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2022-2023

Environmental Studies, Bachelor of Science (and accelerated masters)

VCU

Community college:
A.A.&.S. or A.S. in Science (Virginia Community College System)
Virginia Community College System
Associate degree

A.A.&.S. or A.S. in 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, 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

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+ cumulative GPA, 2.0+ major GPA
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
2022-2023

Environmental Studies, Bachelor of Science (and accelerated masters)

Virginia Community College System (A.A.&.S. or A.S. in 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
  • Schedule an appointment with your community college advisor to map out your associate degree course plan.
  • Enroll in the SDV student success course.
  • Complete your math, english and CHM 111-112 requirements in your first year.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges and utilize tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Explore GRASP financial aid resources and submit the FAFSA on time.
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on your community college campus and in your community (e.g., international festival).
  • Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
  • Create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Prepare for a career after college by creating a brand for yourself.
  • Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
  • Practice independent living skills such as money and time management, self-care, and personal responsibility.
Experience Year 2
  • Apply to VCU.
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Research housing options for next year.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU Center for Environmental Studies, consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
  • Participate in the VCU STEM Transitions: Transfer Success Program after you’re admitted to VCU.
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or VCU Center for Environmental Studies-related events.
  • Check out the VCU Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) and follow @vcuomsa.
  • Find out about VCU REAL and learn about VCU's REAL graduation requirement.
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs throughout the year.
  • Acquire career related experience (e.g., job, internship, organization involvement).
  • If your GPA is 3.5 or higher, consider applying for the VCU Honors College.
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.

Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
  • Schedule an appointment with your community college advisor to map out your associate degree course plan.
  • Enroll in the SDV student success course.
  • Complete your math, english and CHM 111-112 requirements in your first year.
  • Be prepared for academic challenges and utilize tutoring resources to get ahead.
  • Explore GRASP financial aid resources and submit the FAFSA on time.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Identify a mentor in a diversity organization.
  • Attend diversity-focused events on your community college campus and in your community (e.g., international festival).
  • Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Create a weekly and monthly budget.
  • Prepare for a career after college by creating a brand for yourself.
  • Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
  • Practice independent living skills such as money and time management, self-care, and personal responsibility.

Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
  • Apply to VCU.
  • Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
  • Research housing options for next year.
  • Attend a talk or other event sponsored by the VCU Center for Environmental Studies, consider joining a VCU club, or meeting with VCU students to make professional and personal connections.
  • Participate in the VCU STEM Transitions: Transfer Success Program after you’re admitted to VCU.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
  • Consider learning a foreign language to open doors to international organizations and future study.
  • Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
  • Attend VCU cultural events, including the monthly Global Café, VCU Diversity Scholars in Research week, or VCU Center for Environmental Studies-related events.
  • Check out the VCU Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) and follow @vcuomsa.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
  • Find out about VCU REAL and learn about VCU's REAL graduation requirement.
  • Attend Career & Internship Fairs throughout the year.
  • Acquire career related experience (e.g., job, internship, organization involvement).
  • If your GPA is 3.5 or higher, consider applying for the VCU Honors College.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
  • Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
  • Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of career interest.
  • Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
  • Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
  • Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
Recommended courses
Major map compass icon
2022-2023

Environmental Studies, Bachelor of Science (and accelerated masters)

Virginia Community College System (A.A.&.S. or A.S. in Science)

Virginia Community College System courses
Course Title Equivalent course Credits Requirements
Students who earn this associate degree before enrolling at VCU will be eligible for a waiver of VCU's general education requirements.
SDV 100 or 101 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
ENG 112 College Composition II UNIV 200 3 General education
MTH 162 or MTH 167 Precalculus II or Precalculus with Trigonometry MATH 151 3 to 5 Major (Ancillary)
MTH 245 Statistics I STAT 210 3 Major (Ancillary)
BIO 101 General Biology I BIOL/Z 151 4 Major (Ancillary)
BIO 102 General Biology II BIOL/Z 152 4 Major
CHM 111 General Chemistry I CHEM/Z 101 4 Major (Ancillary)
CHM 112 General Chemistry II CHEM/Z 102 4 Major
Physics PHY 201 General Physics I or PHY 241 University Physics I PHYS 201 or PHYS 207 4 Major (Ancillary)
GOL 105 Geology ENVS/Z 105 4 Major
Complete general education and elective requirements for associate degree VCU equivalents 19 to 21 Elective
Community college credits transferred to VCU 60
VCU courses
Course Title Credits Requirements
Your GPA Doesn't Transfer With You Although you worked hard to earn your grades at your current institution, they will only be considered by VCU for an admission decision. Once you enroll at VCU, your GPA will reset to 0.0, and your new GPA will be determined by your level of success in your classes at VCU.
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/POLI 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 Experience 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. 16 Elective
Credits completed at VCU 60
Minimum credits required for bachelor's degree 120
The accelerated B.S. and M.Envs. program allows qualified students to earn both the B.S. in Environmental Studies and the Master of Environmental Studies in a minimum of five years by completing approved graduate courses during the senior year of their undergraduate program. Minimum qualifications for entrance to this accelerated program include completion of 90 undergraduate credit hours, an overall GPA of 3.0, and a GPA of 3.3 in courses required by the environmental studies major.