Master of Science in Environmental Science

graduate-programs

Lincoln University Graduate Student Bulletin 2011 - 2013

Environmental science is the study of the interactions between the atmosphere, biosphere, geosphere, and hydrosphere with emphasis on the degradation of the environment as a consequence of human activity and its impact on biopersity and sustainability. It is an inherently interdisciplinary field that draws knowledge from the natural and social sciences as well as law. Based on this fact our graduate degree program is designed on the following fundamental guiding principles:

  1. Environmental problems and issues facing society are by nature complex. Studying and developing solutions and policies to address and prevent such problems through a sound and rigorous interdisciplinary approach.
  2. Provide strong problem-solving skills that take into account the complexity of the problem or issue (i.e., science, politics, technology constraints, economics, and other societal issues).
  3. Provide a strong grounding in a particular area of environmental science (e.g., applied ecology, environmental chemistry, risk assessment, water resources, or a specialization tailored to the student's needs) along with some exposure to the wide range of disciplines or fields of study that intersect in addressing most environmental problems.
  4. To recruit students with perse backgrounds within the State of Missouri, nationally, and internationally who are qualified to study Environmental Science at the Masters level.
  5. To provide students with quantitative and analytical skills that can be applied to a wide spectrum of environmental issues.
  6. To equip students with problem solving skills and the ability to anticipate them.
  7. To prepare students enrolled in the program in their pursuit of employment in environmental science fields.

Admissions Requirements:

Applicants seeking admission to the M.S. in Environmental Science program must meet the following requirements:

  1. Compliance with all of the eligibility requirements of the Graduate Studies Office as set forth in the Graduate catalog.
  2. Acceptance to graduate study by the Department of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences and the Graduate Studies Office.   
  3. Candidates for the M.S. degree must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college in Environmental Sciences or related field with an undergraduate minimum grade point average of 2.75 on 4.00 scale.
  4. Minimum verbal plus quantitative GRE score of 800. Students not meeting this score must maintain a 3.00 average for the first nine hours of graduate credit before admission to candidacy. GRE scores must be on file in the Graduate Office before a student's application for admission will be evaluated. The GRE will be waived for applicants with a graduate degree (Master's or higher) from an accredited institution.
  5. Three letters of reference on the student's ability to do graduate work, submitted with the student's application for admission to the Graduate Studies Office.

Applicants must provide the Graduate Studies Office with official transcripts of all previous college and/or university studies and official copies of GRE and TOEFL (if applicable) scores. If the transcripts are not in English, certified copies of English translations must be included.

For Additional Program Information,
Contact:

Dr. Frieda Eivazi
(573) 681-5461
EivaziF@LincolnU.edu
 

For Admission Information and Application Forms,
Contact:

Ms. Irasema Steck
Graduate Studies
(573) 681-5247
SteckI@LincolnU.edu

Or visit the Graduate Studies webpage

PROGRAM STRUCTURE

General Guidelines

Environmental Science course requirements are listed below. The department has developed graduate core course and electives for students enrolled in the program. The program offers advanced courses in specialized areas such as environmental chemistry, environmental remediation, data analysis, instrumental analysis, limnology, remote sensing, watershed management, and wetland ecology. Graduate students may also take courses offered in other departments if the courses are relevant to environmental science and the student's professional goals. Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00 (out of 4.00) in all course work presented for the degree. Under the guidance of an advisor, graduate students have the option to choose from either a thesis or non-thesis option to complete their studies. A minimum of one credit hour of graduate seminar must be included in each student's graduate program. 

Requirements for MS Degree, Thesis Option

Students pursuing the MS in Environmental Science with the thesis option must successfully complete at least 30 graduate credits (24 semester hours of course work and 6 hours of thesis research), not less than 21 of which must be earned at Lincoln University.  A master's thesis shall be carried out under the supervision of a thesis committee. Students must present and defend their graduate research project.

The following minimum numbers of credits in the indicated areas are required to complete the thesis option:

  • 18 credits of Environmental Science courses,
  • 6 credits of courses related to the student's area of focus, and
  • 6 credits of ENV 599, Thesis research
 Requirements for MS Degree, Non-Thesis Option

Students seeking the MS in Environmental Science with the non-thesis option must complete at least 33 graduate credits of course work. They must complete a 3 extra credit hour non-thesis research or literature survey based work on Current Topics in Environmental Science plus take a comprehensive examination. A student wishing to pursue the non-thesis MS option must obtain approval of the Current Topics title from her/his advisor before the commencement of work. 

The following minimum numbers of credits in the indicated areas are required to complete the non-thesis MS:

  • 18 credits of Environmental Science courses,
  • 12 credits of courses related to the student's area of focus, and
  • 3 credits of ENV 595, Current Topics in Environmental Science

 

Core  Required Courses (10 Hours)

ENV 510       Environmental Chemistry, 3 credits

ENV 515       Environmental Monitoring and Remediation, 3 credits

ENV 590       Seminar in Environmental Science, 1 credit

MAT 405G     Applied Statistics, 3 credits

 

Electives -Graduate Environmental Science Courses (0-18 Hours)*

ENV 525       Applied Watershed Management, 3 credits

ENV 520       Instrumental Analysis, 3 credits

ENV 530       Limnology, 3 credits

ENV 535       Wetland Ecology and Management, 3 credits

ENV 540       Remote Sensing of the Environment, 3 credits

ENV 595       Current Topics in Environmental Science, 3 credits  

ENV 599       Thesis research

 

Graduate Support Courses (0-20 Hours)

BIO 501          Immunology    (3 credits)

BIO 523          Ecology (4 credits) 

CHM 501        Physical Chemistry I   (3 credits)

CHM 502        Physical Chemistry II (3 credits)

CHM 503L     Physical Chemistry I Laboratory (1 credit)

CHM 504L     Physical Chemistry II Laboratory (1 credit)

CHM 505        Inorganic Chemistry (4 credits)

GIS 516        Geographic Information Systems Applications (3 credits)

 

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Online Graduate Courses (0-9 Hours)

AGRO 818    Agricultural Biochemistry                               (2 credits)

NRES 875       Water Quality Strategy                                  (3)

NRES 853       Hydrology                                                      (3)

NRES 819       Chemistry of Natural Waters                         (3)

AECN 857      Natural Resources and Environmental Law  (3)

AECN 865      Resource and Environmental Economics      (3)

 

* A minimum of 6-12 hours of electives must be in the area of Environmental Science.