Overview

Environmental Sciences is a multidisciplinary study of the natural/physical environment. Academic fields involved in environmental sciences include chemistry, biology and ecology, physics, geology, geography, anthropology, engineering, political science, law, economics and the health sciences. Students planning to pursue the MS in Environmental Sciences must either have earned a bachelor’s degree or have taken significant course work in the natural/physical sciences or engineering and completed several other prerequisites (see the following graduate information). 

Environmental careers encompass a broad range of professions, from those with a strong foundation in the natural/physical sciences or engineering to those based in the social sciences and/or humanities. Students interested in environmental issues and careers should investigate all our program options and specializations before deciding which path to follow. At CU Denver, the MS in Environmental Sciences emphasizes the natural/physical sciences and engineering with the addition of the social sciences and humanities. 

The MS in Environmental Sciences degree is designed to provide training in natural/physical sciences and social sciences. The goals of the program are (1) to enhance the interdisciplinary communication and analytical skills of the student, and (2) to provide a multidisciplinary approach for intensive and hands-on studies of particular environmental issues. Students will receive instruction in the physical and biological dynamics of various ecosystems, environmental engineering and socioeconomic issues associated with environmental analysis. 

Graduates of the MS in Environmental Sciences program are involved in many different areas, such as reviewing environmental impact statements, monitoring groundwater quality or air quality and communicating with the public. Our students have great success finding employment in various agencies (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Geological Survey, Colorado State Department of Public Health and Environment) and private-sector environmental consulting and engineering firms. 

These program requirements are subject to periodic revision by the academic department, and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences reserves the right to make exceptions and substitutions as judged necessary in individual cases. Therefore, the College strongly urges students to consult regularly with their program advisor to confirm the best plans of study before finalizing them.

Internships 

Students in the MS in Environmental Sciences program are strongly encouraged to contact the Experiential Learning Center for internships and paid positions related to environmental sciences. The Experiential Learning Center is located in the Tivoli Student Union, Suite 260. Telephone: 303-556-2250. The LynxConnect Career Center also located in the Tivoli Student Union Suite 439. Many students have had internships in federal agencies, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Geological Survey.

Graduate Education Policies and Procedures apply to this program.

1. Students must complete a minimum of 36 credit hours from approved courses.
2. Students must complete a minimum of 36 graduate (5000-level) or higher credit hours.
3. Students must earn a minimum grade of B (3.0) or better in all core courses, a B- (2.7) in all other courses applied to the degree and must achieve a minimum cumulative program GPA of 3.0. Courses taken using P+/P/F or S/U grading cannot apply to degree requirements.
4. Students must complete all coursework with CU Denver faculty.

Program Restrictions, Allowances and Recommendations

1. Many of the elective courses have prerequisites; student must have met these requirements in order to take the course. 
2.  A given course may only be used for one option, even if it is listed in several options. Other courses maybe offered that will be acceptable as electives with approval of the option advisor and the director of the program. 
3. Courses applied to either a certificate* or an MS degree may later be applied toward the other if all pertinent coursework is completed within a five year time period.   
4.  Students should fill out and submit all relevant department forms for their files. Importantly, all petitions for course substitutions and identification of where courses fit as electives, with the subsequent approval/denial, should be submitted to this file. 
5. By the end of the first semester, each student should identify and declare whether or not they are pursuing the thesis or non-thesis option. If intending to pursue the thesis option, the student should identify and gain agreement from a content advisor for guiding the thesis, filling out and submitting the appropriate departmental form. 
6. Students may count up to six credit hours of  independent study, with a maximum of three credit hours per independent study towards elective credit in the major as approved by the Graduate Director. No more than three credit hours of independent study may be taken with the same instructor and they may not be taken in the same term. 
7. Students may count up to six credit hours of internship in total, but three credit hours per internship and per entity (sponsorship may be with same professor sponsor).    
8. Students may not count 4000-level courses towards electives in the program; this may be petitioned to the Graduate Committee in exceptional cases. 
9. Students may take a maximum of two online courses, or petition to the GES Graduate Committee beyond two. 
10. Students may enroll in thesis preparation and writing hours only after submission of a signed committee form, which requires approval of the thesis proposal. 
11. Students will not receive a grade for thesis preparation and writing hours until the thesis is successfully defended. 
12. Students must follow the graduate admissions deadlines for submission of paperwork for the graduation application, comprehensive exam, and any other deadlines. Links to these can be found on the GES/MS website. 
13. Work submitted for the environmental sciences options must have a grade of B (3.0) or better. 
14. All students must complete two GES-approved, graduate-level techniques/methods-based class (not including the practicum). 
15. Elective credits may be completed using up to three credit hours of Independent Study and/or three credit hours of Internship Study.  
16. The Geospatial, Environmental Education, and Sustainable Urban Agriculture options of the program lead towards independent graduate certificates. These certificates may be earned without entrance into the MS in environmental sciences program. (See the Geographic Information Science Graduate Certificate, Sustainable Urban Agriculture Graduate Certificate, and Environmental Science Education Graduate Certificate descriptions.) 

17. The number of credits required to reach 36 total credits will depend on (a) whether a student is on Plan 1 or Plan 2, and (b) how many credit hours are compiled in the core classes. 

18. The MS in Environmental Sciences courses are offered in both GES and our partner departments. The degree is offered through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences with the cooperation of the College of Engineering, Design and Computing. In addition, some courses offered by the College of Architecture and Planning, the School of Public Affairs and the Business School are relevant and applicable to the program. 

Advisors: Ben Crawford & Kathy Kelsey

Advisor: Christy Briles

Advisors: Peter Anthamatten or Rafael Moreno