Degree: B.S.

Department: Environmental Sciences

Department Chair: Anthony Broccoli

Department Website: www.envsci.rutgers.edu

Undergraduate Program Director: Lisa Rodenburg 

The environmental sciences program is designed to provide students with an understanding of the application of the biological, chemical, and physical sciences to problems in the environment. The core emphasizes the chemical, physical, and biological principles, and options and electives allow specialization in the study of air, water, or soils, as well as pollution and treatment sciences, and environmental health. 

With the consultation of a faculty adviser, students can design a program to meet the requirements for graduate study or to provide the basis for a professional career in government, education, consulting, or industry.

Students can meet the requirements for the New Jersey Licensing Examination for Registered Environmental Health Specialists (sanitarians) by including the following courses in their program:

  11:375:103  Introduction to Environmental Health (3)

  11:375:406  Public Health Practice and Administration (3)

  10:832:335  Epidemiology (3)

  11:375:455,456  Internship in Environmental Health (2,2)

Recommended

  11:375:421  Air Pollution (3)

  11:375:430  Hazardous Wastes (3)

  11:375:302  Water and Wastewater Treatment (3)

  11:375:434  Principles of Industrial Hygiene (3) [meets requirement for 40-hour OSHA Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response certification]

The program offers a bachelor of science (B.S.) in environmental sciences, as well as a minor in environmental sciences.  Within the B.S. program, we offer three options:  environmental science, applied environmental science, and environmental health.  The differences between the options are not large, but generally the environmental science option is more theoretical and is preferred by students considering graduate school, while the applied option is more practical and is intended to prepare students for careers in the environmental field. The environmental health option is geared toward careers in health, such as the occupational health and safety arena.  All three options are good preparation for a graduate program for a master's in public health (M.P.H.).

Environmental science majors may also complete a joint degree leading to a bachelor of science (B.S.) degree in environmental science and a master's degree in public health (M.P.H.) from Rutgers. To apply for admission to the master's program, students must have junior status in the environmental science program (64 credits) and a minimum grade-point average of 3.0. Fifteen of the 45 credits required for the M.P.H. may be applied to the 128 credits required for the B.S. in environmental science. Students interested in this opportunity should discuss specific course requirements with their adviser or the chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the School of Public Health.

Students can also choose a five-year program that results in a B.S. in environmental science and a B.S. in bioenvironmental engineering.  Students pursuing this option are required to transfer to the School of Engineering in their junior year, which requires a minimum GPA of 2.5.