Earth, Society, and Environment
http://www.earth.illinois.edu/students/
Director of School: Stephen Marshak
School Office: 432 Natural History Bldg., 1301 West Green, Urbana, (217) 244-1568
The major in Earth, Society, and Environment offers a unique, multidisciplinary liberal arts education in the scientific and human dimensions of the Earth System. The curriculum balances a broad exposure to diverse disciplines at an introductory level with a more focused substantive course of study at the upper level. To do this, the major offers two concentrations within which majors can specialize: Science of the Earth System and Society and the Environment.
Both concentrations will prepare students for a variety of career paths in either the private or the public sector, as well as for graduate study. The interdisciplinary background in both scientific and human aspects of environmental problems will prepare students for a variety of positions with state and federal regulatory agencies, research institutions, consulting firms and nongovernmental education and advocacy organizations. The major also provides a platform for entry into professional schools (e.g. law and public policy programs) as well as graduate study in a variety of physical and social scientific disciplines and interdisciplinary programs related to the environment.
Major in Sciences and Letters Curriculum
E-mail: program-info@eses.uiuc.edu
Degree title: Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts and Sciences
Minimum required major and supporting courses equate to 48-58 hours.
General education: Students must complete the Campus General Education requirements.
Minimum hours required for graduation: 120 hours
Departmental distinction: Students who maintain grade point averages of at least 3.3 in all courses within the major and who undertake a faculty-guided individual research project for credit in the major are recommended for graduation with distinction.
| Hours | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Students must complete the ESE Core requirements listed below and select one concentration in consultation with an academic advisor. | |
| 12-14 | ESES Introductory Core: Students take one approved introductory course from at least four of the following five areas. Approved courses within these areas are available from the ESE advisor OR in the ESE School office OR at http://www.earth.illinois.edu/students/guides |
Environment and the Human Response |
|
Sustainability, Policy, and Global Change |
|
Earth’s Physical Systems, Resources, and Hazards |
|
Visualizing the Earth System |
|
| Earth’s Biosphere and Ecology | |
| 6 | ESE coursework |
GEOG 379- Introduction to GIS |
|
| ESE 200- Earth Systems | |
| 15-20 | Advanced Courses A minimum of five 300- and 400-level courses, from the approved list and in an academically coherent program approved by the advisor, are required. At least three of these five advanced courses must be listed or cross-listed as an ESE course. These courses should be used to help meet the LAS requirement of 21 hours of 300- or 400-level courses overall, and the 12 hours of 300- or 400- level courses in the major. It is strongly recommended that students complete the LAS requirement with 21 hours of 300- or 400-level courses related to the ESE curriculum. |
Society and the Environment (SAE) Concentration
| Hours | Requirements |
|---|---|
| 16-18 | Cognate Course Work |
| 10-12 hours-Introductory Social Science (Select three courses from approved list) | |
| 3 hours-Statistics (Select one course from approved list) | |
| 3 hours-Economics: ECON 102 | |
| Highly recommended: CHEM 101 or CHEM 102 |
Science of the Earth System (SES) Concentration
| Hours | Requirements |
|---|---|
| 15-18 | Cognate Course Work |
| 3 hours-CHEM 102-General Chemistry I or CHEM 202 Accelerated Chemistry I | |
| 1 hour-CHEM 103-General Chemistry Lab I or CHEM 203- Accelerated Chemistry Lab I | |
| 4-5 hours-MATH 220-Calculus or MATH 221- Calculus I | |
| 3 hours-STAT 100-Statistics | |
| 4-5 hours-PHYS 101- College Physics: Mech & Heat or PHYS 211- University Physics: Mechanics | |
| Highly recommended: ECON 102 |
Students planning to attend graduate school in Earth Systems science, Geoscience or Atmospheric Science should take at minimum MATH 225 (Introductory Matrix Theory), MATH 231 (Calculus II), MATH 241 (Calculus III) and MATH 285 (Intro to Differential Equations); CHEM 104 and 105 (General Chemistry II and Lab); and either PHYS 101, 102 or PHYS 211, 212 and 213 (the latter sequence is preferred.) All students wishing to attend graduate school in any field should discuss necessary supplementary course work with their advisor as early as possible.
Twelve hours of 300- or 400-level courses must be taken on this campus.
Second majors or campus-wide minors may be used to fulfill this requirement upon approval of an advisor.
Substitutions may be made with advisor approval.
All foreign language requirements must be satisfied.
A Major Plan of Study form must be completed and submitted to the LAS Student Affairs Office before the end of the fifth semester (60-75 hours). Study abroad courses may be substituted for major and minor requirements with approval of advisor.
Minor in Earth, Society, and Environment
The ESE minor is designed for students who desire to obtain a background in topics related to environmental studies,
in order to support study and practice of their major field. A minimum of 18 hours is required.
For more information and a list of approved courses visit: www.earth.illinois.edu.
Questions may be addressed to Jonathan Tomkin, tomkin@illinois.edu.
| Hours | Requirements |
|---|---|
| 3-4 | Introductory course from the Earth's Physical Systems, Resources, and Hazards Area course list. |
| 3-4 | Introductory course from either the Environment and the Human Response or Sustainability, Policy, and Global Change Area course lists |
| 3 | ESE 200: Earth Systems |
| 9-12 | Three Advanced Courses from a list maintained by the minor advisor, at least two of which must be listed or cross listed as ESE courses |
| 18-23 | Total |