Concerned about the environment and humankind's impact on the natural world? By integrating natural and social sciences, our Environmental Studies A.S. program enables you to analyze environmental issues, consider the causes and develop possible solutions for sustaining and preserving our natural world. You can participate in hands-on research at our aquaponics lab at the Pottstown Campus or earn a Certificate of Completion in GIS Operations.
At the end of the program you can easily transfer to a four-year institution and continue your environmental studies. You will also be prepared to major in such fields as environmental engineering, habitat biology, public policy or GIS.
Program outcomes
- Use established scientific standards and methods to install, calibrate, and manipulate basic laboratory and field equipment;
- Use established scientific standards and methods to collect, analyze, and interpret environmental data;
- Use established scientific standards and methods to hypothesize, communicate, and critique environmental forecasts;
- Analyze the sustainability of systems within an ecosystem.
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Program Curriculum
General Education Requirements
Course ID | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
ENG 101 | English Composition II,W | 3 |
ENG 102, ENG 115 or GLG 151*** | English Composition II, Writing for Technical Communication or Physical GeologyI,W | 3 - 4 |
CMS 110 or CMS 120 | Speech Communication or Public SpeakingI,O | 3 |
Elective | Aesthetic Sensibility | 3 |
GEO 130 | Cultural GeographyC | 3 |
GEO 210 or GEO 220 | Introduction to GIS or Map Design in GISI,T | 3 |
GLG 115 | Environmental Geology | 4 |
MAT 130 | Probability and StatisticsQ | 4 |
Major Requirements
Course ID | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
BIO 115 | Environmental BiologyE | 3 |
BIO 121 or BIO 151* | General Biology I or Principles of Biology IS | 4 |
BIO 122 or BIO 152* | General Biology II or Principles of Biology IIS | 4 |
BIO 256 | EcologyE | 4 |
CHE 121 or CHE 151* | General Chemistry I or Principles of Chemistry IS | 4 |
CHE 122 or CHE 152* | General Chemistry II or Principles of Chemistry II | 4 |
ESW 245 | Safety and First Aid | 3 |
GLG 125 | Climate Change | 4 |
MAT 161 | Precalculus I | 4 |
MAT 162 | Precalculus II | 4 |
Full-time sample course schedule
Semester 1
Course ID | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
BIO 115 | Environmental Biology | 3 |
BIO 121 or BIO 151 | General Biology I or Principles of Biology I* | 4 |
CHE 121 or CHE 151 | General Chemistry I or Principles of Chemistry I* | 4 |
MAT 161 | Precalculus I | 4 |
Semester 2
Course ID | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
BIO 122 or BIO 152 | General Biology II or Principles of Biology II* | 4 |
CHE 122 or CHE 152 | General Chemistry II or Principles of Chemistry II* | 4 |
MAT 162 | Pre-Calculus II | 4 |
ENG 101 | English Composition I | 3 |
Semester 3
Course ID | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
BIO 256 | Ecology | 4 |
GLG 115 | Environmental Geology | 4 |
ENG 102, ENG 115 or GLG 151 | English Composition II, Writing for Technical Communication or Physical Geology*** | 3-4 |
GEO 130 | Cultural Geography | 3 |
CMS 110 or CMS 120 | Introduction to Speech Communication or Public Speaking | 3 |
Semester 4
Course ID | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
GLG 125 | Science of Climate Change | 4 |
GEO 210 or GEO 220 | Introduction to GIS or Map Design in GIS | 3 |
MAT 130 | Probability & Statistics | 4 |
ESW 245 | Safety and First Aid | 3 |
Elective | Aesthetic Sensibility | 3 |
Part-time sample course schedule
Semester 1
Course ID | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
ENG 101 | English Composition I | 3 |
BIO 115 | Environmental Biology | 3 |
Semester 2
Course ID | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
GLG 115 | Environmental Geology | 4 |
MAT 161 | Precalculus I | 4 |
Semester 3
Course ID | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
CHE-121 or CHE-151 |
General Chemistry I or Principles of Chemistry I* | 4 |
MAT 162 | Pre-Calculus II | 4 |
Semester 4
Course ID | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
BIO 121 or BIO 151 | General Biology I or Principles of Biology I* | 4 |
GEO 130 | Cultural Geography | 3 |
Semester 5
Course ID | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
CHE 122 or CHE 152 | General Chemistry II or Principles of Chemistry II* | 4 |
ENG 102, ENG 115 or GLG 151 | English Composition II, Writing for Technical Communication or Physical Geology*** | 3-4 |
Semester 6
Course ID | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
BIO 122 or BIO 152 | General Biology II or Principles of Biology II* | 4 |
CMS 110 or CMS 120 | Speech Communication or Public Speaking | 3 |
Semester 7
Course ID | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
BIO 256 | Ecology | 4 |
ESW 245 | Safety and First Aid | 3 |
Semester 8
Course ID | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
GLG 125 | Science of Climate Change | 4 |
GEO 210 or GEO 220 | Introduction to GIS or Map Design in GIS | 3 |
Semester 9
Course ID | Title | Credits |
---|---|---|
MAT 130 | Probability and Statistics | 4 |
Elective | Aesthetic Sensibility | 3 |
*Students planning to transfer to an Environmental Science program should take BIO-151 and BIO-152, and CHE-151 and CHE-152. This generally requires students to test out of BIO 121, to test into MAT 161, and to have earned a "C" in high school Chemistry withn the last five years.
***Students planning to transfer to an Environmental Science program should consider GLG-151. Students planning to transfer to an Environmental Policy or Environmental & Society program should consider ENG-102 or ENG-115.