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2020-2021

Bachelor of Science: Environmental Studies

VCU

Community college:
Associate of Science: Science (Northern Virginia Community College)
Northern Virginia Community College
Northern Virginia Community College
Associate degree

Associate of Science: Science

Program description

VCU’s undergraduate Environmental Studies program is interdisciplinary in nature and combines traditional lecture and hands-on experiential approaches to expose students to the key concepts in and critical links between environmental life sciences, earth sciences, technology. The program offers considerable flexibility and students are able to individually tailor their course of study by completing multiple electives focused on topics of interest. Areas of emphasis could include, for example, environmental technology, environmental policy, geospatial and quantitative analysis, outdoor leadership, and river studies. Students are strongly encouraged to gain internship experience, actively participate in undergraduate research, and participate in our domestic and/or international field courses as undergraduates in our program.

Upon completion of this program, you will have mastered and be able to demonstrate the following:

  • Comprehension of the foundational scientific concepts that underpin understanding of the environment.
  • Comprehension of basic environmental policies that govern society's interactions with the environment.
  • Comprehension of quantitative and technological skills required in environmental research, policy development and education.
  • The ability to communicate about environmental issues in a variety of contexts.
Career opportunities

Environmental professionals perform their duties within a regulatory, economic, and societal context and must be able to communicate the importance of their environmental activities to the larger public. Upon completion of the undergraduate Environmental Studies program, you should should have developed the quantitative, technological, and practical skills needed to excel in a variety of entry-level field and research positions in government service, environmental management, and private industry. Because the environmental field is so broad, the career path that you pursue will depend heavily upon your individual skills, interests, and experiences.

Bachelor-level job titles
  • Conservation Scientists and Foresters
  • Energy Engineers
  • Environmental Compliance Inspectors
  • Environmental Engineering Technicians
  • Environmental Restoration Planners
  • Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health
  • Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
  • Fish and Game Wardens
  • Forest and Conservation Workers
  • Foresters
  • Geographic Information Systems Technicians
  • Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers
Graduate and professional level job titles
  • Attorney
  • Climate Change Analyst
  • Environmental Engineer
  • Environmental Project Manager
  • Environmental Research Manager
  • Hydrologist
  • Industrial Ecologist
  • Policy Advisor
Contact information

 

VCU Transfer Center

Telephone: (804) 827-1349

Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu

Transfer Advising Request

VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist


Office of Admissions

Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638

Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.

Guaranteed transfer admission requirements

Completion of associate degree
Minimum GPA of 2.5
All courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better

Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
Requirements
Highest level of math required
  • ENVS 343
  • MATH 151
Science required
  • 5+ additional science courses
Foreign language requirements
  • Yes
Additional tuition/fees
  • Yes
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
  • 2.0
VCU Major Maps

View VCU Major Map for Environmental Studies

Transfer major map
Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2020-2021

Bachelor of Science: Environmental Studies

Northern Virginia Community College (Associate of Science: Science)

MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
Explore Year 1
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Register for SDV 100 or 101.
  • Meet with your academic advisor or counselor each semester.
  • Start your math sequence and pass ENG 111-112.
  • Cultivate relationships with your professors.
  • Use Navigate to connect with your advisor and create a program plan.
  • Attend diversity-focused events at NOVA and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
  • Attend VCU's annual intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
  • Browse careers related to Environmental Studies through the NOVA career planning system.
  • Explore the community college’s iGrad’s Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Build a LinkedIn profile.
Experience Year 2
  • Meet with your academic advisor or counselor.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Research scholarship opportunities and explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
  • Explore the Center for Environmental Studies website to become familiar with upcoming course offerings, syllabi and professors.
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Research housing for next year.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the Center for Environmental Studies.
  • Join a professional organization related to environmental studies: Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences (AESS).
  • Participate in the STEM Transitions: Transfer Success Program after you’re admitted to VCU.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options at VCU.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus and in your community (i.e. international festival).
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or Center for Environmental Studies-related events.
  • Find out about VCU REAL.
  • Speak with employers that visit campus throughout the year.
  • Plan to complete at least two job experiences (e.g., internships) before your senior year of college.
  • Create a resume.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Register for SDV 100 or 101.
  • Meet with your academic advisor or counselor each semester.
  • Start your math sequence and pass ENG 111-112.
  • Cultivate relationships with your professors.
  • Use Navigate to connect with your advisor and create a program plan.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Attend diversity-focused events at NOVA and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
  • Attend VCU's annual intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Browse careers related to Environmental Studies through the NOVA career planning system.
  • Explore the community college’s iGrad’s Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Build a LinkedIn profile.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Meet with your academic advisor or counselor.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Research scholarship opportunities and explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
  • Explore the Center for Environmental Studies website to become familiar with upcoming course offerings, syllabi and professors.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Research housing for next year.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the Center for Environmental Studies.
  • Join a professional organization related to environmental studies: Association for Environmental Studies and Sciences (AESS).
  • Participate in the STEM Transitions: Transfer Success Program after you’re admitted to VCU.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options at VCU.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on campus and in your community (i.e. international festival).
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or Center for Environmental Studies-related events.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Find out about VCU REAL.
  • Speak with employers that visit campus throughout the year.
  • Plan to complete at least two job experiences (e.g., internships) before your senior year of college.
  • Create a resume.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
Recommended courses
Major map compass icon
2020-2021

Bachelor of Science: Environmental Studies

Northern Virginia Community College (Associate of Science: Science)

Northern Virginia Community College courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
SDV SDV 100 or SDV 101 UNIV 101 1 Elective
ENG 111 College Composition I Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENG 112 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. UNIV 111-112 3 General education
History Select 1: HIS 101 History of Western Civilization I OR HIS 102 History of Western Civilization II OR HIS 111 History of World Civilization I OR HIS 112 History of World Civilization II OR HIS 121 United States History I OR HIS 122 United States History II HIST 3 General education
MTH 167 MTH 167 Pre-Calculus with Trigonometry (Students taking the two semester sequence of precalculus must take both MTH 161 and 162 for a total of 6 credits) MATH 151 5 Major
CST CST 100 Principles of Public Speaking OR CST 110 Introduction to Communication OR CST 126 Interpersonal Communication SPCH 121 3 Elective
ENG 112 College Composition II UNIV 200 3 General education
MTH 263 MTH 263 Calculus I MATH 200 4 Elective
General Education (or ITE 115/119) BIO 101 General Biology I BIOL/Z 151 4 Major
Humanities/Fine Arts Select 1: ART 101 History and Appreciation of Art I OR ART 102 History and Appreciation of Art II OR MUS 121 Music Appreciation I OR PHI 101 Introduction to Philosophy I OR REL 231 Religions of the World I VCU equivalent 3 General education
MTH 245 Statistics I STAT 210 3 Major
Science #1 BIO 102 General Biology II BIOL/Z 152 4 Major
Social/Behavioral Science #1 Select 1: PLS 135 American National Politics OR PLS 211 United States Government I OR PSY 200 Principles of Psychology OR SOC 200 Principles of Sociology OR SOC 211 Principles of Anthropology I VCU equivalent 3 General education
Social/Behavioral Science #2 PLS 241 International Relations I POLI 105 3 General education
Math or Science #1 CHM 111 General Chemistry I CHEM/Z 101 4 Major
MATH or Science #2 CHM 112 General Chemistry II CHEM/Z 102 4 Major
Math or Science #3 PHY 201 General College Physics I PHYS 201 4 Major
Humanities/Fine Arts #2 (Select 1): CST 151 Film Appreciation I OR ENG 241 Survey of American Literature I OR ENG 242 Survey of American Literature II OR ENG 243 Survey of English Literature I OR ENG 244 Survey of English Literature II OR ENG 251 Survey of World Literature I OR ENG 252 Survey of World Literature II VCU equivalent 3 General education
Science #2 GOL 105 Physical Geology ENVS/Z 105 4 Major
Northern Virginia Credits transferred to VCU 61
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
Foreign language through the 102 level. (This requirement can be fulfilled by means of completion of the 102-level of a language or waived if the student completed up through the third level of a foreign language in high school. Additionally, language waiver and placement testing options are available for native or heritage speakers of a non-english language.) 0 to 8 General education
BIOL 317 Ecology 3 Major
ENVS 101 Introduction to Environmental Studies I 3 Major
ENVS 102 Introduction to Environmental Studies II 3 Major
ENVS 222 Electronic Portfolios 1 Major
ENVS 311 Politics of the Environment 3 Major
ENVS 321 Cartography 3 Major
ENVS 325 Environmental Economics 3 Major
ENVS 330 Environmental Pollution 3 Major
ENVS 343 Data Literacy 4 Major
ENVS 355 Water 3 Major
ENVS 401 Meteorology and Climatology 3 Major
ENVS 499 Environmental Studies Capstone 0 Major
Major electives (see VCU advisor for course options) 12 Major
Upper-level electives (300- or 400-level courses) Note: Students must complete a minimum of 45 upper-level credits to graduate from VCU. 15 Elective
Credits completed at VCU 59
Bachelor's degree total 120