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Environmental Science Master's
Master of Science (M.S.)
Program type:
Major
Format:
On Campus
Est. time to complete:
2 years
Credit Hours:
36
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.
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Request More InfoWhy 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
Environmental Impact Assessment (3 hrs)
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.
Environmental Ethics (3 hrs)
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.
Physiological Ecology (3 hrs)
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).
Developmental Biology (3 hrs)
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.
Stream Ecology (3 hrs)
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.
Tracing Darwin’s Path (3 hrs)
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.
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