UIS Graduate and Undergraduate Catalog
Academic Year 2006 - 2007

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
Master of Arts in Environmental Studies, Master of Science in Environmental Sciences, Graduate Certificate in Environmental Risk Assessment, Undergraduate Minor in Environmental Studies, Online Master of Arts in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Natural Resources and Sustainable Development

Faculty  Sharron LaFollette, Tih-Fen Ting
Associated Faculty  Harshavardhan Bapat, Gary Butler, Remi Imeokparia, Michael Lemke, Robert McGregor, William Siles, Gary Trammell, Pinky Wassenberg
Emeritus Faculty  Alexander Casella, Edward Hawes, Malcolm Levin, John Munkirs, Charles Schweighauser, William Warren, Roy Wehrle
Associated Emeritus Faculty  William Martz
Adjunct Faculty  George Czapar, Deanna Glosser, Rhonald Hasenyager, Stu Jacobson, Roger Kanerva, Greg Michaud, John Sherrill, Darlene Snyder

Contact: (217) 206-6720
nrach1@uis.edu or www.uis.edu/environmentalstudies/

Department of Environmental Studies mission
The mission of the Department of Environmental Studies is to provide students with the advanced interdisciplinary training necessary for solving environmental problems. Graduates of the department are prepared for diverse careers in the environmental field.

The principle emphasis in the M.S. and the M.A. degrees is on professional development. Faculty work with each student to create a specialized educational plan (developed before the first semester of study). The M.S. and M.A. degrees are designed for people who intend to enter the job market for the first time, as well as for midcareer professionals. Students should consult advising documents for their chosen degree and concentrations as well as the information provided below. 

Master's degrees entrance requirements
Admission to either the M.S. or M.A. degree programs will be considered for students with bachelor's degrees from accredited colleges and universities. Applications are accepted year-round.  Applications are evaluated by the Graduate Admissions Committee. Full admission requires a GPA of at least 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale). Students with a GPA between 2.50 and 3.00 will be considered for conditional admission. If the Graduate Admissions Committee recommends conditional admission, the student is expected to complete satisfactorily (B or better) ENS 546, ENS 551, and ENS 552 during his/her first year in the program. Admission to the online M.A. degree program also requires that applicants have taken a 300-level or higher ecology course and received a B or better.

All applicants for admission to the environmental studies department must complete a graduate application to the campus. They must also submit to the department a letter of application that states their academic and vocational goals and two letters of recommendation from either professors or employers. Complete transcripts should be sent to the admissions office as part of the application for admission to UIS. The Graduate Admissions Committee will make its decision after the application file is complete. Applicants will be notified of their status as soon as possible. For further information about admission requirements, contact the environmental studies department. 

Grading policy
Students must maintain a B or better average during their course of study.  A maximum of eight hours of C grades is applicable to a degree, provided they are balanced by an equal number of A grade hours. 

Advising
All new students must participate in a departmental graduate student orientation during the first week of the fall semester. In conjunction with his/her adviser, the student must prepare an educational plan before the first semester of study.  The educational plan is submitted to the department chair for final approval. 

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
The curriculum for the Master of Science in Environmental Sciences is designed to allow students to gain strong scientific understanding of ways to study, evaluate, and interpret environmental realities and their impacts, as well as to manage and mitigate problems. Objectives are to enable students to 1) develop a basic literacy in the natural and social sciences and the humanities as they contribute to an understanding of environmental issues; 2) critically analyze environmental problems; 3) identify, research, and evaluate environmental problems; and 4) compare, contrast, implement, and manage short‑ and long‑term solutions to environmental problems.

Two options are available: environmental sciences and environmental risk science. The department recommends that students entering environmental sciences have a knowledge of organic chemistry, algebra, statistics, geology, and biology. 

Requirements of the master of science degree
Core requirements
ENS 546 Concepts of Ecology or equivalent  4 Hrs.
ENS 551 Environmental Natural Sciences  4 Hrs.
ENS 552 Environmental Social Sciences & the Humanities  4 Hrs.
ENS 553 Research Methods in Environmental Studies 4 Hrs.
ENS 554 Thesis/Project Proposal  2 Hrs.

Total core  18 Hrs.

Option and electives
Total of option and electives. (See below.)  28 Hrs.

Total    46 Hrs. 

*Closure
Each graduate degree candidate must complete one of the following closure options.
ENS 510 Thesis   4 Hrs.
ENS 520 Graduate Project  4 Hrs.

Total    50 Hrs.

*Students may also want to take ENS 530 Internship (4 hours) in conjunction with their closure exercises. Students who hold Graduate Public Service Internships may use four hours of internship seminar (PAD 460) toward their environmental studies degree. 

General environmental sciences option     (28 Hrs.)
Build competency in tools of environmental sciences important in researching environmental situations and their impact on environmental and public health.

Required  8 Hrs.
ENS 449  Environmental Toxicology 4 Hrs.
BIO 571  Advanced Ecology  4 Hrs. 

Select 12 Hrs. from the following:
ENS 444  Aquatic Ecology 4 Hrs.
ENS 445  Biology of Water Pollution  4 Hrs.
ENS 447  Environmental Chemistry  4 Hrs.
ENS 462  Environmental Physical Geography  4 Hrs.
ENS 485  Environmental Policies: Water Quality  4 Hrs.
ENS 521  Environmental Risk Assessment   4 Hrs.
ENS 522  Risk Assessment:  Air, Land and Water  4 Hrs.
ENS 526  Risk Management and Communications  4 Hrs.
ENS 527  Strategic Environmental Management  4 Hrs.
ENS 542  Ecosystem Management   4 Hrs.
ENS 561  Foundations of Epidemiology 4 Hrs.
ENS 562  Analytical Epidemiology  4 Hrs.
ENS 555  Analytical Tools for the Environmental Sciences 4 Hrs.
CHE 415  Biochemistry I   4 Hrs.
CHE 421  Instrumental Analysis   4 Hrs.
CHE 425  Interpretive Spectroscopy  3 Hrs. 

Other courses may be selected if approved by the student's adviser and the department chair. 

Electives  8 Hrs.
Appropriate courses will be selected from within or without the ENS department in consultation with the student's adviser. 

Risk sciences option    (28 Hrs.)
Use tools and strategies of risk sciences to evaluate and manage impacts on environmental and public health.

Required    12 Hrs.
ENS 449  Environmental Toxicology  4 Hrs.
ENS 521  Environmental Risk Assessment  4 Hrs.
ENS 522  Risk Assessment:  Air, Land and Water  4 Hrs.
 

Select 8 Hrs. from the following:
ENS 419  Environmental Law   4 Hrs.
ENS 421  Environmental Economics  4 Hrs.
ENS 447 Environmental Chemistry   4 Hrs.
ENS 523  Risk Assessment Practicum  4 Hrs.
ENS 526  Risk Management and Communication  4 Hrs.
ENS 527  Strategic Environmental Management  4 Hrs.
ENS 555  Analytical Tools for the Environmental Sciences  4 Hrs.
ENS 561  Foundations of Epidemiology  4 Hrs.
ENS 562  Analytical Epidemiology  4 Hrs.
ENS 563  Environmental and Occupational Health  4 Hrs.
ENS 583  Environmental Policies: NEPA  4 Hrs. 

Other courses may be selected if approved by the student's adviser and the department chair. 

Electives    8 Hrs.
Appropriate courses will be selected from within or without the ENS department in consultation with the student's adviser. 

GRADUATE CERTIFICATE IN ENVIRONMENTAL RISK ASSESSMENT
Risk assessment is a frequently used tool in environmental analysis. The graduate certificate in environmental risk assessment provides students with the professional education necessary to perform risk assessment operations for a variety of environmental and public health situations. Students will also relate risk assessment methodologies, procedures, and results to environmental policies. To earn a certificate, students must complete the curriculum with at minimum a B average.

Students complete 16 credit hours for the certificate: ENS 421 Environmental Economics, ENS 521 Environmental Risk Assessment, ENS 522 Risk Assessment: Air, Land and Water; and ENS 523 Risk Assessment Practicum.  

MASTER OF ARTS IN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
The curriculum for the Master of Arts in Environmental Studies is designed to allow students to gain an understanding of ways to balance social and economic needs with environmental realities, to learn how to use resources imaginatively for sustainable development, and to become aware of the role of values in issue formulation and policy making. Objectives are to enable students to 1) develop basic literacy in the natural and social sciences and the humanities as they contribute to an understanding of environmental affairs; 2) critically analyze environmental problems; 3) enhance awareness of human dependence on the environment; 4) research historical roots of environmental problems and the impact of human activities over time; 5) communicate and evaluate issues in environmental policies and actions; and 6) evaluate short‑ and long‑term solutions to environmental problems.

Three concentrations are available: environmental humanities; natural resources and sustainable development; and environmental policy, planning, and administration. 

Degree requirements
Core
ENS 546  Concepts of Ecology or equivalent  4 Hrs.
ENS 551  Environmental Natural Sciences   4 Hrs.
ENS 552  Environmental Social Sciences & the Humanities 4 Hrs.
ENS 553  Research Methods in Environmental Studies  4 Hrs.
ENS 554  Thesis/Project Proposal   2 Hrs.

Total core   18 Hrs.

Options and electives
Total of option and electives. (See below.)  28 Hrs.

Total    46 Hrs.

*Closure
Each graduate degree candidate must complete one of the following closure options.
ENS 510  Thesis   4 Hrs.
ENS 520  Graduate Project  4 Hrs.

Total   50 Hrs. 

*Students may also want to take ENS 530 Internship (4 hours) in conjunction with their closure exercises. Students who hold Graduate Public Service Internships may use four hours of internship seminar (PAD 460) toward their environmental studies degree.

CONCENTRATIONS

Natural Resources and Sustainable Development  (28 Hrs.)
Explores theories of sustainable use and administration of natural resources, including water, energy, and agricultural land.

Required     8 Hrs.
ENS 581  Environmental Policy and Analysis  4 Hrs.
ENS 587  Natural Resources: Policy and Administration  4 Hrs. 

Select 12 Hrs. from the following:
ENS 403  Transportation: Problems & Planning Procedures 4 Hrs.
ENS 404  Techniques of Environmental Planning: Remote
    Sensing and GIS   4 Hrs.
ENS 419  Environmental Law  4 Hrs.
ENS 421  Environmental Economics  4 Hrs.
ENS 445  Biology of Water Pollution  4 Hrs.
ENS 461  Geopolitics: Geographic Aspects of International
     Affairs  4 Hrs.
ENS 462  Environmental Physical Geography  4 Hrs.
ENS 463  Our Changing Climate  4 Hrs.
ENS 468  Environmental Geology  4 Hrs.
ENS 484  Environmental Policies: Air Quality  4 Hrs.
ENS 485  Environmental Policies: Water Quality  4 Hrs.
ENS 486  Solid & Hazardous Wastes: Technology & Policy  4 Hrs.
ENS 501  Environmental Planning: Land & Resource Use   4 Hrs.
ENS 502  Land Use Planning: Principles and Practices  4 Hrs.
ENS 504  Environmental Modeling with GIS  4 Hrs.
ENS 527  Strategic Environmental Management    4 Hrs.
ENS 542  Ecosystems Management   4 Hrs.
ENS 547  Environmental Agriculture  4 Hrs.
ENS 571  Sustainable Development   4 Hrs.
ENS 583  Environmental Policies: National Environmental
     Protection Act  4 Hrs. 

Other courses may be selected if approved by the student's adviser and the department chair. 

Elective    8 Hrs.
Appropriate courses will be selected from within or without the environmental studies department in consultation with the student's adviser. 

Online M.A. in Environmental Studies – Concentration in Natural Resources and Sustainable Development
Students interested in the M.A. in Environmental Studies with a concentration in natural resources and sustainable development can now obtain their degree online. Students must apply specifically for the online degree. Application requires transcripts that show the student has completed a 300-level or above ecology course with a grade of B or better prior to formal admission into the degree program. Students deficient in ecology will be required to satisfy the deficiency before starting their research thesis or project and completing their degree. Online students substitute ENS 542 Ecosystems Management for ENS 546 Ecology in the core degree requirements. All other core, concentration, and elective requirements are the same as those for the degree offered on campus. 

Environmental Policy, Planning, & Administration  (28 Hrs.)
Emphasizes policy and planning processes and the administration of policy and planning. 

Required    8 Hrs.
ENS 501  Environmental Planning: Land & Resource Use  4 Hrs.
ENS 587  Natural Resources: Policy and Administration   4 Hrs. 

Select 12 Hrs. from the following:
ENS 403  Transportation: Problems & Planning Procedures 4 Hrs.
ENS 404  Techniques of Environmental Planning: Remote
    Sensing and GIS  4 Hrs.
ENS 419  Environmental Law  4 Hrs.
ENS 421  Environmental Economics   4 Hrs.
ENS 461 Geopolitics: Geographic Aspects of International
     Affairs   4 Hrs.
ENS 462  Environmental Physical Geography  4 Hrs.
ENS 484  Environmental Policies: Air Quality 4 Hrs.
ENS 485  Environmental Policies: Water Quality  4 Hrs.
ENS 486  Solid & Hazardous Wastes: Technology & Policy 4 Hrs.
ENS 502  Land Use Planning: Principles and Practices  4 Hrs.
ENS 504  Environmental Modeling with GIS  4 Hrs.
ENS 527  Strategic Environmental Management  4 Hrs.
ENS 563  Environmental and Occupational Health  4 Hrs.
ENS 571  Sustainable Development   4 Hrs.
ENS 581  Environmental Policy and Analysis   4 Hrs.
ENS 583  Environmental Policies: National Environmental
     Policy Act   4 Hrs.

Other courses may be selected if approved by the student's adviser and the department chair. 

Electives    8 Hrs.
Appropriate courses will be selected from within or without the environmental studies department in consultation with the student's adviser. 

Environmental Humanities    (28 Hrs.)
Emphasizes environmental history, literature, ethics, art, and philosophy. 

Choose 28 Hrs. from the following:
ENS 411 Introduction to Environmental Education   4 Hrs.
ENS 412 World Environmental Thought  4 Hrs.
ENS 418 American Environmental History  4 Hrs.
ENS 461 Geopolitics: Geographic Aspects of
    International Affairs 4 Hrs.
ENS 474 Environmental Perception  4 Hrs.
ENS 476 Environmental Ethics  4 Hrs.
ENS 505 Historic Environmental Preservation  4 Hrs.
ENS 530 Internship  4 Hrs.
ART 463 Modern Art History  4 Hrs.
ART 464 Contemporary Art History  4 Hrs.
HIS 439 American Agricultural History  4 Hrs.
HIS 442 American Urban History  4 Hrs.
HIS 511 Museum/Historic Sites Methods   4 Hrs.
PHI 432 Philosophy of Art   4 Hrs.
SOA 481 North American Indians: Culture and Ecology  4 Hrs. 

Appropriate courses may also be selected from within or outside the ENS department in consultation with the student's adviser.

Closure requirements
M.S. and M.A. candidates, with the assistance of their advisers and graduate committees, are required to develop a thesis or major graduate project. For many students, the culminating experience of graduate‑level work is a formal thesis. Other students develop a substantial and carefully designed graduate project, such as an interpretive plan for a nature center, an exhibit for a museum or visitors' center, a film or multimedia show with supportive materials, a laboratory research project, or a finished and well‑researched draft of environmental legislation or policy. Both the thesis or project proposal and final product are defended in an oral examination before the graduate committee.

Students may not enroll for thesis or project credit hours until their proposal has been approved by their graduate committee. Students must enroll in a total of four hours of master's closure exercise for credit; however, they may accrue the total in increments. After beginning a closure exercise, students are required by campus policy to be enrolled in at least one semester hour of closure exercise each semester until the exercise is completed. For environmental studies students, this means that if the closure exercise is not completed by the end of four credit hours, students must register for zero credit hours (one billable hour) of ENS 511 Thesis or ENS 529 Graduate Project (as applicable) in all subsequent semesters (except summers) until the exercise is completed. 

Student's Educational Plan
Development of an educational plan in a standard format is a key activity on which student and adviser work closely to develop a plan that is appropriate for the student's background, aspirations, and needs. The plan indicates the courses for the chosen degree and concentration and is developed prior to enrolling for courses in the first semester of study. Students are expected to demonstrate how the plan is appropriate for their background, aspirations, and needs. The department chair approves the plan. Amendments may be made during the course of study with approval of the adviser and department chair.

Graduate Committee: In consultation with the student, the graduate committee reviews and evaluates the thesis or graduate project proposal and final product.

Variances and waivers: Courses that the student wishes or needs to take are listed in the educational plan; variances sought from requirements must be indicated. Courses in other departments/programs that are not crosslisted or that have been taken at other institutions of higher education must also be listed. All variances must be approved by the adviser and department chair.

Internships: Environmental studies faculty believe that a period of time working in an environmental agency or organization can be a vital part of professional training. Students in the Graduate Public Service Internship program may count up to four hours of their special internship seminar, PAD 460, toward the internship.

UNDERGRADUATE MINOR IN ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
To earn a minor in environmental studies, students must complete a minimum of 16 credit hours, which includes two core courses and a minimum of three elective courses. Students are expected to meet with an ENS adviser before beginning the minor. 

Required core courses
ENS 251  Introduction to Environmental Sciences  3 Hrs.
BIO 371  Principles of Ecology  4 Hrs. 

The 100-300 level elective courses listed below are 3 credit hours each. Undergraduate students taking 400-level courses receive 3 credit hours per course, while graduate students taking 400-level courses receive 4 credit hours per course. Students taking these courses as undergraduates may not repeat them for credit as graduate students.

Students are required to take at least three elective courses, only one of which may be below the 300-level. At least one elective must be at the 400-level. No more than two electives may be taken from any one of the categories listed below. 

Environmental Policy/Law/Planning
ENS 301  Environmental Justice in America
ENS 403  Transportation Problems and Planning Procedures
ENS 404  Techniques of Environmental Planning: Remote Sensing
     and GIS
ENS 421  Environmental Economics
ENS 461  Geopolitics: Geographic Aspects of International
     Affairs
ENS 484  Environmental Policies: Air Quality
ENS 485  Environmental Policies: Water Quality
ENS 486  Solid and Hazardous Wastes: Technology and Policy 

Environmental Social Sciences/Humanities
ENS 101  Women and the Environment
ENS 201  Literature and the Environment
ENS 221  Environmental Facts and Fictions: Mystery Genre
ENS 412  World Environmental Thought
ENS 418  American Environmental History
ENS 431  Evolution and Creationism
ENS 474  Environmental Perception
ENS 476  Environmental Ethics 

Environmental Sciences
ENS 262  Environmental Physical Geography
ENS 311  Global Change and Local Places
ENS 447  Environmental Chemistry
ENS 449  Environmental Toxicology
ENS 450  Chemicals and the Citizen
ENS 463  Our Changing Climate
ENS 468  Environmental Geology