Major Requirements

The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Virginia Wesleyan is designed to provide a solid foundation in the earth sciences as well as supporting coursework in chemistry, biology, and physics. In addition to mastering concepts, students will receive hands-on skills to include field methods, laboratory techniques, GIS (geographic information systems) and research.

Earth and Environmental Sciences (B.A.)

The B.A. program is designed to provide a broad background in the fundamentals of earth science for students who intend to have careers in secondary education, business, or law, or a double major.

Course Number And Title

Sem. Hrs.

EES 131: Physical Geology with Laboratory 4
EES 133: Environmental Geology with Laboratory 4
BIO 130: Principles of Biology I: Ecology and Evolution 4
CHEM 120: Introductory Chemistry 4
One of the following:
CHEM 210: Analytical Chemistry
EES/CHEM 270: Environmental Chemistry
CHEM 200: Inorganic Chemistry
CHEM 221: Organic Chemistry I
4
One of the following:
EES 200: Oceanography
EES 210: Meteorology
4
EES/CHEM 450 Biogeochemistry 4
Sixteen Credits from the following:
EES 250: Field Experiences in Earth and Environmental Sciences (2 or 4)
EES 300: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
EES 320: Energy and the Environment
EES 330: Advanced Topics in Geology
EES 340: Climatology
EES 393: Scanning Electron Microscopy (2)
EES 394: Energy Dispersive Spectrometry (2)
EES 400: Scanning Electron Microscopy
EES 410: Physical Hydrology
EES 470: Internship in the Natural Sciences
EES 489: Research in the Natural Sciences
16
One of the following:
BIO 316: General Ecology
BIO 340: Tropical Marine Ecology
BIO 355: Marine Ecology
BIO/EES 375: Topics in Tropical Biology
4
Total hours required 48

Earth and Environmental Sciences (B.S.)

The B.S. program is intended for students who plan to pursue a graduate degree in earth or environmental sciences and has additional mathematics requirements.

Course Number And Title

Sem. Hrs.

EES 131: Physical Geology with Laboratory 4
EES 133: Environmental Geology with Laboratory 4
BIO 130: Principles of Biology I: Ecology and Evolution 4
CHEM 120: Introductory Chemistry 4
One of the following:
CHEM 210: Analytical Chemistry
EES/CHEM 270: Environmental Chemistry
CHEM 200: Inorganic Chemistry
CHEM 221: Organic Chemistry I
4
One of the following:
EES 200: Oceanography
EES 210: Meteorology
4
EES 300: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems 4
EES 330: Advanced Topics in Geology 4
Three of the following:
EES 320: Energy and the Environment
EES 330: Advanced Topics in Geology
EES 340: Climatology
EES 410: Physical Hydrology
EES 489: Research in the Natural Sciences
12

One of the following:
BIO 316: General Ecology
BIO 340: Tropical Marine Ecology
BIO 355: Marine Ecology
BIO/EES 375: Topics in Tropical Biology

4
EES/CHEM 450: Biogeochemistry 4

One of the following:
EES 250: Field Experiences in Earth and Environmental Sciences
EES elective at 300/400 level
BIO 316: General Ecology
BIO 320: Ornithology
BIO 340: Tropical Marine Ecology
BIO 355: Marine Ecology
BIO/EES 375: Topics in Tropical Biology
BIO 377: Entomology and Arachnology
BIO 482: Microbiology
ENVS 283: Seminar in Alaska
ENVS 326: Environmental Policy Analysis
ENVS 420: Topics in Sustainability

4
Two of the following:
PHYS 221: University Physics I
MATH 210: Introductory Statistics
MATH 172: Calculus II
MATH 274: Ordinary Differential Equations
MATH 310: Statistical Models
8
Total hours required 64

Minor Requirements

Earth and Environmental Sciences

Course Number And Title

Sem. Hrs.

One of the following:
EES 130: Physical Geology without Laboratory
EES 131: Physical Geology with Laboratory
EES 132: Environmental Geology without Laboratory
EES 133: Environmental Geology with Laboratory

4
One of the following:
EES 200: Oceanography
EES 210: Meteorology
4
EES 270: Environmental Chemistry AND/OR Any 300/400-level courses 12
Total 20

Marine Science

Course Number And Title

Sem. Hrs.

EES 200: Oceanography 4
BIO 355: Marine Ecology 4
Select three courses from the following:

BIO 340: Tropical Marine Ecology
BIO 354: Marine Invertebrate Evolution
BIO 373: Invertebrate Zoology
BIO/EES 489: Research in the Natural Sciences*
EES 300: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
EES 340: Climatology
EES 450: Biogeochemistry

12
Total 20

*Course requires approval from the department coordinator of either Biology or Earth and Environmental Sciences to ensure marine science related content.