Department of Environmental Science
Environmental Science is the study of how the parts of nature and human societies operate and interact. It is devoted to the preservation of natural resources and biodiversity for sustainable development, and the control of biological, chemical and physical agents in the environment (air, water, soil, and groundwater) to prevent adverse effects on human and other living organisms.
Undergraduate Degrees
- Environmental Science B.S.
- Environmental Biology Specialization
- Environmental Chemistry Specialization
- Environmental Geology Specialization
- Physical Geology Specialization
Graduate Degrees
Minors
Why Study Environmental Science at UHCL?
Hands-On Learning Opportunities in ENSC
- Water quality analyses
- Field sampling: soil, sediment, water, plants, fish
- Mineral and rock identification in lab and field
- Mapping using GPS, drones and GIS
- Freshwater, saltwater and benthic community studies
- Plot, transect and point-quarter vegetation analyses
- Lab testing of environmental samples using GC/MS, ICP, Hg-analyzer (DMA), spectrophotometry, enzyme and chlorophyll analyses
- Geology and ecology field trips
- Tours of area environmental facilities
What Makes ENSC at UHCL Unique
- UHCL location near petrochemical industries and ecologically important landscapes (Armand Bayou Nature Center, Galveston Bay)
- Faculty dedicated to teaching
- Problem-solving focused training
- Unique interdisciplinary curriculum
- Opportunities for independent study research with faculty
- Small class sizes
- Field experiences
- Amazon expedition study abroad program
Increase Your Professional Value
The multi-disciplinary approach of our program will prepare you for careers in:
- Petroleum industry
- Chemical and biochemical industry
- Environmental health and environmental safety
- Environmental consulting
- Environmental conservation
- Water resources and management
- Soil and groundwater remediation
- Wetland delineation
- Environmental toxicology
- Water/Wastewater treatment
- Marine biology
- Government/public sector
- Research and development
- Environmental analysis service and R&D labs
- Flood and subsidence?
- Regulatory compliance officers (emission inventories, permitting)
Research Opportunities
Environmental Biology
- Coastal, freshwater and wetland ecology studies
- Environmental toxicology
- Ecotoxicology in estuarine and coastal wetland communities
- Comparative vertebrate anatomy and physiology
- Coastal birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish
- Benthic macroinvertebrate community analyses
- Pollution studies
- Tropical rainforest ecology and water quality studies
Environmental Chemistry
- Water chemistry studies
- Sustainable remediation utilizing plants and microbes
- Analysis of emerging contaminants
- Biodegradation of surfactants, explosive chemicals, pharmaceuticals and endocrine disrupting compounds
- Soil and sediment studies of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, explosives and endocrine disrupting compounds
Environmental Geology
- Water chemistry studies
- Sustainable remediation utilizing plants and microbes
- Analysis of emerging contaminants
- Biodegradation of surfactants, explosive chemicals, pharmaceuticals and endocrine disrupting compounds
- Soil and sediment studies of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, explosives, and endocrine disrupting compounds
Physical Geology
- Structural Geology
- Natural Hazards
- Mineralogy and Petrography
- Planetary Geology
Admission Requirements
Graduate
- Environmental Science M.S.
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Admission Deadline
Standard Graduate Admission Deadline
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Application
Apply online through the UHCL Graduate Application Portal.
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Requirements
- 3.0 GPA
- GRE optional but encouraged to submit to support application if GPA <3.0.
- Target scores minimum 290 total (150 on Quant)
- Foundation courses (C or better): Calculus I, Organic Chemistry 1/Lab, Statistics, Physics I and II/Labs
- Bachelor Degree in Natural Science or other degree if background includes at least 34 hours of Natural Science and 6 hours of Math