MS in Environmental Sciences

This is a inter-disciplinary program designed to provide students with specialized training in Environmental Sciences. All the departments in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science participate in the program, as do some departments in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, College of Architecture, Urban & Public Affairs, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, and the Barry Kaye College of Business.

Admissions Requirements

Admission will be based upon academic record (B or better average on the last 60 hours of undergraduate credits or established graduate level proficiency), two letters of recommendation, and an acceptable GRE score (minimum of 1000, combined verbal and quantitative categories).

Potential students must have a "sponsor" from within Florida Atlantic University, who will then act as the student’s advisor until a thesis topic has been chosen.

For sponsor selection suggestions, contact Program Coordinator Cynthia Berman at cberman2u@fau.edu or go to the departmental web pages to examine the fields and interests of individual faculty. When a faculty member who is in a field of interest is found, contact them directly.

Program Requirments

Completion of 36 credits

Mandatory Core Courses

COURSE TITLE CREDITS TERM
CHS 6610 Environmental Chemical Analysis (Chemistry Dept.) 3 Fall
PCB 6046 Advanced Ecology (Biology Dept.) 3 Spring
EVR 6029 Ecological Modeling (Physics Dept.) 3 Spring
STA 6206 Statistics Methods for Environ. Sciences (Mathematics Dept.) 3 Fall

In addition to the above 12 required core credits, students must also take one (1) seminar and from six (6) to twelve (12) thesis credits. The students must register their thesis proposal with the ESP office when it has been approved by the student's committee.

Elective Courses

11-17 credits (dependent on number of thesis credits taken)

These electives may be in either Wetland or Terrestrial tracks, or elements of these may be combined. Many combinations may be designed for students interested in different topics. For students wishing broader training, a number of other electives are available. The exact courses taken are to be determined by the student and their advisory committee.