Environmental Science
William Crumpton, Coordinator

Environmental Science is an interdepartmental undergraduate major leading to the Bachelor of Science Degree through either the College of Agriculture or the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The major is designed to provide a technically rigorous, integrated approach to environmental science and emphasizes two principles:

• Scientific Foundation. Environmental Science graduates must have a solid scientific background and familiarity with basic concepts in physical and biological sciences. All Environmental Science majors complete 40+ credits of foundation courses in biology, chemistry, earth science, physics and mathematics.
  
• Integration and Systems Analysis. Environmental Science graduates must be capable of integrated analysis of environmental systems. It is no longer sufficient to simply assemble the various pieces of a broad scientific background into an intellectual patchwork quilt. The Environmental Science core courses emphasize a dynamic systems approach to the analysis of energy and material flows which provides a framework for integrating physical, chemical, and biological aspects of environmental systems.

Given the magnitude and complexity of our environmental problems, there is a growing need for scientists trained in the integrated analysis of environmental systems. Environmental emphases and tracks offered through traditional natural science disciplines provide strong disciplinary specialization, but at the expense of interdisciplinary training. In contrast, integrated interdisciplinary training is the greatest strength of ISU’s Environmental Science major. The curriculum at ISU is intended to prepare our graduates for positions of leadership in this emerging discipline. Our graduates are provided both a solid foundation in biological and physical natural sciences and the interdisciplinary training necessary for integrated analysis of environmental systems. (Fifteen majors graduated during the 2003-04 academic year.)