M.S. in Environmental Science
Program Faculty and Application
Graduate Program Coordinator: Ed Weber
Program Adviser: Dr. David Shull
Applications are done through the WWU Graduate School.
Program Mission
The Environmental Sciences (ES) and ES Marine and Estuarine Studies Program (ES-MESP) Graduate Program Mission is to educate future professionals who are prepared to deal with the complex array of environmental problems, by bringing together various disciplinary insights and skills. We will develop scientists who can analyze environmental changes and participate in management decisions. Our scientists will be able to respond to public demands for greater protection of environmental quality by developing and using state-of the-art tools and techniques for evaluation, management, remediation and restoration.
Graduate Program Student Learning Goals
The goals of the ES and ES-MESP MS degree are to support student learning and improvement in:
- Foundational knowledge and skills
- Quantitative skills
- Critical thinking.
It is our expectation that our graduates will apply these as professionals who can integrate chemical, physical, biological, and other specialized knowledge in order to understand, predict, and/or manage environmental responses brought about by natural and man-made events.
Prerequisites
A bachelor's degree and college-level course work including a minimum of either:
- One year of general chemistry plus one quarter or semester of organic chemistry, one year of general biology, one course each in ecology, calculus and statistics; or
- One year of general chemistry, one year of physics, two courses in calculus, one course in statistics and one additional physical science or engineering course.
AS OF 18 Sep 2020, the GRE Exam is NO LONGER REQUIRED for our MS, ES Applications.
Program Requirements (45 credits minimum)
Core Requirements (15 credits)
- ESCI 501 (3)
- ESCI 690 (12) - Comprehensive written thesis (includes a public presentation and an oral defense)
Specialization Courses
- Courses selected under advisement from within one area of specialization (12 cr. minimum) (See Below)
- Electives selected under faculty advisement (to total 45 cr. minimum)
Program Specializations
Freshwater and Terrestrial Ecology
The program prepares students to describe, predict and/or manage natural systems and to assess human impacts on those systems.
See the Institute of Watershed Studies home page.
Primary research advisers are Professors Bodensteiner, Helfield, Rybczyk, Andy Bunn, McLaughlin, Rebecca Bunn, Strecker, Sobocinski, Khan, Kodner, and Wallin.
Specialization courses:
- ESCI 408 - Field Methods in Wildlife Ecology Credits: 5
- ESCI 410 - Habitat and Ecology of Pacific Salmon and Trout Credits: 3
- ESCI 423 - Reconstructing Climate Credits: 5
- ESCI 425 - Environmental Biology of Fishes Credits: 3
- ESCI 428 - Freshwater Algae Bioindicators Credits: 4
- ESCI 431 - Watershed Biogeochemistry Credits: 5
- ESCI 463 - Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment Credits: 3
- ESCI 500 - Directed Independent Study Credits:
- ESCI 502 - Experimental Design Credits: 4
- ESCI 503 - Statistical Ecology Credits: 4
- ESCI 504 - Time-Series Analysis for Environmental Data Credits: 4
- ESCI 505 - Spatial Analysis for Environmental Data Credits: 4
- ESCI 517 - Advanced State of the Salish Sea Ecosystem Credits: 5
- ESCI 522 - Estuarine Ecology Credits: 5
- ESCI 529 - Advanced Stream Ecology Credits: 5
- ESCI 530 - Advanced Limnology Credits: 5
- ESCI 533 - Advanced Population Biology Credits: 4
- ESCI 535 - Advanced Landscape Ecology Credits: 4
- ESCI 536 - Environmental Impact Assessment Practicum Credits: 4
- ESCI 539 - Advanced Conservation of Biological Diversity Credits: 5
- ESCI 540 - Wetlands Ecology Credits: 5
- ESCI 542 - Remote Sensing Credits: 5
- ESCI 559 - Aquatic Toxicology Credits: 3
- ESCI 562 - Advanced Air Pollution Credits: 4
- ESCI 590 - Advanced Environmental Risk Assessment Credits: 4
- ESCI 592 - Climate Change Credits: 4
- ESCI 597 (when ecology topic)
- ESCI 599 - Graduate Environmental Studies Seminar Credits:
- ENVS 520 - GIS III: Analysis and Modeling Credits: 4
- ENVS 521 - GIS IV: Advanced GIS Applications Credits: 4
- ENVS 522 - Advanced Spatial Analysis Credits: 4
Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
Focuses on the transport, fate and toxic effects of chemicals in the environment; laboratory testing and field work; chemical analytical measurement of pollutants and the influence of nutritional factors on pollutant toxicity; studies of chemical fate and toxicity at the biochemical, organismal, population and ecosystem levels.
Primary research advisers are Professors Khan, Montano, Sofield, and Landis.
For more information about the Institute for Environmental Toxicology see the Environmental Toxicology homepage.
Specialization courses:
- ESCI 460 - Contaminant Fate and Transport Credits: 4
- ESCI 500 - Directed Independent Study Credits:
- ESCI 502 - Experimental Design Credits: 4
- ESCI 503 - Statistical Ecology Credits: 4
- ESCI 504 - Time-Series Analysis for Environmental Data Credits: 4
- ESCI 505 - Spatial Analysis for Environmental Data Credits: 4
- ESCI 517 - Advanced State of the Salish Sea Ecosystem Credits: 5
- ESCI 536 - Environmental Impact Assessment Practicum Credits: 4
- ESCI 555 - Advanced Environmental Toxicology I Credits: 4
- ESCI 556 - Advanced Environmental Toxicology II Credits: 4
- ESCI 557 - Advanced Environmental Toxicology Laboratory I Credits: 3
- ESCI 558 - Advanced Environmental Toxicology Laboratory II Credits: 3
- ESCI 559 - Aquatic Toxicology Credits: 3
- ESCI 562 - Advanced Air Pollution Credits: 4
- ESCI 590 - Advanced Environmental Risk Assessment Credits: 4
- ESCI 599 - Graduate Environmental Studies Seminar Credits: 1
Energy-Environmental Systems
This program gives students knowledge and analytic skills in the science and technology of today’s diverse energy systems, the environmental effects of these systems, and the technology, policy and management options for a transition to sustainable energy supply and use.
Primary research advisers are Professors Swisher, Barnhart, Shiekh, and Sifuentes.
- ENRG 420 - Advanced Energy Science Credits: 3
- ENRG 464 - Sustainable Building Analysis and Design Credits: 4
- or ESCI 464 - Sustainable Building Analysis and Design Credits: 4
- ENRG 466 - Life Cycle Analysis Credits: 4
- or ESCI 466 - Life Cycle Analysis Credits: 4
- ENRG 482 - Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Credits: 4
- ENRG 484 - Economics of Alternative Energy Credits: 4
- or ECON 484 - Economics of Alternative Energy Credits: 4
- ENVS 520 - GIS III: Analysis and Modeling Credits: 4
- ENVS 526 - Understanding Soil Data Credits: 4
- ENVS 549 - Energy Systems Transitions Credits: 4
- ENVS 559 - Advanced Energy Policy Credits: 4
- ENVS 575 - Community Development Processes Credits: 3
- ESCI 460 - Contaminant Fate and Transport Credits: 4
- ESCI 475 - Renewable Electric Power Systems Credits: 4
- or ENRG 475 - Renewable Electric Power Systems Credits: 4
- ESCI 480 - Applications in Energy Production Credits: 4
- or ENRG 480 - Applications in Energy Production Credits: 4
- ESCI 493 - Environmental Impact Assessment Credits: 5
- or ENVS 493 - Environmental Impact Assessment Credits: 5
- ESCI 500 - Directed Independent Study Credits:
- ESCI 502 - Experimental Design Credits: 4
- ESCI 503 - Statistical Ecology Credits: 4
- ESCI 504 - Time-Series Analysis for Environmental Data Credits: 4
- ESCI 536 - Environmental Impact Assessment Practicum Credits: 4
- ESCI 542 - Remote Sensing Credits: 5
- ESCI 562 - Advanced Air Pollution Credits: 4
- ESCI 590 - Advanced Environmental Risk Assessment Credits: 4
- ESCI 592 - Climate Change Credits: 4
- ESCI 599 - Graduate Environmental Studies Seminar Credits: 1
Marine and Estuarine Science
Focuses on the study of coastal and estuarine ecosystems.
See the MESP page for more information. Primary research advisers are Professors Bingham, Hatch, Kastner, Kodner, Love, McPhee-Shaw, Rybczyk, Sobocinski and Shull.
Specialization courses:
- ESCI 425 - Environmental Biology of Fishes Credits: 3
- ESCI 426 - Marine Invertebrates and Their Environment Credits: 5
- ESCI 432 - Topics in Marine Ecology Credits: 4
- ESCI 445 - Marine Geochemistry Credits: 4
- ESCI 463 - Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment Credits: 3
- ESCI 491 - Oceanography of the Salish Sea Credits: 4
- ESCI 500 - Directed Independent Study (marine topic)
- ESCI 502 - Experimental Design Credits: 4
- ESCI 503 - Statistical Ecology Credits: 4
- ESCI 504 - Time-Series Analysis for Environmental Data Credits: 4
- ESCI 505 - Spatial Analysis for Environmental Data Credits: 4
- ESCI 517 - Advanced State of the Salish Sea Ecosystem Credits: 5
- ESCI 521 - Biological Oceanography Credits: 5
- ESCI 522 - Estuarine Ecology Credits: 5
- ESCI 533 - Advanced Population Biology Credits: 4
- ESCI 540 - Wetlands Ecology Credits: 5
- ESCI 542 - Remote Sensing Credits: 5
- ESCI 597 (when marine topic)
- ESCI 599 - Graduate Environmental Studies Seminar Credits:
- BIOL 508 - Advanced Topics in Marine Biology Credits: 4
Additional Requirement in MES option:
- BIOL 521 - Introduction to Biology Research Credits: 1
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Visit the Marine and Estuarine Science graduate program website for a complete list of participating faculty and their research interests.