Environmental Science M.S.

Program type:

Major

Format:

On Campus

Est. time to complete:

2 years

Credit Hours:

Uncover the hidden interactions between different organisms and contribute to world-changing research to improve the future for generations to come.

The environmental science program is an interdisciplinary collaboration among the Department of Biological Sciences, the Department of Geography, the Department of Chemistry, the Department of Philosophy and Religion Studies and other departments at UNT to examine major environmental issues through an interdisciplinary perspective. The program offers graduate studies in environmental science that lead to the MS and PhD, granted through the Department of Biological Sciences. The course of study, involving both core and elective courses, is designed for those students who desire an interdisciplinary perspective concerning human-environmental interactions.

Requirements Tuition & Aid How to apply

Want more info?

We're so glad you're interested in UNT! Let us know if you'd like more information and we'll get you everything you need.

Request More Info

Why Earn an Environmental Science Master's?

The M.S. degree is designed to help students develop an interdisciplinary perspective on environmental science research, taking classes ranging from biology to philosophy to geography. By the end of their degree program, students are expected to become independent researchers through the writing of a MS thesis guided by a major professor and thesis committee.

The Department of Biological Sciences provides a high-quality education while you pursue a graduate degree in Biology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, or Environmental Science at the University of North Texas.

Scholarly research, strong professor-student mentoring, high-quality instruction and professional community service are the foundation of the department.

The cornerstone of our graduate programs is the creation of new knowledge through research. Research is supported through numerous federal, state, private and nonprofit sources. Opportunities for research include:

Aquatic biology
Analytical chemistry
Aquatic and terrestrial toxicology
Ecology
Ecophysiology
Limnology
Remote sensing and land use analysis
Wildlife conservation
Environmental modeling

Marketable Skills

Familiarization with professional publication standards
Search and review scientific literature
Application of science-based computer programs
Analytical and logical communication
Working knowledge of environmental science

Environmental Science Master's Highlights

The rigorous curriculum has helped students receive prestigious appointments and awards from organizations including the Entomological Society of America.

The department’s facilities for research and graduate training occur in the Life Sciences Complex; Science Research Building; and the Environmental Education, Science and Technology Building.

The Life Sciences Complex, which has Gold-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification for sustainability, includes an aquatics laboratory and four climate-controlled rooftop research greenhouses.

Qualified students are supported through competitive teaching assistantships or research assistantships funded by research grants to faculty members. Nine-month stipends and tuition scholarships are available for entering master’s and doctoral students.

Our faculty members include internationally renowned researchers who have earned recognition from the National Science Foundation, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Society for Microbiology, among others.

Environmental Science Master's Courses You Could Take

Principles and practices of preparing environmental impact assessments and statements. Addresses how to understand the effects that projects, plans and policies have on the environment and the impact those effects have on specific resources, ecosystems and human communities.

An examination of the philosophical origins of environmental philosophy and the basic positions in the field of environmental ethics. Key authors in environmental philosophy are surveyed, as well as topical considerations of a variety of schools of thought with emphasis on theories of environmental value, legal and moral rights for nature, animal liberation and Western philosophical and religious traditions.

Animals live within a diverse array of habitats, each characterized by its own physical and biological constraints varying in intensity, duration and periodicity. In this course, students learn various ways in which animals have evolved to meet these challenges and thrive in the context of their natural environments (biotic and abiotic).

Mechanisms of development, differentiation, and growth in animals at the molecular, cellular, and genetic levels. Areas of emphasis include transcriptional control mechanisms, embryonic patterning, cell–cell interactions, growth factors and signal transduction, and regulatory hierarchies. Includes the roles that environmental factors play in development, the medical applications of our knowledge of development, and the roles that development plays in evolution.

Ecological principles of how stream dynamics influence the biological and hydrologic patterns and processes occurring in stream ecosystems. Laboratory studies designed to teach techniques and to test hypotheses related to environmental assessment.

Annual in-depth field course that explores sub-Antarctic biota, geography, history, cultures and ecosystems of the Cape Horn Biosphere Reserve, integrating ecological science and field environmental ethics approaches to the study and conservation of biocultural diversity.