Environmental Science and Technology Major

Program Director: Andrew Baldwin, Ph.D.

The Environmental Science and Technology major prepares students for graduate study and careers focusing on understanding the natural and built environments and resolving environmental problems and concerns for the benefit of humans and ecosystems. Specifically, the program encompasses impacts of human society on the natural environment, the effects of environmental conditions on humans and ecosystems, science-based management of ecosystems, watershed and soil-related processes related to environmental quality, and designing solutions to sustainably improve environmental quality of air, water, soil, and biological communities. The ENST major is a science- and math-based curriculum leading to a B.S. degree in Environmental Science and Technology with concentrations in Ecological Technology Design, Ecosystem Health, Soil and Watershed Science, or Natural Resources Management. These concentrations share a foundation in science and mathematics, offer specialization through required concentration core courses, and provide flexibility in course selection in concentration depth and technical elective categories.  The concentrations are designed to provide students with a fundamental understanding of environmental systems and issues and the multidisciplinary quantitative design and analytical tools necessary to solve complex environmental problems.

For future updates and exciting changes, please visit our website at http://enst.umd.edu

Concentrations:

Ecological Technological Design

The ENST concentration in Ecological Technology Design prepares students for integrating natural systems with the built environment to solve environmental problems while achieving economic, ecological and social sustainability. The science and applications of using natural systems, processes and organisms to address environmental issues has evolved during the last few decades to a mature level whereby there are strong employment opportunities for graduates that are cross-educated in ecology and technology. Examples of ecological technology design applications include restoration of urban and rural streams, creation of wastewater treatment wetlands, design of rain gardens and bioretention systems for low-impact stormwater management, design of eco-industrial parks, life cycle assessment of products for improved environmental performance, bioremediation and phytoremediation of contaminated groundwater, ecological systems for by-product recovery, and filtration of contaminated air with bioreactors. The curriculum consists of a broad set of background courses in environmental science, electives in applications of Ecological Technology Design, and upper-level courses that synthesize the major. Hands-on design experience is included in required internship and practicum courses.

Ecosystem Health

The ecosystem health concentration is a broad and increasingly important field with wide ranging applications in the environmental science and public health fields. The field encompasses environmental factors and ecosystem functions that affect human health and the effects of human activities on the ecosystem products and services we depend on. Example topics within the field include ecological risk analysis, environmental toxicology, environmental impact assessment, chemical fate and transport, human health risk assessment, industrial hygiene, air quality, environmental microbiology, food safety and security, biodiversity and human health, and children's environmental health. The Ecosystem Health concentration within the Department of Environmental Science and Technology offers a science-based curriculum that includes advanced studies in ecosystem health and environmental protection and the impacts of environmental degradation on human health.

Natural Resources Management

The goal of the Natural Resources Management concentration is to teach students concepts of the environmentally sound use and management of natural resources. Ecosystems and human societies are linked in complex cycles and relationships between vegetation and wildlife, forests and cities, conservation and development. By learning to participate effectively within these cycles, we will help sustain a harmonious relationship between the environment and human activities. This concentration provides students with the knowledge and skills they need to work in such positions as wildlife biologists, environmental consultants, wetland scientists, forest managers, fisheries biologists, aquatic biologists, and nature interpreters.

Soil and Watershed Science

The Soil and Watershed Science concentration enables students to understand the complex ways in which aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems are influenced by soil properties and processes and land management decisions. The soil performs such critical ecological functions as supplying and purifying water, recycling wastes, nurturing plants, modifying the atmosphere by emitting or sequestering gases and particulates, providing habitat for the most diverse biological communities on Earth, and serving as a medium for human engineering projects.

The concentration in Soil and Watershed Science in ENST provides students with one of the top soil science programs in the nation. The curriculum prepares graduates for work in variety of careers addressing natural resource and environmental issues and provides a rigorous science background for those planning to pursue post-graduate degrees in environmental sciences, soil science, watershed processes, and related fields. Students graduating from this program will make valuable contributions to society as they pursue challenging careers critical to the protection of the environment. In addition to pursuing advanced degrees, graduates may work in both the private and public sectors performing such services as soil mapping, wetland delineation, land conservation planning, forestry, waste management, farm advising, international development, and consulting in environmental, construction, and landscape architecture areas. Graduates from the Soil and Watershed Science concentration will be qualified to take the national exam to become a Certified Professional Soil Scientist (CPSS).

Program Learning Outcomes

  1. Science and Technology Application. Students will demonstrate the ability to apply natural science principles and technology methods (particularly in ENST), and be able to express scientific questions and findings in the context of relevant socio-environmental dimensions.
  2. Quantitative Reasoning. Students will demonstrate the ability to apply basic mathematical and quantitative reasoning in the context of relevant socio-environmental dimensions.
  3. Written and Oral Communication. Students will be able to communicate clearly, concisely, and effectively in writing and speech to scientific, management, policy, or general audiences.
  4. Information Literacy. Students will demonstrate information literacy skills that they can successfully apply in and outside their disciplines.
  5. Technology Fluency. Students will be able to apply technologies to their research and academic efforts in the context of their specific disciplines.
  6. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Respect (DEIR). Students will be able to apply their scientific and technological research and academic efforts in the context of diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect.

This program requires a total of 120 credits for a Bachelor of Science, including the general education program course credits, required major credits; Technology and Ecosystem elective credits, and free elective credits. All courses counted toward the major must be completed with a C- or better. An overall GPA of 2.0 in major courses is required for graduation.

Course Title Credits
ENST Core for all Areas of Concentration
BSCI170
BSCI171
Principles of Molecular & Cellular Biology
and Principles of Molecular & Cellular Biology Laboratory
4
MATH120Elementary Calculus I3
BSCI160
BSCI161
Principles of Ecology and Evolution
and Principles of Ecology and Evolution Lab
4
CHEM131
CHEM132
Chemistry I - Fundamentals of General Chemistry
and General Chemistry I Laboratory
4
ENST200Fundamentals of Soil Science4
ENST233Introduction to Environmental Health4
CHEM231
CHEM232
Organic Chemistry I
and Organic Chemistry Laboratory I
4
PHYS121Fundamentals of Physics I4
GEOG306Introduction to Quantitative Methods for the Geographical Environmental Sciences3
or BIOM301 Introduction to Biometrics
ENST360Ecosystem Ecology4
ENST389Internship3
Concentration (See list below)33-36
Senior Integrative Experience - Choose one course from list below3
Honors Thesis Research
Ideas into Impact
Senior Professional Experience
Capstone
Total Credits77-80

Concentrations:

Ecological Technology Design

Course Title Credits
Concentration Core
ENST281Computer Aided Design in Ecology2
ENST481Ecological Design4
MATH121Elementary Calculus II3
Concentration Depth - Ecology (2 Courses)6
Ecosystem Services: An Integrated Analysis
Soil Microbial Ecology
Wetland Ecology
Watershed Science: Water Balance, Open Channel Flow, and Near Surface Hydrology
Ecosystem Restoration
Concentration Depth - Design (3 Courses)9
Ecological Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Energy and Environment
Renewable Energy
ENST443
Water Management in Urban Environment
Spatial Analysis and Ecological Sampling
Introduction to Earth Observation Science
Geographic Information Systems
GPS & Drone Applications in Surveying
Ecological Technology Design Technical Electives 112
Urban Ecosystems and Human Dimensions:
Urban Wildlife Management
Introduction to Human Dimensions of Global Change
Green Infrastructure and Community Greening
Urban Ecology
Sustainable Technology:
Environmental Microbiology
Sustainable Agriculture
Ecosystem Restoration
Fundamentals of Agricultural Mechanics
Green Roofs and Urban Sustainability
Wetlands:
Wetland Soils
Wetland Ecology
Wetland Restoration
Watershed and Wetland Hydrology
Ecology and Ecosystem Management:
Freshwater Biology
Natural History of the Chesapeake Bay
Principles of Wildlife Management
Forest Ecology
Total Credits36

Ecosystem Health

Course Title Credits
Concentration Core
ENST333Ecosystem Health and Protection3
ENST334Environmental Toxicology3
ENST436Emerging Environmental Threats3
BSCI207Principles of Biology III - Organismal Biology3
BSCI222Principles of Genetics4
or BSCI223 General Microbiology
Concentration Depth (2 Courses)6
Invasive Species Ecology
Soil-Water Pollution
Environmental Microbiology
Ecological Risk Assessment
Ecosystem Health Technical Electives 112
Environmental Health:
Invasive Species Ecology
Soil-Water Pollution
Toxic Contaminants: Sources, Fate, and Effects
Emerging Environmental Threats
Ecological Risk Assessment
Environmental Science and Management:
Energy and Environment
Land Use, Climate Change, and Sustainability
Watershed and Wetland Hydrology
Environmental Microbiology
LARC450
Ecological Processes:
Soil Microbial Ecology
Wetland Ecology
Principles of Wildlife Management
Plant Physiology
Freshwater Biology
Human Health:
Pathogenic Microbiology
Advanced Cell Biology Lab Practices
General Virology
Mammalian Systems Physiology
Chemistry Depth:
Organic Chemistry II
Organic Chemistry Laboratory II
Cultural or Social Dimensions:
Ecosystem Services: An Integrated Analysis
Introduction to Human Dimensions of Global Change
Culture and Natural Resource Management
Sustainability
Scarcity and Modern Society
Total Credits34

Natural Resources Management

Course Title Credits
Concentration Core
BSCI222Principles of Genetics4
ENST214Introduction to Natural Resources Management3
ENST487Environmental Conflicts and Decision Making2
Concentration Depth (4 Courses)12
Spatial Analysis and Ecological Sampling
Introduction to Earth Observation Science
Geographic Information Systems
GPS & Drone Applications in Surveying
Wetland Ecology
Watershed Science: Water Balance, Open Channel Flow, and Near Surface Hydrology
Introduction to Economics and the Environment
Environment, Economics and Policy
Ecosystem Services: An Integrated Analysis
Elements of Agricultural and Resource Economics
ENST424
Wetland Soils
Sustainable Agriculture
Field Techniques in Wildlife Management
Field and Laboratory Techniques in Environmental Science
Natural Resources Management Technical Electives 112
Wildlife:
Principles of Wildlife Management 2
Urban Wildlife Management 2
Mammalogy
and Mammalogy Laboratory 2
Introduction to Environmental Policy 2
Woody Plants for Mid-Atlantic Landscape II
Introduction to Environmental Law 2
Introduction to Environmental Politics
Fisheries:
ENST314
3
Introduction to Communication Inquiry 3
Essentials of Intercultural Communication 3
Introduction to Human Dimensions of Global Change 3
Conceptualizing and Modeling Human-Environmental Interactions 3
Introduction to Environmental Policy 3
Introduction to Environmental Law 3
Introduction to Environmental Politics 3
Wetlands:
Wetland Soils 4
Wetland Ecology 4
Wetland Restoration 4
Watershed and Wetland Hydrology 4
Special Topics in Plant Science (PLSC489O Plant Taxonomy) 4
Woody Plants for Mid-Atlantic Landscape II
Forestry:
Woody Plants for Mid-Atlantic Landscapes I
Woody Plants for Mid-Atlantic Landscape II
Plant Physiology
Forest Ecology
Total Credits33

Soil and Watershed Science

Course Title Credits
Concentration Core
GEOL100
GEOL110
Physical Geology
and Physical Geology Laboratory
4
ENST456Spatial Analysis and Ecological Sampling3
or GEOG272 Introduction to Earth Observation Science
or GEOG373 Geographic Information Systems
or INAG237 GPS & Drone Applications in Surveying
Concentration Depth - Soil Sciences7
Principles of Soil Fertility
Soil Morphology, Genesis and Classification 5
Soil Hydrology and Physics 5
Soil Chemistry 5
Soil Microbial Ecology 5
Concentration Depth - Field Experiences3
Field Soil Morphology I
Field Soil Morphology II
Field Soil Morphology III
Advanced Field Soil Morphology
ENST424
Wetland Soils
Sustainable Agriculture
Wetland Ecology
Concentration Depth - Systems6
World Hunger, Population, and Food Supplies
Ecosystem Services: An Integrated Analysis
Environmental Microbiology
Plant Physiology
Soil and Watershed Science Technical Electives 112
Agriculture and Sustainable Land Use:
World Hunger, Population, and Food Supplies
Global Food Systems
Agroecology
Social Ecology:
General Microbiology
Biology of Insects
Freshwater Biology
Ecosystem Services: An Integrated Analysis
Geosciences:
Mineralogy
Geomorphology
Structural Geology
Sedimentation and Stratigraphy
Low Temperature Geochemistry
Watersheds:
Environmental Toxicology
Soil-Water Pollution
Watershed Science: Water Balance, Open Channel Flow, and Near Surface Hydrology
Groundwater
Watershed and Wetland Hydrology
Ecosystem Restoration
Total Credits35
1

 Any combination of electives can be taken. Courses appear in blocks of related topics to assist students in tailoring their program to particular interests within the concentration. Under some circumstances, other 300 or 400 level electives can be substituted with advisor’s approval.

2

Required for Professional Certification as an Associate Wildlife Biologist by The Wildlife Society.

3

 Required for Professional Certification as an Associate Fisheries Professional by American Fisheries Society.

4

 Required for Professional Certification as a Wetland Professional in Training (WPIT) by The Society of Wetland Scientists Professional Certification Program (SWSPCP).

5

Required for Soil Certification Exam.

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