Integrated Environmental Science, M.S.

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Student Learning Outcomes

The Master of Science in Integrated Environmental Science uses a science core to train students in the critical thinking necessary to test and evaluate data, methodological courses to understand the behavior of natural systems and humanity’s role within them, and a set of increasingly integrated courses to teach students how to combine scientific data with other types of information necessary to address modern environmental issues.

Students completing the Master of Science in Integrated Environmental Science will demonstrate the following student learning outcomes. They will:

Acquire, Analyze, and Critique Advanced Knowledge of the Structure and Function of Ecological Systems. Students will understand the organization of ecological systems and will be able to explain the interaction of organisms with other organisms from multiple perspectives and scales.
Acquire, Analyze, and Critique Advanced Knowledge of the Structure and Function of Human Systems. Students will understand the organization of human socio-economic and urban systems and be able to explain the interaction of organisms with human socio-economic and urban systems from multiple perspectives and scales.
Acquire, Analyze, and Critique Practical Knowledge of the Interaction between Human and Natural Systems as Pertains to Environmental Concerns. Students will understand the existing or potential impacts of human activities on ecological systems, both on smaller scales and holistically. Students will understand the impact of ecological systems and their changes on human actions, both on smaller scales and holistically. Students will utilize basic mathematical, analytical, and technological tools for characterizing and measuring environmental systems and understand, interpret, and critique arguments pertaining to environmental issues.
Develop Methodological or Research-based Strategies to Address the Management and Mitigation of Human Impacts on Environmental Systems. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the various strategies used to evaluate the costs and benefits of human activities in order to make environmental decisions, including scientific, socio-economic, political, and ethical approaches. Students will understand approaches to the management and manipulation of human impacts, including their strengths and weaknesses, will apply the various environmental methods and theories learned within an application setting, and effectively carry out new research and/or application of existing methodology to an environmental issue.

Semester 1: Systems Structure and Function

Semester 2: Tools for Addressing Environmental Issues

ES 635 - Advanced GIS and Remote Sensing * ^b -or-
ES 605 - Environmental Modeling * ^b
ES 603 - Experimental Design ^c
ES 631 - Statistics and Numerical Analysis ^c

Semester 3: Identifying Impacts and Issues

ES 613 - Advanced Environmental Ethics *
ES 641 - Toxicology and Risk Assessment
ES 620 - Advanced Environmental Economics ^c
ES 501 - Environmental Seminar I ^de
(External Research Presentation/Literature Review and Critique)

Semester 4: Management and Remediation of Impacts

ES 651 - Environmental Restoration * ^b
ES 550 - Ecosystem Management * ^b
ES 530 - Environmental Policy and Risk Management
ES 502 - Environmental Seminar II ^e
(Faculty/Student Research Presentation and Critique)

Note:

(*project course: can select one of the marked courses for a project in any one semester. All projects will be performed in association with a local resource manager, practitioner, or similar in a Service Learning format)

In addition, a minimum of 6 hours of credited thesis work is required for the MS degree.

Degree Requirements:

30 credits coursework + 2 credits seminar + 6 credits (minimum) thesis = 38 Credits Minimum

Curriculum Notes:

Course will link topics in the first two courses and identify impacts and feedbacks
One of the two courses in each semester will be chosen for a service-based project, based on the best opportunity available for that semester/year.
Curriculum involves both natural and social science perspectives
Seminar 1 will be a way to expose students and faculty to researchers and practitioners working locally and across the country.
All graduate students will be required to participate in all seminars every semester, but only the scheduled cohort of students will be graded.

Career Paths

The bulk of emerging professional environmental scientists are employed in municipal, state or federal agencies which are organized to protect our environment, be it as field scientists, policy developers, site managers, or public liaison officers. Similar opportunities also exist in the numerous NGOs that work on environmental issues. In addition, a better-informed general population is now also demanding more measurable corporate responses to environmental issues. Corporations, therefore, also are hiring or contracting for expertise in environmental science, policy, and management.

The IES Department already has functional connections with several national and state resource management agencies, including NOAA, USDA, and the state DEP. These agencies provide field opportunities, internships, and pathways to employment. The department’s local service learning field sites at Blue Spring State Park and Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve also provide local connections to employment opportunities.