Search

Environmental Science

Bachelor of Science

Degree Type:
B.S.
College:
College of Arts & Sciences
Department:
Biology

Protect natural resources, wildlife, and plant life for generations to come.

Explore the interactions between humans and their environment from a physical, biological, and cultural perspective. The Environmental Science major at John Carroll University introduces you to a range of ecosystems and dynamics—all of them intertwined and interdependent.

Our planet’s health needs Blue Streaks like you. Rooted in Jesuit values of hospitality, our program gives you the tools and mindset to create a more sustainable balance between humankind and the natural world.

A degree in environmental science from JCU will prepare you for a variety of meaningful careers. This exciting field is especially seeing growth in areas like global climate change, conservation biology, wildlife and landscape ecology, and biodiversity monitoring.

  • 33M people are sustained by the Great Lakes basin ecosystem

  • 90% of students complete two or more high-impact learning experiences (such as research or internships)

  • 22.4% Increase in job postings looking for at least one green skill (WeForum.org, 2024)

  • 8-12 Students in upper-level lab classes

Rich Biodiversity Near Campus

Studying environmental science in Northeast Ohio gives you prime access to two of the world’s greatest watersheds and ecosystems: the Great Lakes basin and the Mississippi River.

Unique Field Experiences

Travel to Costa Rica with the Tropical Field Biology class over spring break. Monitor drought conditions in California’s Mojave Desert. Explore the Lake Erie shoreline.

Immersive Internships

Spend the summer or a semester in a park, nature preserve, research facility, or other location related to your goals. You’ll learn by doing and make career connections along the way.

Engaged Student Groups

Get involved with the Environmental Issues Group or the biology honor society, TriBeta. Whether you’re looking for professional development, service opportunities, or camaraderie, these groups will enrich your JCU experience.

  • Rich Biodiversity Near Campus

    Studying environmental science in Northeast Ohio gives you prime access to two of the world’s greatest watersheds and ecosystems: the Great Lakes basin and the Mississippi River.

  • Unique Field Experiences

    Travel to Costa Rica with the Tropical Field Biology class over spring break. Monitor drought conditions in California’s Mojave Desert. Explore the Lake Erie shoreline.

  • Immersive Internships

    Spend the summer or a semester in a park, nature preserve, research facility, or other location related to your goals. You’ll learn by doing and make career connections along the way.

  • Engaged Student Groups

    Get involved with the Environmental Issues Group or the biology honor society, TriBeta. Whether you’re looking for professional development, service opportunities, or camaraderie, these groups will enrich your JCU experience.

Program Overview & Outcomes

Through classroom, lab, and field work, you will master basic biological and chemical principles; plant and animal anatomy and physiology; biodiversity; and other foundational skills. You’ll also have a chance to pick from a variety of upper-level biology courses that match your interests, whether algae or amphibians, desert or deep waters, or evolution or epidemiology.

Curriculum: What You Will Learn

You’ll study environmental challenges through biology, chemistry, ecology, earth science, statistics, and policy. Laboratory and field-based courses help you investigate ecosystems, climate, pollution, conservation, and sustainability while developing the scientific and analytical skills needed to address environmental problems.

View Program Catalog

  • Biology Foundation

    Principles of Biology I

    3 Credits

    BL1500

    For science majors. BL1500 is prerequisite to BL1600 and BL1700. Three hours of lecture per week. Basic chemical principles; cell structure and organization; metabolism of plants and animals. Corequisite: BL1505.

    Principles of Biology Laboratory I

    1 Credits

    BL1505

    Three of four hours of laboratory per week. Laboratory study of the scientific method as applied to biology, focusing on development of skills through inquiry-based learning. Corequisite: BL1500. Additional fees apply to this course. Please see the section schedule for amount details.

    Principles of Biology II

    3-4 Credits

    BL1600

    For science majors. Three hours of lecture per week. Plant and animal anatomy and physiology. Prerequisite: BL155 or BL 1500. Corequisite: BL1605.

    Principles of Biology Laboratory II

    1 Credits

    BL1605

    Three hours of laboratory per week. Laboratory study of plant and animal anatomy and physiology. Prerequisite: BL157 or BL1505. Corequisite: BL1600. Additional fees apply to this course. Please see the section schedule for amount details.

    Principles of Biology III

    3 Credits

    BL1700

    For science majors. Three hours of lecture per week. Biodiversity and evolutionary relationships among living organisms. Prerequisite: BL156 or BL1500. Corequisite: BL1705.

    Principles of Biology Laboratory III

    1 Credits

    BL1705

    Three hours of laboratory per week. Evolutionary relationships among bacteria, algae, protists, fungi, and multicellular plants and animals. Prerequisite: BL157 or BL1505, or BL158 or BL1605. Corequisite: BL1700. Additional fees apply to this course. Please see the section schedule for amount details.

    General Ecology

    3 Credits

    BL2220

    Three hours of lecture per week. Interactions among plants, animals, and the physical environment. Ecological theory as it relates to population ecology, community dynamics, biogeochemical cycles, and biomes. Prerequisite: BL155 or BL1500, BL157 or BL1505, BL156 or BL1600, BL158 or BL1605, BL159 or BL1700, and BL160 or BL1705 or permission of instructor.

    Global Climate Change

    3 Credits

    BL3310

    Scan climate change's impact on ecosystems, grapple with political debates, and strategize real-world mitigation efforts for a sustainable future.

    Geographic Information Systems

    4 Credits

    BL4170

    Analyze spatial data using ArcGIS software, applying your skills to solve environmental and social challenges through hands-on projects.

    Advanced Ecology

    4 Credits

    BL4440

    Three hours of lecture/discussion per week. Topics include predator-prey interactions, global change, niche theory, competition, null models, and community assembly rules. Prerequisite: BL222 or BL 2220, and DATA228 or DATA2280. Corequisite: BL4445.

  • Supporting Courses

    General Chemistry I

    4 Credits

    CH1410

    Four hours of lecture per week. Stoichiometry, thermochemistry, states of matter, atomic structure, chemical bonding, molecular structure, oxidation-reduction, acid-base, solutions. Corequisite: CH 1430. Offered: Fall.

    General Chemistry II

    4 Credits

    CH1420

    Four hours of lecture per week. Homogeneous and heterogeneous equilibria, thermodynamics, electrochemistry, kinetics, chemistry of metals and non-metals, and other relevant topics. Offered: Spring. Prerequisites: (CH 1410 or CH 141) and (CH 1430 or CH 143). Corequisite: CH 1440.

    General Chemistry Lab I

    1 Credits

    CH1430

    Three hours of laboratory per week. Laboratory experiments illustrating principles developed in the corequisite lecture courses. Offered: Fall. Corequisite: CH 1410. Additional fees apply to this course. Please see the section schedule for amount details.

    General Chemistry Lab II

    1 Credits

    CH1440

    Three hours of laboratory per week. Laboratory experiments illustrating principles developed in the corequisite lecture courses. Offered: Spring, Prerequisites: (CH 1410 or CH 141) and (CH 1430 or CH 143). Corequisites: CH 1420. Additional fees apply to this course. Please see the section schedule for amount details.

    Environmental Earth Science

    3 Credits

    PH1150

    Interdisciplinary approach to the study of our planet, from its origins to current challenges. Formation of the earth, matter and minerals, the rock cycle, plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanism, and climate change. Corequisite: PH 1151

    Environmental Earth Science Laboratory

    1 Credits

    PH1151

    Experiments and field trips designed to complement PH 115 or PH 1150. Two hours of laboratory per week. Corequisite: PH 1150. Additional fees apply to this course. Please see the section schedule for amount details.

  • Statistics

    Statistics for Biological Sciences

    3 Credits

    DATA2280

    Apply statistical analysis in biological contexts, mastering R software for data exploration, hypothesis testing, and understanding variance to drive informed scientific conclusions.

    Intermediate Statistics with Spss

    3 Credits

    DATA2600

    Master intermediate statistical methods using SPSS, covering everything from power analysis to linear regression, to enhance your data skills.

    Calculus and Analytic Geometry I

    4 Credits

    MT1350

    Build a solid foundation in calculus, mastering limits, differentiation, and integrals to solve real-world problems with precision.

  • Sample Electives

    Terrestrial Ecology

    3 Credits

    BL2240

    One hour of lecture per week. Ecological data collection and analysis. Students study model organisms to examine various aspects of terrestrial ecology, including animal behavior, food web dynamics, competition, and population dynamics. Prerequisite: BL222 or BL2220 and DATA228 or DATA 2280. Corequisite: BL2245.

    Epidemiology

    3 Credits

    BL2400

    Shape your understanding of health through epidemiological principles, focusing on real-world applications and the realities faced by populations in resource-limited settings.

    Undergraduate Biology Research

    1-3 Credits

    BL2950

    Independent research performed under the direction of a Biology faculty member. May be repeated, but a maximum of 3 credits of BL2950, BL3980, and BL3990 combined will be accepted for any of the biology majors. Prerequisite: BL155 or BL1500, BL157 or BL1505, BL156 or BL1600, and BL158 or BL1605 and permission of instructor.

    Evolution

    3 Credits

    BL3700

    Three hours of lecture per week. Introduction to modern evolutionary biology, including evolutionary processes and speciation, character evolution, and macroevolution. Prerequisite: BL155 or BL1500, BL157 or BL1505, BL156 or BL1600, BL158 or BL1605, BL159 or BL1700, and BL160 or BL1705.

    Tropical Field Biology

    3 Credits

    BL4060

    Conduct tropical field research, design experiments, analyze data, and present findings while exploring the rich biodiversity of the tropics.

    Plant Ecology

    4 Credits

    BL4350

    Three hours of lecture per week. Study of the distribution and abundance of plants from organismal, population, and community perspectives. Emphasizes both seminal and novel research. Research manuscript required. Prerequisite: BL155 or BL1500, BL157 or BL1505, BL156 or BL1600, BL158 or BL1605, BL159 or BL1700, and BL160 or BL1705. Corequisite: BL 4355.

    Algae as Bioindicators

    4 Credits

    BL4470

    Two hours of lecture per week. Emphasis is on taxonomy and ecology of diatoms, but cyanobacteria, green algae, euglenoids, and other indicator taxa will also be examined. Prerequisites: BL159 or BL1700, and BL160 or BL1705. Corequisite: BL4475.

    Analytical Chemistry

    3 Credits

    CH2610

    Conduct hands-on chemical analyses using modern techniques while mastering statistical methods essential for interpreting data in analytical chemistry.

  • Interdisciplinary

    Business Analysis With Excel

    1 Credits

    BI1100

    How to answer key business questions, analyze company finances, forecast sales, and prepare business cases while improving your Excel skills.

    Data-Driven Decision-Making

    3 Credits

    BI2200

    Transform raw data into impactful insights using cutting-edge tools for data management and visualization, empowering you to make informed business decisions.

    Principles of Economics I

    3 Credits

    EC2201

    Build a foundation in microeconomics, focusing on supply and demand, market structures, and firm behavior, essential for future business leaders to thrive.

    Contemporary Ethical Problems

    3 Credits

    PL2085

    The application of ethical concepts to some of the most pressing moral problems of today. Topics come from areas such as the environment, medicine, and law.

    Introduction to Policy Analysis

    3 Credits

    PO3140

    Decipher the public policy puzzle, learning how decisions are made and applied, while unfolding the real-world impacts of policy across diverse political landscapes.

    Environmental Law & Justice

    3 Credits

    SC3800

    Examine the intersection of law and environmental justice, focusing on the rights to clean air, water, and the movement for nature's legal rights through real case studies.

Related Programs

Still deciding on your program of study at JCU or considering a second major? Here are some other academic areas to explore.

Your Path Forward Starts Here

Plan your future from day one. Finish faster with accelerated degrees or secure your spot with early assurance partnerships.

Environmental Science

4 years

Bachelor of Science

A degree in environmental science from John Carroll University prepares you for meaningful careers in conservation, sustainability, education, and more.

+

Medicine

LECOM · NEOMED · Toledo · OU Heritage · Duquesne · CWRU

Early Assurance

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)

Guaranteed admission to medical school for our early assurance partnerships. Any major welcome—multiple paths to MD or DO.

MBA

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Combine your JCU bachelor's degree with a master's in business administration in just one additional year.

Primary Education P-5

Master of Education (MEd) – Primary P-5

Earn your teaching license and master's degree together. Graduate ready to lead your own elementary classroom with advanced credentials.

=

Your Pathway to Medicine, Secured

Future in Focus

Lock in your medical school acceptance while you're still an undergrad. No MCAT stress, no application uncertainty. Focus on your JCU education knowing your future in medicine is already set.

Your MBA, Accelerated

Future in Focus

Nine graduate credits count toward both degrees—building executive-level skills while completing your bachelor's. You pay your undergraduate tuition rate with financial aid applied. An MBA for the cost of a few extra courses.

Your Teaching Career, Accelerated

Future in Focus

Nine graduate credits count toward both degrees—earning your teaching license and master's while finishing your bachelor's. You pay your undergraduate tuition rate, and your financial aid still applies. Get into the classroom sooner.

 
JCU's Distinct Promise

Pathways are just the beginning.
Onward makes them happen.

From your first semester forward, Onward connects your goals with the people, experiences, and support that help you build momentum with purpose.

Watch the Story

Quincy's Story

Starting in his first semester at John Carroll, Quincy Unger '26 found a team who helped him shape his ideas, find the right opportunities, and launch his own business.

Discover Onward

Complementary Minors

  • “My research experience at JCU not only gave me lifelong skills, but also a deep appreciation for both sides of the scientific process: the adventure of fieldwork and the rigor of analysis. ”

    Carly Anderson ’24

Where Our Alumni Go

Our alumni pursue rewarding roles in conservation, consulting, education, environmental law, and other areas where they can make a positive impact on the planet. Others continue on to graduate programs in ecology and environmental science, leading to careers in academia and research.

Cleveland Clinic
Cleveland Metroparks Logo.svg
National Parks
Sherwin Williams Logo
University Hospitals Logo
A brick campus building with large windows is framed by pink flowering tree branches and green foliage in the foreground.

Fall for JCU

Schedule Your Visit

Saved Undergraduate Programs

No programs saved yet.

Undergraduate Program Explorer

Saved Graduate Programs

No programs saved yet.

Graduate Program Explorer