Environmental Science| Major

Bachelor's of Science in Environmental Science

Students studying environmental science at Lake Erie College become prepared to study any area of the environment. It's a holistic and multidisciplinary field that integrates biology, physical sciences, social sciences and humanities for one comprehensive environmental science degree. As such, students pursuing this major will study all of those areas within their major.

What can I do with an environmental science degree?

Environmental science covers several areas of study as they relate to the environment and world around us. Students who graduate with an environmental science degree can go on to work in careers related to:

• environmental regulations

• policy

• environmental management

• wildlife or fisheries management

• ecology

• pollution abatement

• soil

• plant studies

Students can also go on for a graduate studies program in related fields to get into environmental law, agronomy, or ecotoxicology.

About The Environmental Science Program at LEC

The Environmental Science major was created with the intent of being holistic. Other schools can be more science or regulatory heavy but LEC’s program focuses on the science, regulatory, and policy side to prepare students in a career in environmental science.

Students pursuing a bachelor's in environmental science at Lake Erie College had an advantage due to our location and local partnerships. Students get hands-on learning experiences in the fields of environmental science through the on-campus sustainability groups as well as partnerships with local conservation groups.

LEC Sustainability Group

Though the student run group LEC Sustainability, students get the chance to make a direct impact on the environment around them while they study environmental science. The group gets involved in multiple conservation efforts and events throughout the year, including:

• planting trees

• hosting talks and keynotes throughout the year

• the community garden project

• campus recycling project

• Group Hikes at Metro Parks

• yearly Earth Day activities

Partnerships with Conservation Groups

Lake Erie College has maintained partnerships with local and regional conservation groups over the years. Through these partnerships, students studying the environmental science major at LEC get access to various projects and internship opportunities throughout the year. Partnerships include:

• The Nature Conservancy

• Western Reserve Land Conservancy

• ODNR

• City of Painesville

• Sewage Treatment

• Ohio Sea Grant

• Clean-Up Projects Around the Community

Environmental Science Careers and Internships

In part due to the partnerships that LEC has created with conservation groups and agencies around the Northeast Ohio area, students have been able to hold internships with organizations like:

• Ohio Sea Grant

• Holden Arboretum

• Ashtabula Metroparks

• Lake Health Department

Students have been able to pursue careers with environmental management groups as well as holding positions within corporations and manufacturing. Many students end up working for the Ohio EPA, USEPA, US Fish and Wildlife or ODNR.

Other students go into wildlife management or even continue their research by becoming a university teacher. Many careers and grad programs are available to students who get a bachelor's in environmental science.

Environmental Science Degree Requirements

Students applying to the environmental science major must have a cumulative GPA of 3.9 or better and earn no grade of D+ or lower in the following required courses:

• BI 101 / BI 101L Introductory Biology I And Lab

• BI 102 / BI 102L

• CH 101 / CH 101L Introduction to General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry I and Lab* OR CH 103 / CH 103L General Chemistry I and Lab

• CH 102 / CH 102L Introduction to General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry II and Lab*

• CH 104 / CH 104L General Chemistry II and Lab

• MT 109 (or higher as placed)

• SC 101 Methods of Science I

• SC 102 Methods of Science II

The student's overall GPA must be 3.0 or higher at the end of their third semester on the LEC campus. The details of the process for admission to the environmental science major will be provided during extended orientation and accessible via LEO. Transfer students must meet with a department advisor to request admission to the program.

For graduation, all chemistry majors must achieve a minimum of 2.5 cumulative GPA and a minimum 2.7 major GPA. Students who are determined to be not making good progress in the major may be dismissed from the major.

Requirements for the Major

Students are required to take 68 semester credits including:

• BI 101 Introductory Biology I (3 SH)

• BI 101L Introductory Biology I Lab (1 SH)

• BI 102 Introductory Biology II (3 SH)

• BI 102L Introductory Biology II Lab (1 SH)

• BI 201 Botany (3 SH)

• BI 201L Botany Lab (1 SH)

• BI 212 Zoology (3 SH)

• BI 212L Zoology Lab (1 SH)

• BI 231 Introduction to Geographic Information System (3 SH)

• BI 330 Evolutionary Biology (3 SH)

• ES 210L Field Biology (2 SH)

• ES 215 Environmental Policy and Regulation (3 SH)

• ES 220 Environmental Management (2 SH)

• ES 220L Environmental Management Lab/Field (1 SH)

• ES 240 Ecotoxicology (3 SH)

• ES 317 Soil Science (3 SH)

• ES 317L Soil Science Lab (1 SH)

• ES 318 Aquatic Ecology (3 SH)

• ES 318L Aquatic Ecology Lab (3 SH)

• ES 319 Ecology & Conservation Biology (3 SH)

• ES 350 Internship in Environmental Science (2 SH)

• ES 490 Environmental Science Senior Capstone (2 SH)

• CH 103 General Chemistry I (3 SH)

• CH 103L General Chemistry I Lab (1 SH)

• CH 104 General Chemistry II (3 SH)

• CH 104L General Chemistry II Lab (1 SH)

• MT 207 Probability and Statistics (3 SH)

• PC 220 Physical Geology (3 SH)

• PC 220L Physical Geology Lab (1 SH)

• PR 301 Environmental Philosophy and Ethics (3 SH)

• SC 101 Methods of Science I (1 SH)

• SC 102 Methods of Science II (1 SH)