Concentrations Descriptions | Environmental Science

Concentrations Descriptions

Ecology & Conservation Biology

Ecology is the scientific study of relationships between organisms and environments, and conservation biology is the study of Earth's biodiversity with the mission of protecting species, habitats, and ecosystems. At UNT students can elect to concentrate in Ecology and Conservation Biology within the Environmental Science PhD, such that the graduate's transcript reads "PhD in Environmental Science with a concentration in Ecology and Conservation Biology." Students in the Environmental Science PhD program desiring an Ecology and Conservation Biology Concentration must take five courses in ecology and conservation, such as Biol 5005 (Wildlife Ecology and Conservation), Biol 5040 (Advanced Ecology), Biol 5050 (Foundations of Ecological Theory), Biol 5051+5052 (Community Ecology), Biol 5260 (Principles of Evolution), Geog 5380 (Applied Paleozoology in Conservation), Geog 5960 (Ecosystem Science), Phil 5010 (Seminar in Philosophy of Ecology), Biol 5053/Phil 6780 (Subantarctic Biocultural Conservation). Classes taken for distribution requirement credit (e.g., Ecosystem Science or Principles of Evolution) may additionally count in the concentration. Additionally, graduate doctoral committees are required to have three members from Biological Sciences or the Institute of Applied Science; at least one committee member must be a faculty member in the Department of Biological Sciences.

Geoscience Concentration

Geoscience is the scientific study of Earth processes from an interdisciplinary perspective that combines perspectives from Geography,Geology, Biology, Ecology, Chemistry, and other disciplines. At UNT students can elect to concentrate in Geoscience within the Environmental Science PhD, such that the graduate's transcript reads "PhD in Environmental Science with a concentration in Geoscience." Students in the Environmental Science PhD program desiring a Geoscience Concentration must take five of the following courses in geoscience, such as Geog 5400 (Environmental Modeling) Geog 5630 (Soils Geomorphology), Geog 5700 (Global Environmental Change), Geog 5750 (Surface Water Hydrology), Geog 5850 (Introduction to Groundwater Hydrology), Geog 5960 (Introduction to Remote Sensing), or Biol 6320 (Remote Sensing). Classes taken for distribution requirement credit (e.g., Environmental Modeling or Global Environmental Change) may additionally count in the concentration. Additionally, graduate doctoral committees are required to have three members from Biological Sciences or the Institute of Applied Science; at least one committee member must be a faculty member in the Department of Biological Sciences.

Human Ecology Concentration

Human ecology is the interdisciplinary study of human - environment interactions. At UNT students can elect to concentrate in Human Ecology within the Environmental Science PhD, such that the graduate's transcript reads "PhD in Environmental Science with a concentration in Human Ecology." Students desiring a Human Ecology Concentration must take five courses in human ecology, such as those listed below, in addition to meeting the foundation and core-group requirements: Geog 5160 (Foundations of Geographic Thought), Phil 5000 (Environmental Ethics), Biol 5100 (Introduction to Environmental Impact Assessment), Anth 5031 (Ethnographic and Qualitative Methods), Anth 5400 (Environmental Anthropology), Anth 5701 (Ethnoecology), Geog 5960 (Ecosystem Science), Phil 5010 (Seminar in Philosophy of Ecology), Biol 5053/Phil 6780 (Subantarctic Biocultural Conservation). Classes taken for distribution requirement credit (e.g., Ecosystem Science or Introduction to Environmental Impact Assessment) may additionally count in the concentration. Additionally, graduate doctoral committees are required to have three members from Biological Sciences or the Institute of Applied Science; at least one committee member must be a faculty member in the Department of Biological Sciences.

Toxicology

Toxicology is the scientific study of the effects of chemicals on organisms; in environmental science, the focus tends to be on the distribution, effect, and fate of chemicals in the environment. At UNT students can elect to concentrate in Toxicology within the Environmental Science PhD, such that the graduate's transcript reads "PhD in Environmental Science with a concentration in Toxicology." Students in the Environmental Science PhD program desiring a Toxicology Concentration must take five courses related toxicology, such as Biol 5373 (Molecular Toxicology) Biol 5120 (Environmental Chemistry), Biol 5340 (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of the Gene), Biol 5370 (General Toxicology), Biol 5380 (Fundamentals of Aquatic Toxicology), Biol 5505 (Comparative Animal Physiology), Biol 5720 (Sediment Toxicology), or Biol 6400 (Ecological Risk Assessment), two of which must be toxicology classes (Biol 5005.001, 5370, 5380, 5720). Classes taken for distribution requirement credit (e.g., Environmental Chemistry or General Toxicology) may additionally count in the concentration. Additionally, graduate doctoral committees are required to have three members from Biological Sciences or the Institute of Applied Science; at least one committee member must be a faculty member in the Department of Biological Sciences.

Science Education Research

Science education research consists of an interdisciplinary approach to the study and characterization of what constitutes learning in science. In environmental science, the aim is to uncover those factors that affect the learning of science within an environmental context. At UNT, students can elect to concentrate in Science Education Research within the Environmental Science PhD, such that the graduate's transcript reads "PhD in Environmental Science with a concentration in Science Education Research". Students in the environmental science PhD program desiring a science education research concentration must complete all stated requirements for the PhD, take BIOL 5045 (Scientific College Teaching), and select four other electives from the following courses: ANTH 5400 (Environmental Anthropology), ECON 5440 (Economics of Natural Resources and Environment), EDHE 5100 (Introduction to Effective College Teaching), EDHE 6640 (The Adult Learner and Adult Learning), ENGL 5760 (Scholarly and Critical Writing), EPSY 5123 (Human Development Across the Life Span), EPSY 5250 (Grant Proposal Writing Techniques), EPSY 5550 (Learning Theories), EPSY 6102 (Human Motivation), PADM 5040 (Nonprofit Management), PHYS 6155 (Communication in Scientific Teaching and Research), or TECM 5170 (Grants and Proposals). Other courses may be used to fulfill the concentration with approval from the Environmental Science Graduate Program Coordinator and the major professor. Classes taken for distribution requirement credit (e.g., Scientific College Teaching) may also count in the concentration. Additionally, graduate doctoral committees are required to have three members from Biological Sciences or the Institute of Applied Science; at least one committee member must be a faculty member in the Department of Biological Sciences.