Earth & Environmental Science

Undergraduate Programs


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BS in Earth Science

General Description

Our undergraduate degree in Earth Science offers a broad-based background in mathematics, chemistry, and physics, as well as basic training in the Earth Sciences. The curriculum provides the background for entry into industry, environmental consultancy, or graduate schools.

Earth Science is a highly interdisciplinary field with many critical environmental, science, and resource connections to society. Graduates commonly enter professional careers in water resources, in the science, monitoring and management of geologic hazards and water quality, and in the exploration for and stewardship of energy and other natural resources.

Typical flow charts can be found here for a possible course of study focusing on:

Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences with Hydrology option, Environmental Sciences with Geology option

Program Requirements

Minimum credit hours required—120

In addition to the General Education and Institute Core Curriculum Requirements, the following courses are required:

GEOL 1110 (3) & GEOL 1110L (1)

ERTH 200 (4)

GEOL 2320 (4)

GEOL 2340 (4)

ERTH 206 (3), ERTH 301 (4), ERTH 340 (3), ERTH 353 (4), ERTH 380 (3)

ERTH 480 (6), or ERTH 483 (2), ERTH 484 (2), and ERTH 485 (2)

Earth Science electives, minimum 15 credit hours from ERTH, GEOL, GEOP, GEOC, or HYD (a maximum of 4 credits from ERTH 100-level courses)

MATH 254 (3), 283 (3), 335 (3), or 382 (3)

Electives, minimum 9 credit hours from PHYS, MATH, CHEM, BIOL, PETR, MENG, ERTH, GEOL, GEOP, GEOC, or HYD 200-level and above.

BS in Environmental Science

General Description

The Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science draws upon courses from biology, chemistry, Earth science, physics, and environmental engineering. Students must be aware of the complexity of environmental problems, yet have a rigorous background to address specific aspects of those problems. To ensure that graduates are competitive in the marketplace for diverse environmentally oriented careers, Environmental Science students take classes in all of the disciplines listed above. They additionally select a specialization in biology, chemistry, geology, hydrology, or instrumentation and measurements. Each option is sufficiently in‐depth to allow students to continue their education in a traditional graduate program within that discipline, should they choose.

An advisory committee, composed of faculty from the specific disciplines, is convened to help students plan their programs. See the Environmental Science page for more details.

Program Outcomes

The Earth and Environmental Science (E & ES) Department strives to teach undergraduate students:

Critical thinkings skills, both qualitatively and quantitatively,
To develop problem-solving skills (e.g., most of E & ES undergraduate courses have lab sections and are not strictly lecture-based, providing hands-on experience with problems),
Integrating different types of observations with theory,
Effectively communicating their ideas in writing.

Core Requirements

In addition to the General Education Core Curriculum Requirements, the following core program is required of all Environmental Science students:

Biology Courses

BIOL 331 (3), 343 & 343L (4)

Chemistry Courses

CHEM 311 & 311L (4), 333 & 333L (4), 422 & 422L (4)

Earth Science Courses

A 100‐level ERTH course and associated lab (4)

ERTH 201 & 201L (4)

GEOL 2320 & 2320L (4) (formerly named ERTH 202 & 202L)

ERTH 440 (4)

Mathematics Courses

MATH 231 (4), 283 (3)

Environmental Science Course

ENVS 472 (1)

All students in the Environmental Science program are required to attend the Environmental Science Senior Seminar (ENVS 472) for four years or, if transfer students, for the duration of their enrollment in the Environmental Science program. In the first three years, students need only audit the seminar, but in their senior year, they are required to present at the seminar and take the class for a grade.

Three credit hours of courses numbered 491 and 492 taken in the appropriate department in the subject area of environmental science. These credit hours shall comprise a supervised research project, supervised scholarship project, or a supervised internship, and must result in a written paper or senior thesis. Prior to beginning the research project or internship, the student must prepare a short proposal of the activity. This proposal must be approved by the student’s advisor and two faculty from the Environmental Science Advisory Committee. Following completion of the project, all three faculty must sign off on the resulting research paper.

BS with Biology Option

Minimum credit hours required—135

In addition to the General Degree Requirements, and the core Environmental Science Requirements, the following courses are required:

Biology Courses

BIOL 112 & 112L (4), 311 & 311L (4), 333 & 333L (4)

Technical Electives (12 credit hours)

Technical electives to be approved by the Advisory Committee

BS with Chemistry Option

Minimum credit hours required—135

In addition to the General Degree Requirements (page 88), and the core Environmental Science Requirements (above), the following courses are required:

Chemistry Courses

CHEM 331 & 331L (4), 334 & 334L (4), 411 & 411L (4)

Technical Electives (14 credit hours)

Recommended technical electives, which must be approved by the advisory committee, include CHEM 332, 441, 442

BS with Geology Option

Minimum credit hours required—135

In addition to the General Degree Requirements, and the core Environmental Science Requirements, the following courses are required:

Earth Science Courses

ERTH 203 & 203L (4)

GEOL 2340 & 2340L (4) (formerly named ERTH 204 & 204L)

ERTH 380 (3), ERTH 385 (3), ERTH 405 (3)

Technical Electives

Electives to meet minimum credit hours required.

BS with Hydrology Option

Minimum credit hours required—135

In addition to the General Degree Requirements, and the core Environmental Science Requirements, the following courses are required:

Earth Science Courses

GEOL 2340 & 2340L (4) (formerly named ERTH 204 & 204L)

ERTH 340 (3), ERTH 440 (4), ERTH 441 (1), ERTH 442 (1), ERTH 443 (1)

Mathematics Course

MATH 335 (3)

Technical Electives

Electives to meet minimum credit hours required.

BS with Instrumentation and Measurements Option

Minimum credit hours required—135

In addition to the General Degree Requirements, and the core Environmental Science Requirements, a minimum of 25 credit hours from the following (at least 17 credit hours must be numbered 300 or above) are required:

Enginering Science Course

ES 332 (3)

Electrical Engineering Courses

EE 211 (3), 212 & 212L (4), 231 & 231L (4), 308 & 308L (4), 321 & 321L (4)

Chemistry Courses

CHEM 331 & 331L (4), 411 & 411L (4)

Earth Science Courses

ERTH 353 (3), 370 (3)

Technical Electives

Electives to complete 135 credit hours

Minors

New Mexico Tech awards minors for your secondary field of study. While the number of credits required for a minor vary from department to department, a minimum of 18 credit hours is required. Students cannot earn a minor with either the Associate of General Studies or Bachelor of General Studies.

You must declare a minor and be assigned a minor advisor prior to completing the coursework for the minor.

Minor in Earth Science

Minimum credit hours required –– 18

The following courses are required:

One 100‐level ERTH class and associated lab (4 hrs)

Two classes from the following list: ERTH 200, 201, 202, 203, or 204

Additional 200‐level or higher from ERTH, GEOL, GEOP, GEOC, or HYD, to reach 18 credits

Minor in Geobiology

Minimum credit hours required –– 18

The following courses are required:

GEOL 1110 (3) & GEOL 1110L (1) (formerly named ERTH 101 & ERTH 101L)

ERTH 201 & 201L (4)

BIOL 111 & 111L (4)

Two classes from the following list: ERTH 450 (3), ERTH 390 (3), BIOL 341 (3), BIOL 344 (3), ERTH 449/BIOL 449 (3)

Minor in Geophysics

Minimum credit hours required –– 19‐20

The following courses are required:

GEOL 1110 (3) & GEOL 1110L (1) (formerly named ERTH 101 & ERTH 101L)

ERTH 204 (4), ERTH 325 (3)

Three classes from the following list: ERTH 401 (2), ERTH 412 (3), ERTH 445 (3), ERTH 448 (3), ERTH 455 (3), any GEOP (3)

Minor in Hydrology

Minimum credit hours required –– 19‐20

The following courses are required:

GEOL 1110 (3) & GEOL 1110L (1) (formerly named ERTH 101 & ERTH 101L)

ERTH 440 (3), ERTH 440L (1)

Three classes from the following list: ERTH 340 (3), ERTH 401 (2), ERTH 407 (3), ERTH 411 (3), ERTH 412 (3), ERTH 413 (3), ERTH 414 (3)

One class from the following list: MATH 335 (3), CHEM 422 (3)

Minor in Mineral Resources

Minimum credit hours required –– 20

The following courses are required:

GEOL 1110 (3) & GEOL 1110L (1) (formerly named ERTH 101 & ERTH 101L)

ERTH 200 (4), ERTH 412 (3), ERTH 462/ME 462 (3)

Two classes from the following list: ERTH 431(3), GEOL 551 (3), ME 220 (3), ME 360 (3)

Minor in Petroleum Geology

Minimum credit hours required –– 19‐20

The following courses are required:

GEOL 1110 (3) & GEOL 1110L (1) (formerly named ERTH 101 & ERTH 101L)

ERTH 203 (3), ERTH 460 (3)

Three classes from the following list: ERTH 353 (4), ERTH 445 (3), ERTH 447 (4), ERTH 461 (3)