Master of Science - Environmental Science (On Hold)

Plan Description

The School of Environmental and Public Affairs administers an interdisciplinary program offering Environmental Science M.S. and Ph.D. degrees.

Description and Objectives of the Program

The graduate program in Environmental Science fosters an understanding of interrelationships between disciplines in addition to requiring depth of study in specialized areas. It emphasizes the need to understand the social context and environmental consequences of using science and technology to serve human needs. We require all students to take two core courses: Environmental Problem Solving (ENV 702), and Environmental Law and Policy Seminar (ENV 703). Other course work in support of a student’s specialization generally includes courses from several departments and student research often crosses disciplinary lines.

The general objectives of offering a M.S. degree in Environmental Science at UNLV are to:

1. Promote the understanding of environmental systems, the relationship among science, environmental management and the human condition, and the effective management of that relationship.
2. Respond to local, state, regional, national and international needs for environmental professionals with advanced degrees.
3. Assist in the process of shifting toward more sustainable practices in our local community, state and throughout the world.
4. Encourage graduate students, undergraduate students, and faculty from various departments, colleges and NSHE institutions to collaborate in an effort to find new and creative solutions to environmental problems.
5. Assist in the development of expertise that will both support excellence in Environmental Science at UNLV and lead to the enhancement of disciplinary graduate programs of each department.
6. Provide opportunities and encouragement for both disciplinary and interdisciplinary student and faculty interactions that will promote team-building; undergraduate, graduate, faculty mentoring activities; community problem-solving; and enhance instructional programs at UNLV.
7. Support graduate student research with grants and contracts from extramural sources.
8. Encourage faculty and graduate student research on environmental projects developed in cooperation with the UNLV International Programs Office and institutions abroad.

Learning Outcomes

www.unlv.edu/degree/ms-environmental-science

Plan Admission Requirements

Applications are reviewed twice per year: February 15 and November 15. Requirements 1-5 below must be met before applying to the program. Items 7 and 8 must be submitted directly to the School of Environmental and Public Affairs office prior to the application review dates.

1. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
2. Minimum of three credits of calculus or three credits of statistics and at least 12 credit hours in physical and/or biological sciences with grades of B or better.
3. A GPA of at least 3.00 on a 4.00 scale is required for admission.
4. Scores at or above the 50th percentile in all three areas of the Graduate Record Exam.
5. International students must take and obtain a score of at least 550 on the TOEFL exam.
6. Application to the Graduate College, submitted using the on-line application system.
7. Three letters of recommendation from professors, employers and/or professional colleagues.
8. A 1-2 page “Statement of Objectives.”

The Graduate Coordinating Committee uses the Statement of Objectives to determine whether the necessary physical and intellectual resources exist at UNLV to allow the applicant to achieve her/his objectives. The statement will be used to identify and appoint an appropriate advisor for the first year of graduate study, and make other decisions regarding admissibility.

All domestic and international applicants must review and follow the Graduate College Admission and Registration Requirements.

Plan Requirements

See Subplan Requirements below.

Subplan 1: Environmental Chemistry Track
Subplan 2: Environmental Policy and Management Track

Subplan 1 Requirements: Environmental Chemistry Track

Total Credits Required: 33

Course Requirements 

Required Courses – Credits: 6

ENV 702 - Environmental Problem Solving 

ENV 703 - Environmental Law and Policy Seminar 

Seminar Course – Credits: 6

CHEM 791 - Graduate Seminar  (1 credit)

Chemistry Courses – Credits: 9

Complete 9 credits of advisor-approved CHE or WRM courses.

Elective Courses – Credits: 6

Complete 6 credits of advisor-approved elective coursework.

Thesis – Credits: 6

ENV 795 - Thesis 

Degree Requirements 

1. A minimum of 33 credits beyond the baccalaureate, including a minimum of six credits for thesis, is required for the M.S. degree.
2. At least 21 of the 33 credits must be 700-level courses.
3. Requirements for completion of each of the fields in the degree program will frequently make it necessary for students to exceed minimum credit requirements.
4. The student is advised to examine the specific information for each field of study for additional requirements.
5. Each student admitted to the M.S. degree program in Environmental Science will be appointed an initial advisor. The initial advisor will help the student design an appropriate curriculum, evaluate possible research directions or opportunities, identify an advisor, and become aware of personnel and resources available in Environmental Science at UNLV.
6. By the end of the first semester the student will select a chair of her/ his Advisory Committee and, in consultation with that chair recommend membership on the Advisory Committee. It will be composed of a total of four members representing appropriate expertise plus one representative from the Graduate College. The Advisory Committee and the chair are subject to approval by the Graduate Coordinating Committee. The Advisory Committee will assist the student in course selection and definition of a research topic for the thesis.
7. Students must make satisfactory progress each semester to remain in the program. Satisfactory progress is defined as filing an approved program before the completion of nine credits of course work, completion of the minimum required credits in the approved program per calendar year, maintenance of a GPA of at least 3.00, no grades below a C, and compliance with the Graduate Catalog. Any student whose GPA falls below 3.00 will be placed on probation and will have one semester to raise the GPA to a 3.00 or above.
8. The program of study will be developed by the student and advisor and filed with the Graduate College. Prior to filing, the student’s graduate committee must approve the program. The program of study must be submitted by the second semester of study.

Graduation Requirements 

1. The student must submit all required forms to the Graduate College and then apply for graduation up to two semesters prior to completing his/her degree requirements.
2. The student must submit and successfully defend his/her thesis by the posted deadline. The defense must be advertised and is open to the public.
3. Student must submit his/her approved, properly formatted hard-copy thesis to the Graduate College, and submit the approved electronic version to ProQuest by the posted deadline.

Subplan 2 Requirements: Environmental Policy and Management Track

Total Credits Required: 33

Course Requirements 

Required Courses – Credits: 9

ENV 701 - Environmental Science Pro Seminar 

ENV 702 - Environmental Problem Solving 

ENV 703 - Environmental Law and Policy Seminar 

Elective Courses – Credits: 18-21

Students completing the Thesis, Professional Paper, or Practicum must complete a minimum of 18 credits of advisor-approved elective coursework, while students completing the Examination must complete a minimum of 21 credits of advisor-approved elective coursework.

Culminating Experience – Credits: 3-6

Complete one of the following culminating experiences:

Thesis – Credits: 6

ENV 795 - Thesis 

Professional Paper – Credits: 6

ENV 792 - Environmental Sciences Professional Paper Research 

Practicum – Credits: 6

Complete either 3 credits each of ENV 749 & ENV 790, or 6 credits of ENV 790.

ENV 749 - Environmental Sciences Teaching Practicum  (3 credits)

ENV 790 - Internship in Environmental Science  (3-6 credits)

Examination – Credits: 3

ENV 791 - Environmental Sciences Examination Preparation 

Degree Requirements 

1. A minimum of 33 credits beyond the baccalaureate, including a minimum of six credits for thesis, is required for the M.S. degree.
2. At least 21 of the 33 credits must be 700-level courses.
3. Requirements for completion of each of the fields in these degree programs will frequently make it necessary for students to exceed these minimum credit requirements.
4. The student is advised to examine the specific information for each field of study for additional requirements.
5. Students will design two areas of concentration in consultation with their advisor, each consisting of a minimum of three courses. Courses in an area of concentration do not need to have the same prefix or be from the same department. Areas of concentration should represent a subset of expertise that is relevant to the student’s program. Areas may include, but are not limited to: anthropology, biological sciences, chemistry, communication, economics, education, geology, risk analysis, history, mathematics, political science, public administration, sociology, or statistics. Areas of concentration must be approved by the student’s committee chair.
6. Each student admitted to the M.S. degree program in Environmental Science will be appointed an initial advisor. The initial advisor will help the student design an appropriate curriculum, evaluate possible research directions or opportunities, identify an advisor, and become aware of personnel and resources available in Environmental Science at UNLV.
7. Each student will be required to take ENV 701 during the first semester it is offered after the student joins the program and an advanced methods course during some subsequent semester.
8. Complete a minimum of 12 credit hours each calendar year and at least three each semester.
9. By the end of the first semester the student will select a chair of her/his Advisory Committee and, in consultation with that chair recommend membership on the Advisory Committee. It will be composed of a total of four members representing appropriate expertise plus one representative from the Graduate College. The Advisory Committee and the chair are subject to approval by the Graduate Coordinating Committee. The Advisory Committee will assist the student in course selection and definition of a research topic for the thesis.
10. Students must make satisfactory progress each semester to remain in the program. Satisfactory progress is defined as filing an approved program before the completion of nine credits of course work, completion of the minimum required credits in the approved program per calendar year, maintenance of a GPA of at least 3.00, no grades below a C, and compliance with the Graduate Catalog. Any student whose GPA falls below 3.00 will be placed on probation and will have one semester to raise the GPA to a 3.00 or above.
11. The program of study will be developed by the student and advisor and filed with the Graduate College. Prior to filing, the student’s graduate committee must approve the program. The program of study must be submitted by the second semester of study.
12. By the end of the first full year in the program, each student will choose one of four options for completing the degree (Thesis, Professional Paper, Examination, or Practicum).
    1. Thesis Option: Students in the Thesis Option, in addition to requirements previously noted, must complete a minimum of 33 credits beyond the baccalaureate, including six credits of thesis, and must complete and orally defend a thesis. Each student who wishes to earn the M.S. under the thesis option must, by the end of his or her first full year in the program, have completed a thesis prospectus, approved by the Advisory Committee. Students in the Thesis Option may not count ENV 791 or ENV 792 credits towards the degree and may count no more than six credits of ENV 749 and ENV 790 combined towards the degree.
    2. Professional Paper Option: Students in the Professional Paper Option, in addition to requirements previously noted, must complete a minimum of 33 credits beyond the baccalaureate, including six credits of professional paper research, and must complete and orally defend a professional paper. Each student who wishes to earn the M.S. under the Professional Paper Option must, by the time he or she has completed one full year in the program, have completed a professional paper prospectus, approved by the Advisory Committee. Students in the professional Paper Option may not count ENV 791 or ENV 795 credits towards the degree and may count no more than six credits of ENV 749 and ENV 790 combined toward the degree.
    3. Examination Option: Students in the Examination option, in addition to requirements previously noted, must complete a minimum of 33 credits beyond the baccalaureate, including three credits of examination preparation under the direction of a graduate program chair, and must complete a written examination that will take place over a two-day period, eight hours each day. The student’s advisor will design the examination and determine the dates of completion and rubric for grading. The Advisory Committee may require an oral defense of the examination. Students in the Examination Option may not count ENV 792 or ENV 795 credits towards the degree and may count no more than six credits of ENV 749 and ENV 790 combined towards the degree.
    4. Practicum Option: Students in the Practicum Option, in addition to requirements previously noted, must complete a minimum of 33 credits beyond the baccalaureate, including a minimum of six credits combined of Internship (ENV 790) and Teaching practicum (ENV 749). The Advisory Committee must approve the student’s proposed program of courses and approve a final report prepared by the student outlining the Practicum experience and explaining its relationship to the selected course of study. Students in the Practicum Option may not count ENV 791, ENV 792 or ENV 795 credits towards the degree and may count no more than nine credits of ENV 749 and ENV 790 combined towards the degree.

Graduation Requirements 

1. The student must submit all required forms to the Graduate College and then apply for graduation up to two semesters prior to completing his/her degree requirements.
2. Successfully complete an examination or practicum, or successfully complete and orally defend a thesis or professional paper. The defense must be advertised and is open to the public.
3. If a thesis is completed, the student must submit his/her approved, properly formatted hard-copy document to the Graduate College, and submit the approved electronic version to ProQuest by the posted deadline.

Plan Graduation Requirements

Refer to your subplan for Graduation Requirements.

Subplan 1: Environmental Chemistry Track
Subplan 2: Environmental Policy and Management Track