Environmental Biology, B.S.: 120 units

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Offered by: College of Science, Biological Sciences Department

Major Required Core
Major Electives
Ecology Conservation and Biodiversity Emphasis

Environmental Microbiology Emphasis
General Education Requirements

The Environmental Biology major is designed for students who want to help solve the environmental problems threatening the organisms and life support systems of our planet. Students are able to specialize by selecting most of their upper-division courses from one of two emphases: 1) Ecology, Conservation, and Biodiversity and 2) Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology. The Ecology, Conservation, and Biodiversity emphasis prepares students to identify and protect critical habitat, manage rare and endangered species, and design ecological preserves. The Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology emphasis emphasizes laboratory research to assess water and air quality, transport and fate of pollutants, and environmental health in general. All students conduct an independent research project or complete an internship with a participating agency or private organization. This provides practical problem-solving experience to complement classroom, laboratory, and field studies.

Major Required Core: 61-62 units

Major Electives: 32-34 units

Select a minimum of 7 units from the list below:
CHM 3150 - Organic Chemistry II (3)
CHM 3150L - Organic Chemistry Laboratory II (1)
CHM 3270 - Biochemistry I (3)
CHM 3270L - Biochemistry Laboratory I (1)
GEO 2400 - Geographic Information Systems (2)
GEO 2400L - Geographic Information Systems Laboratory (1)
GSC 1110 - Principles of Geology (3) (B1)
GSC 1100 - Water in a Changing World (3) (B1)
PLT 2310 - Basic Soil Science (2)
PLT 2310L - Basic Soil Science Laboratory (1)
Select two (8 units) of the following three sets of courses:
BIO 2050 - Form and Function in Plants (3) and
BIO 2050L - Form and Function in Plants Laboratory (1)
BIO 2060 - Basic Microbiology (3) and
BIO 2060L - Basic Microbiology Laboratory (1)
BIO 2070 - Animal Biology (3) and
BIO 2070L - Animal Biology Laboratory (1)
Select 17-19 units from the list of approved elective courses according to the Emphasis of interest. At least 10 units must be taken at the 4000 or 5000 level. Up to 2 units of BIO 4410 and/or BIO 4610 and one unit of BIO 4620 may count towards core electives.

Ecology Conservation and Biodiversity (ECB) Emphasis

Recommended Electives:

Upper Division Electives:

Environmental Microbiology (EM) Emphasis

Recommended Electives:

Upper Division Electives:

Unrestricted Electives: 0-3 units

Select a sufficient number of courses so that the total from “Required Major Core”, Major Electives”, “GE”, and “Unrestricted Electives” is at least 120 units.

General Education Requirements: 48 units

Students should consult the Academic Programs website https://www.cpp.edu/~academic-programs/general-education-course-listings.shtml for current information regarding this requirement. Unless specific courses are required, please refer to the list of approved courses under General Education Requirements, Areas A through E.

	Course	Term Taken	Grade
Area A. English Language Communication and Critical Thinking (9 units)
1. Oral Communication
2. Written Communication
3. Critical Thinking
Area B. Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning (12 units)
1. Physical Sciences
2. Life Sciences
3. Laboratory Activity
4. Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning
5. Science and Technology Synthesis
Area C. Arts and Humanities (12 units)
1. Visual and Performing Arts
2a. Philosophy and Civilization
2b. Literature and Language Other than English
3. Arts and Humanities Synthesis
Area D. Social Sciences (12 units)
1. U.S. History and American Ideals
2. U.S. Constitution and California Government
3. Social Sciences: Principles, Methodologies, Value Systems, and Ethics
4. Social Science Synthesis
Area E. Lifelong Learning and Self-Development (3 units)

For an alternative and interdisciplinary way to complete some of their GE requirements, students may choose the Interdisciplinary General Education program, see below.

Interdisciplinary General Education: 21 units

An alternate pattern for partial fulfillment of GE Areas A, C, and D available for students is the Interdisciplinary General Education (IGE) program. Students should see an advisor for specific GE coursework required by their major. Please refer to the University Catalog General Education Program section for additional information.

How IGE fulfills General Education Requirements:

GE Area	Courses
A2	IGE 1100 and IGE 1200
C1	IGE 2100 or IGE 2200
C2	IGE 1100 , IGE 1200 , IGE 2100 , or IGE 2200
D1	IGE 2300 or IGE 2400
D3	IGE 2300 or IGE 2400
C3	IGE 3100
D4	IGE 3100

revised 07/17/2024

American Institutions: 6 units

Courses that satisfy this requirement may also satisfy GE Area D1 and D2.

American Cultural Perspectives Requirement: 3 units

Refer to the University Catalog General Education Program section for a list of courses that satisfy this requirement. Course may also satisfy major, minor, GE, or unrestricted elective requirements.

Graduation Writing Test

All persons who receive undergraduate degrees from Cal Poly Pomona must pass the Graduation Writing Test (GWT). The test must be taken by the semester following completion of 60 units for undergraduates.