OVERVIEW OF DEGREE REQUIREMENTS - Earth Sciences B.A.
Minimum number of credits required to graduate: 120
Minimum Cumulative GPA required to graduate: 2.0.
Minimum Grade requirements for courses to count toward major: all B.S. and B.A. students in the School of Earth and Climate Sciences must achieve at least a grade of “C-” in all ERS and ancillary science and mathematics courses.
Other GPA requirements to graduate: None.
Minimum Number of credits in departments other than Earth and Climate Sciences: 72 credits outside of the department with 27 of those credits in the Human Values and Social Contexts area of the General Education requirements, with 12 of those credits at the 200 and above level.
Required Course(s) for fulfilling Capstone Experience: ERS 498 or ERS 499
Contact Information: Alice R. Kelley, Undergraduate Coordinator, 111 Bryand Global Science Center, 207-581-2056, akelley@maine.edu
OVERVIEW OF DEGREE REQUIREMENTS - Earth Sciences B.S.
Minimum number of credits required to graduate: 120
Minimum Cumulative GPA required to graduate: 2.0.
Minimum Grade requirements for courses to count toward major: all B.S. and B.A. students in the School of Earth and Climate Sciences must achieve at least a grade of “C-” in all ERS and ancillary science and mathematics courses.
Other GPA requirements to graduate: None.
Required Course(s) for fulfilling Capstone Experience: ERS 498 or ERS 499
Contact Information: Alice R. Kelley, Undergraduate Coordinator, 111 Bryand Global Science Center, 207-581-2056, akelley@maine.edu
The School of Earth and Climate Sciences offers B.A. degree in Earth Sciences and a B.S. degree in Earth Sciences with an Earth Systems or Climate Systems concentration. We also offer an Environmental Geosciences Concentration through the B.S. in the Ecology and Environmental Sciences program. Our program also provides a wide range of courses accessible to the non-major interested in the Earth and our environment. Our curriculum is designed to prepare majors for careers in Earth Science-related fields as well as to provide all students with the knowledge they need to address future environmental challenges. Our website, http://www.umaine.edu/earthclimate, describes career opportunities in detail, the role of Earth Sciences in society, and what to expect as a major.
Our courses focus on the fundamental physical and chemical processes that shape the surface and interior of our planet - today, in the past, and into the future. Specific content areas include climate change, geodynamics (e.g., plate tectonics and mountain-building), marine geology and coastal processes, environmental geology, and Earth materials (e.g., ice, rocks, and minerals). The curriculum is designed so that many upper division courses are available to students without extensive prerequisites. We also encourage students to become involved in faculty and graduate student research projects. We welcome students in the Honors College to pursue a B.A. or B.S. degree in Earth Sciences and focus their honors thesis on an appropriate topic.
Several of our courses satisfy General Education requirements:
Applications of Scientific Knowledge - ERS 100, 103, 108, 110, 240
Lab in the Basic or Applied Sciences - ERS 101, 102, 110/111, 200, 201
Population and the Environment - ERS 102, 103, 108, 110, 121, 201, 441
Writing Intensive - ERS 315, 316, 441
B.A. or B.S. Earth Sciences graduates from our program are prepared to enter directly into education, industry, or federal and state agencies. A B.S. is typically required to enter graduate school in Earth Sciences. All ERS students must complete the University General Education requirements, a group of required core courses (ERS 100 or ERS 101 or ERS 102 or ERS 103; ERS 200; ERS 201; ERS 312; ERS 315; ERS 317; ERS 320; ERS 499), and ancillary mathematics and science requirements specific to their program. The College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture also requires all students to complete NFA 117, usually in their first year in the School. A wide range of elective courses are available for each program.
B.A. students are also required to complete ERS 316, ERS 330, and 12 credits of ERS courses at the 200 level or above. Ancillary requirements for the B.A. are: MAT 126; CHY 121/123; PHY 111 or PHY 121. University regulations stipulate that B.A. students must complete 72 credits outside the School of Earth and Climate Sciences. Also required are 27 credits in the Human Values and Social Contexts area of the General Education requirements, with 12 of those credits at the 200 and above level.
B.S. students with an Earth Systems Concentration are also required to complete ERS 316, ERS 330, and 12 credits of ERS courses at the 200 level or above. Ancillary requirements for the B.S. are: MAT 126; MAT 127; MAT 232; CHY 121/123; CHY 122/124; PHY 111 or PHY 121; PHY 112 or PHY 122; COS 125 or COS 215 or COS 220 or ERS 230 or ERS 350 or ERS 420. The requirements leave sufficient opportunity for students to complete a minor in another field.
B.S. students with a Climate Systems Concentration are also required to complete ERS 121, SMS 100, BIO 100, ERS 240 and 15 credits of electives from an approved list of courses (see Department website). Ancillary requirements for the B.S. are: MAT 126; MAT 127; MAT 232; CHY 121/123; CHY 122/124; PHY 111 or PHY 121; PHY 112 or PHY 122; COS 125 or COS 215 or COS 220 or ERS 230 or ERS 350 or ERS 420. The requirements leave opportunity for students to complete a minor in another field.
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