Curriculum

Your experience as an Oregon State's environmental sciences student will supply you with a rigorous education that can lead to helping to resolve some of today's most challenging scientific and policy issues, including climate change, pollution, biodiversity conservation, sustainability and balancing resource use and preservation.

Environmental sciences academic advisor Dawn Marie Gaid is well-known and well-liked for being a tireless advocate for OSU Ecampus students. Read more »

Degree requirements

A minimum of 180 quarter credits — at least 60 of which must be upper-division credits — are required to graduate with your bachelor's degree in environmental sciences, including:

• OSU's Baccalaureate Core (general education)
• Major requirements: Environmental sciences
• Specialization area requirement
  • One of several options
  • Education minor
  • Geographic information science certificate

Honors degree online

As an undergraduate degree-seeking student, you can apply to earn an honors degree online in your academic major. Earning this prestigious degree gives you the opportunity to collaborate with faculty on research, complete a comprehensive thesis experience and engage in co-curricular activities.

Options

You can tailor your program studies to align with your interests and career goals by selecting an option.

• Applied ecology
• Aquatic biology
• Conservation, resources and sustainability
• Earth systems
• Environmental agriculture
• Environmental policy and economics
• Environmental water resources
• Chemistry and the environment

Sample course topics

• Natural resources and community values
• Environmental law
• Oceanography
• Geographic information systems and theory
• Sustainability for the common good
• Urban forestry
• Technology, energy and risk
• Climatology
• Fish and wildlife conservation
• Ecology
• Watershed management
• Water science and policy
• Environmental geology

To view the environmental sciences major requirements, please visit Oregon State’s official academic catalog. For additional information about the baccalaureate core, please visit our bacc core details page.

Additional program features

Accelerated Master's Platform

Get a jump-start on your M.S. or PSM in Environmental Sciences degree while working toward your undergraduate degree in environmental sciences. Through Oregon State’s Accelerated Master’s Platform, current undergraduate environmental sciences students can take graduate-level courses online that will be applied to their bachelor’s degree, and the credits earned will be transferred to the M.S. or PSM in Environmental Sciences program. Students enrolled in Ecampus graduate courses will pay the graduate tuition and fees rate.

Compare environmental sciences with other OSU online programs

Check out this degree comparison table to evaluate how environmental sciences compares to fisheries and wildlife sciences, rangeland sciences, natural resources and other similar online programs. The environmental sciences degree focuses on a strong foundation in math and science and on hands-on field research; as a result, the traditional science coursework requirement is considerable.

Be prepared for math. In order to succeed in the degree program, students must pass and be proficient in fundamental mathematics, including calculus. We encourage students to complete their math requirements prior to starting this program.

Transfer credit

Some of the degree requirements can be transferred from other colleges and universities. Please note that a minimum of 45 credits of the last 75 must be completed at Oregon State (online or on campus) to meet the academic residency requirement.

Previously earned credits will need to be reviewed upon admittance to OSU for appropriate articulation. Additional information about transferring credits is available through OSU’s Transfer Credit Central.

Add a minor

Oregon State Ecampus students have the ability to add a minor to their degree program. Oregon State offers a diverse selection of minors online. For example, combine environmental sciences and a business, chemistry, U.S. history, or anthropology minor to create an even more powerful résumé fit for today's job market.