Major map compass icon
2021-2022

Environmental Studies, Bachelor of Science (accelerated masters degree option)

VCU

Community college:
Associate of Science: Science (Tidewater Community College (program specific pathway))
Tidewater Community College
Tidewater Community College
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, and 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 policy, geospatial and quantitative analysis, outdoor leadership,  river studies, and sustainability. 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.


Graduates of our undergraduate program should 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; and the ability to communicate about environmental issues in a variety of contexts.

Career opportunities

Upon completion of this program, students 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 our graduates choose to pursue depends heavily upon their 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

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+ cumulative GPA, 2.0+ major GPA

Transfer major map
Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost
Major map compass icon
2021-2022

Environmental Studies, Bachelor of Science (accelerated masters degree option)

Tidewater Community College (program specific pathway) (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
  • Attend New Student Orientation.
  • Register for SDV 100.
  • Use Navigate to schedule an appointment with your advisor.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Start your math sequence and pass ENG 111-112.
  • Cultivate relationships with your professors.
  • Attend cultural events at community college 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 Virginia Wizard.
  • Explore the community college’s iGrad’s Job Genius Search Engine to look into building a career and financial future.
  • Build a LinkedIn profile.
  • Familiarize yourself with the Career Services offered at Community College and VCU and explore Career Pathways on the VCU website.
  • Take a career assessment through the Virginia Wizard.
  • Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).
Experience Year 2
  • Explore the VCU Environmental Studies website to become familiar with upcoming course offerings, syllabi and professors.
  • Research scholarship opportunities and explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Meet with your academic advisor.
  • Explore the accelerated BS to MEnvs program.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or Environmental Studies department-related events.
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs at community college or VCU to explore your interests.
  • Acquire career related experience (e.g., job, internship, organization involvement).
  • Create a draft resume and bring it to career services advisor or workshop for review.
  • Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
  • 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 the types of aid available at VCU.

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Attend New Student Orientation.
  • Register for SDV 100.
  • Use Navigate to schedule an appointment with your advisor.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Start your math sequence and pass ENG 111-112.
  • Cultivate relationships with your professors.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Attend cultural events at community college 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 Virginia Wizard.
  • 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
  • Familiarize yourself with the Career Services offered at Community College and VCU and explore Career Pathways on the VCU website.
  • Take a career assessment through the Virginia Wizard.
  • Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
  • Practice independent living skills (such as money management, self-care, time management, and personal responsibility).

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Explore the VCU Environmental Studies website to become familiar with upcoming course offerings, syllabi and professors.
  • Research scholarship opportunities and explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges in your classes. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Meet with your academic advisor.
  • Explore the accelerated BS to MEnvs program.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or Environmental Studies department-related events.
  • Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs at community college or VCU to explore your interests.
  • Acquire career related experience (e.g., job, internship, organization involvement).
  • Create a draft resume and bring it to career services advisor or workshop for review.
  • Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
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.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.

Recommended courses
Major map compass icon
2021-2022

Environmental Studies, Bachelor of Science (accelerated masters degree option)

Tidewater Community College (program specific pathway) (Associate of Science: Science)

Tidewater Community College (program specific pathway) courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
SDV 100 College Success Skills 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
MTH 161 PreCalculus I MATH 141 3 General education
Humanities elective Select 1: PHI 101, 111, 220; ART 101, 102; MUS 121; CST 151; REL 230 VCU equivalent 3 General education
Science with Lab CHM 111 General Chemistry I CHEM/Z 101 4 Major (Ancillary)
ENG 112 College Composition II UNIV 200 3 General education
MTH 162 PreCalculus II MATH 151 3 Major
Health/PE elective VCU equivalent 2 Elective
History elective Select 1: HIS 101, 102, 111, 112, 121, 122 HIST 3 Elective
Science with Lab CHM 112 General Chemistry II CHEM/Z 102 4 Major
CST 100 Principles of Public Speaking SPCH 121 3 Elective
Science with Lab BIO 101 General Biology I BIOL/Z 151 4 Major (Ancillary)
History elective Select 1: HIS 101, 102, 111, 112, 121, 122 HIST 3 General education
Approved elective MTH 245 Statistics I STAT 210 3 Major (Ancillary)
Approved elective GOL 105 Physical Geology ENVS 105 4 Major
Science with Lab BIO 102 General Biology II BIOL/Z 152 4 Major
Social Science Select 1: PSY 200, SOC 200, 211, PLS 211, 241 VCU equivalent 3 General education
Humanities elective Select 1: ENG 200-level literature; PHI 101, 111, 220; ART 101, 102; MUS 121; CST 151; REL 230 VCU equivalent 3 General education
Approved elective PHY 201 General College Physics I PHYS 201 4 Major (Ancillary)
Tidewater credits transferred to VCU 60
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
BIOL 317 Ecology 3 Major
ECON 325 Environmental Economics 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 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
Electives Note: Students must complete a minimum of 45 upper-level credits (300- or 400-level courses) to graduate from VCU. 16 Elective
Credits completed at VCU 60
Bachelor's degree total 120