2015-2016 Academic Catalog

Apr 24, 2024

2015-2016 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Earth and Environmental Sciences, BA

Print Degree Planner (opens a new window) |

Earth Sciences
Earth Science/Chemistry Education Concentration
Life Science/Earth Science Education Concentration

Program Description:

Earth Sciences:

The department offers programs leading to the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees in earth sciences. Both programs are designed to include earth and related sciences and to prepare students for graduate study or professional employment. Professional earth scientists are employed in protecting and enhancing natural resources (environment, surface, and ground waters), as well as in exploring for new resources (oil, gas, and minerals). The Bachelor of Science program is more highly structured and through the various options offered is intended to prepare students for specific professional or technical careers. The Bachelor of Arts program is intended to be more flexible and to permit students with either broad or specialized interests to fulfill their program needs. The Bachelor of Arts program readily permits interdisciplinary programs such as a dual major in an unrelated field.

Honors Program:

Candidates for the B.A. or B.S. degree who have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher may apply at the end of their junior year for admission to the departmental honors program. Requirements for graduation with honors are a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and satisfactory completion of a senior thesis under the guidance of a faculty member. The thesis requires a total of six to nine credits of EES 4960 - Senior Thesis Research . Students may choose the topic from any branch of earth and environmental sciences; current course listings in this catalog may be taken as a rough indication of the range available.

Application forms for the honors program are available in the department office and require the following:

A summary proposal of the senior thesis topic;
Expected date of graduation (which must be at least three full quarters, not including summer quarter, after the date of the application);
The endorsement of the student’s departmental advisor and that of the senior thesis advisor, if not the same

Bachelor of Arts Degree:

The Bachelor of Arts curriculum is designed for students who desire scientific training, especially through interdisciplinary programs. Because of its broad and flexible approach, students who elect to follow a Bachelor of Arts program should have specific educational objectives that can be reasonably attained through this program.

Earth Sciences Education:

Students who wish to teach earth sciences in Ohio public high schools can pursue the Bachelor of Arts degree. Upon completion of this undergraduate degree program in the College of Science and Mathematics, students then must complete the Professional Educators Program (PEP) Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree through Wright State’s College of Education and Human Services. Graduates of the B.A. or B.S. in earth sciences and the M.Ed. Professional Educators Program are eligible to seek licensure from the Ohio Department of Education in Earth and Space Sciences, Earth Sciences/Chemistry or Life Sciences/Earth Sciences, depending on the content of the undergraduate curriculum.

For additional information:

Earth Sciences

Program Requirements:

I. Wright State Core: 40 Hours

Element 1: Communication: 6 Hours

Element 2: Mathematics: 4 Hours

Required

MTH 2240 - Applied Calculus Credit Hour(s): 4 or
MTH 2300 - Calculus I Credit Hour(s): 4

Element 3: Global Traditions: 6 Hours

Element 4: Arts and Humanities: 3 Hours

Element 5: Social Sciences: 6 Hours

Element 6: Natural Sciences: 8 Hours

Required

EES 2510 - Earth Systems Credit Hour(s): 4
EES 2550 - Earth History Credit Hour(s): 4

Additional Core Courses: 7 Hours

Required

MTH 2310 - Calculus II Credit Hour(s): 4 or
STT 2640 - Elementary Statistics Credit Hour(s): 4

II. Departmental Core Requirements: 9 Hours

EES 3120 - Earth Materials Credit Hour(s): 4
EES 4340 - Mapping Methods Credit Hour(s): 2
EES 4280 - Earth and Environmental Sciences Colloquium Credit Hour(s): .5 (taken twice)
EES 4350 - Field Mapping Credit Hour(s): 2 or
EES 4360 - Environmental Field Techniques Credit Hour(s): 2

III. Departmental Requirements and Electives: 24 Hours

Choose 24 hours from approved electives:

EES 3160 - Stratigraphy and Sedimentology Credit Hour(s): 4
EES 3250 - Climate Change Credit Hour(s): 3
EES 4190 - Paleobiology Credit Hour(s): 3
EES 4210 - Structural Geology and Tectonics Credit Hour(s): 4
EES 4220 - Introduction to Geophysics Credit Hour(s): 4
EES 4240 - Oceanography Credit Hour(s): 3
EES 4270 - Process Geomorphology Credit Hour(s): 3
EES 4290 - Remote Sensing of Earth Credit Hour(s): 3
EES 4300 - Environmental Applications of Geographic Information Systems Credit Hour(s): 4
EES 4330 - Global Biogeochemical Cycles Credit Hour(s): 3
EES 4430 - Analysis and Prediction of Complex Natural and Human Systems Credit Hour(s): 3
EES 4460 - Sequence Stratigraphy Credit Hour(s): 3
EES 4540 - Subsurface Fluid Flow Credit Hour(s): 3
EES 4550 - Aqueous Environmental Geochemistry Credit Hour(s): 3
EES 4560
EES 4610 - Near-Surface Geophysics Credit Hour(s): 3
EES 4960 - Senior Thesis Research Credit Hour(s): .5 to 5

IV. Related Course Requirements: 43 Hours

CHM 1210 - General Chemistry I Credit Hour(s): 3
CHM 1210L - General Chemistry Lab I Credit Hour(s): 2
CHM 1220 - General Chemistry II Credit Hour(s): 3
CHM 1220L - General Chemistry Lab II Credit Hour(s): 2
or
PHY 1110 - Principles of Physics I Credit Hour(s): 4
PHY 1110L - Principles of Physics Lab I Credit Hour(s): 1
PHY 1120 - Principles of Physics II Credit Hour(s): 4
PHY 1120L - Principles of Physics Lab II Credit Hour(s): 1
or
BIO 1120 - Cells and Genes Credit Hour(s): 4
BIO 1150 - Organisms and Ecosystems Credit Hour(s): 4

Electives NOT from COSM or CECS: 18 Hours

Approved electives from COSM or CECS: 17 Hours

which may include up to 8 hours of EES courses

V. General Electives: 10 Hours

Total: 126 Hours

Graduation Planning Strategy

The Graduation Planning Strategy (GPS) has been created to illustrate one option to complete degree requirements within a particular time frame. Students are encouraged to meet with their academic advisor to adjust this plan based on credit already earned, individual needs or curricular changes that may not be reflected in this year’s catalog.

Earth Science/Chemistry Education Concentration

Program Description:

The EES-BA-Earth Sciences/Chemistry Education Concentration is designed for students pursuing careers as high school (Adolescent/Young Adult) teachers. Upon completion of the degree, students who wish to pursue teaching licensure must then complete the Professional Educators Program Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree which is available through Wright State’s College of Education and Human Services. Graduates of the undergraduate program and the M.Ed. Professional Educators Program are eligible to seek licensure from the Ohio Department of Education in Earth Sciences and Chemistry.

Program Requirements:

I. Wright State Core: 40 Hours

Element 1: Communication: 6 Hours

Element 2: Mathematics: 4 Hours

Required

MTH 2300 - Calculus I Credit Hour(s): 4

Element 3: Global Traditions: 6 Hours

Element 4: Arts and Humanities: 3 Hours

Element 5: Social Sciences: 6 Hours

Element 6: Natural Sciences: 8 Hours

Required

EES 2510 - Earth Systems Credit Hour(s): 4
EES 2550 - Earth History Credit Hour(s): 4

Additional Core Courses: 7 Hours

Required

MTH 2310 - Calculus II Credit Hour(s): 4

II. Departmental Core Requirements: 22 Hours

EES 3100 - Earth Science Research Credit Hour(s): 3
EES 3120 - Earth Materials Credit Hour(s): 4
EES 3230 - Introduction to the Ocean Credit Hour(s): 3
EES 4190 - Paleobiology Credit Hour(s): 3
EES 4340 - Mapping Methods Credit Hour(s): 2
EES 4350 - Field Mapping Credit Hour(s): 2
EES 4510 - Effective Scientific Communication Credit Hour(s): 3
EES 4280 - Earth and Environmental Sciences Colloquium Credit Hour(s): .5 (taken twice)

III. Departmental Requirements and Electives: 0 Hours

IV. Related Course Requirements: 72 Hours

BIO 1120 - Cells and Genes Credit Hour(s): 4
BIO 1150 - Organisms and Ecosystems Credit Hour(s): 4
CHM 1210 - General Chemistry I Credit Hour(s): 3
CHM 1210L - General Chemistry Lab I Credit Hour(s): 2
CHM 1220 - General Chemistry II Credit Hour(s): 3
CHM 1220L - General Chemistry Lab II Credit Hour(s): 2
CHM 2110 - Organic Chemistry I Credit Hour(s): 3
CHM 2110L - Organic Chemistry Laboratory I Credit Hour(s): 2
CHM 2120 - Organic Chemistry II Credit Hour(s): 3
CHM 2120L - Organic Chemistry II Laboratory Credit Hour(s): 2
CHM 3120 - Quantitative Analysis Credit Hour(s): 2
CHM 3120L - Quantitative Analysis Laboratory Credit Hour(s): 3
CHM 3510 - Physical Chemistry I: Thermodynamics and Kinetics Credit Hour(s): 3
CHM 3510L - Physical Chemistry Laboratory I Credit Hour(s): 2
PHY 1060 - Astronomy Credit Hour(s): 3
PHY 1060L - Astronomy Laboratory Credit Hour(s): 1
PHY 2400 - General Physics I Credit Hour(s): 4
PHY 2400L - General Physics I Laboratory Credit Hour(s): 1
PHY 2410 - General Physics II Credit Hour(s): 4
PHY 2410L - General Physics II Laboratory Credit Hour(s): 1
ED 2600 - Introduction to Education Credit Hour(s): 3
ED 2650 - Early Field Experience I: Introduction to the Education Profession Credit Hour(s): 1
ED 2700 - Educational Psychology Credit Hour(s): 3
ED 2750 - Early Field Experience II: Introduction to Educational Psychology Credit Hour(s): 1
EDS 2900 - Individuals with Exceptionalities Credit Hour(s): 3

Electives NOT from COSM or CECS: 7 Hours

At least 4 of these hours must be numbered 3000 or above.

V. General Electives: 0 Hours

Total: 134 Hours

Graduation Planning Strategy

Earth Sciences-Chemistry Education, BA (GPS)

Life Science/Earth Science Education Concentration

Program Description:

The EES-BA-Life Sciences/Earth Sciences Education Concentration is designed for students pursuing careers as high school (adolescent/Young Adult) teachers. Upon completion of the degree, students who wish to pursue teaching licensure must then complete the Professional Educators Program Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree, which is available through Wright State’s College of Education and Human Services. Graduates of the undergraduate program and the M.Ed. Professional Educators Program are eligible to seek licensure from the Ohio Department of Education in Lief Sciences and Earth Sciences.