriculum and Degree Requirements

Rhetoric (6 semester credit hours)

All students must take the following six hours to meet this core requirement:
WRC 1013 Freshman Composition I
WRC 1023 Freshman Composition II

Domain I: Mathematics and Science

Mathematics(3 semester credit hours)
MAT 1093 Precalculus
Science (6 semester credit hours)
The core curriculum science requirement is automatically fulfilled in obtaining a B.S. degree in Multidisciplinary Science.

Domain II: Society and Culture

United States History and Diversity (6 semester credit hours)
Any six hours listed under this section in the list of core courses will satisfy this core requirement.
Political Studies (6 semester credit hours)
POL 1013 plus 3 additional hours listed under this section in the list of core courses will satisfy this core requirement.
Social and Behavioral Sciences (3 semester credit hours)
Any three hours listed under this section in the list of core courses will satisfy this core requirement.
Economics (3 semester credit hours)
Any three hours listed under this section in the list of core courses will satisfy this core requirement.

Domain III: Literature and the Arts

Literature (3 semester credit hours)
Any three hours at the sophomore level or above listed under this section in the list of core courses will satisfy this core requirement.
The Arts (3 semester credit hours)
Any three hours listed under this section in the list of core courses will satisfy this core requirement.

Domain IV: World Society and Issues

(3 semester credit hours)
Any three hours listed under this section in the list of core courses will satisfy this core requirement.

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Degree Requirements

A. 48 or 50 semester credit hours of required science courses:

AST 1013, 1031 Introduction to Astronomy and Laboratory
BIO 1113, 1122 Biology I and Laboratory Investigations in Biology
BIO 2123 Comparative Anatomy of Vertebrates
CHE 1103 General Chemistry I
CHE 1303, 1312 General Chemistry II and Laboratory
GEO 1103, 1111 Introduction to Earth Systems and Laboratory
GEO 1123, 1131 Earth History and Laboratory
GRG 3713 Weather and Climate
ES 2013 Introduction to Environmental Systems I
or
ES 2023 Introduction to Environmental Systems II
ES 4043 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS)|
ES or GEO 4193 Field-based Inquiry
Either
PHY 1603, 1611 General Physics I and Laboratory
PHY 1623, 1631 General Physics II and Laboratory
or
* PHY 1904, 1911 Technical Physics I and Laboratory
* PHY 1924, 1931 Technical Physics II and Laboratory
* Technical Physics is the required option for concentration in chemistry or physics. Note that the prerequisites for technical physics are Calculus I and II (MAT 1214 and MAT 1223). These can be included among the elective courses in sciences and mathematics.

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B. 21 semester credit hours of approved electives in geology, biology, chemistry, physics, environmental science, and/or mathematics; 12 of these hours must be at the upper-division level.

Areas of specialization are available in any of these fields by taking at least 15 upper-division semester credit hours in a single field. Students seeking secondary education certification should refer to the current Texas state standards for their chosen field to help choose the best combination of courses. All students should seek approval from the College of Sciences Undergraduate Advising Center on a course-by-course basis.

C. 21 to 30 semester credit hours of electives, as set forth below:

1. For students seeking the degree only (without teacher certification), at least 21 semester credit hours of electives are required, including a sufficient number of upper-division hours to meet UTSA minimum of 39 upper-division hours.

2. For students seeking the degree with teacher certification, these electives must include:

IDS 2083 Technology for Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
Either
COM 1043 Introduction to Communication
or
COM 2123 Oral Interpretation

and 24 semester credit hours of professional education courses.

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