2026-2027 Undergraduate Catalog
Environmental Science (BS.ENV)
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Program Description
Vermont State University’s Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science program integrates the scientific disciplines of biology, chemistry, and geology to provide students with a strong framework from which to analyze environmental problems and develop effective, sustainable solutions. Students earning a BS in Environmental Science will pursue both laboratory and field careers in government, industry, and the non-profit sector. This program prepares students for careers and graduate degree programs in related environmental fields such as toxicology, hydrology, systems ecology, plant ecology, and water chemistry.
Program Learning Goals
- Interdisciplinary Environmental Science Foundations: Graduates will develop an integrated understanding of environmental science as an interdisciplinary field, grounded in the biological, chemical, geological, and physical processes that shape Earth systems and environmental problems
- Scientific Inquiry & Evidence‑Based Problem Solving: Graduates will apply the scientific method to investigate environmental questions; thereby making systematic observations, forming testable hypotheses, designing appropriate studies, analyzing evidence, and drawing defensible conclusions using appropriate mathematical methods and statistics to address environmental challenges.
- Field, Laboratory, and Technical Tool Proficiency: Graduates will develop competence with the tools, technologies, and methods used to collect, generate, manage, and interpret environmental data in field and laboratory settings, including appropriate geospatial and instrumentation approaches.
- Research, Information Literacy, and Scholarly Practice: Graduates will locate, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically apply scientific information from peer‑reviewed and professional sources to inform environmental analyses, decisions, and solutions.
- Communication for Scientific and Public Audiences: Graduates will communicate environmental science effectively through writing, oral presentation, and other appropriate professional formats to scientific audiences and to non‑specialists, using evidence, clarity, and discipline‑appropriate conventions.
- Integrative, Experiential, and Culminating Application: Graduates will synthesize and apply program knowledge and skills in an integrative culminating experience (e.g., capstone, internship, or research project) that draws on current research, methods, and professional practice to produce a substantive product.
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