IN THE SCHOOL OF OCEAN AND EARTH SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY • UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI‘I AT MANOA

Environmental Earth Sciences @UH (BA Program)

Includes Tracks in

ERTH students in various academic settings

Download the Undergrad Survival Guide PDF.
Other ERTH Academic Programs downloads

BA in Environmental Earth Science: description and requirements

The Environmental Earth Science degree is geared toward students who plan to enter the environmental and geotechnical fields upon graduation. It includes a combination of traditional geology topics such as field methods and sedimentology, as well as more applied topics such as hydrogeology, geospatial information, and environmental geochemistry).

The BA degree requires 27 credits in the Earth Sciences curriculum. This includes one introductory level ERTH course with a lab, seven non-introductory ERTH courses, a two-credit research seminar, and at least 15 credits of approved upper division electives in ERTH or other departments. With the advice and consent of an undergraduate advisor, courses in other natural sciences, mathematics, or engineering may be substituted as electives. A mainland summer field course is an elective that students are strongly encouraged to take. Required support classes include physics, chemistry, biological sciences, and one semester of college calculus; these total 23-24 credits and should be taken as early as possible. A minimum grade of C (not C-) must be achieved in all major and support classes.

Earth Science Education Track: description and requirements

The Earth Science Education track is for students who want to become top-quality middle-school and high-school Earth Science teachers. The curriculum includes all required topical coursework for Earth Sciences certification by the Hawai'i State Department of Education, including courses in meteorology and oceanography. If students in the Earth Science Education pathway enroll in the College of Education's Post-Baccalaureate certificate program after they earn the BA, they will be certified as Earth Science teachers in Hawai'i.

This BA track requires 39 credits in the Earth Sciences, oceanography, and meteorology curriculum, including introductory level ERTH and ATMO courses with labs, seven non-introductory ERTH, ATMO, and OCN courses, a two-credit research seminar, an upper-division teacher-education course, and at least 30 credits of approved upper division electives. With the advice and consent of an undergraduate advisor, courses in other natural sciences, mathematics, or engineering may be substituted as electives. A mainland summer field course is an elective that students are strongly encouraged to take. Required support classes include physics, chemistry, biological sciences, and one semester of college calculus; these total 23-24 credits and should be taken as early as possible. A minimum grade of C (not C-) must be achieved in all major and support classes.

Course requirements for each track

BA

Education Track

                                                    Required Courses

(27 credits)

(39 credits)
  • ERTH 101 Dynamic Earth (3), or ERTH 102 Introduction to Global Change (3), or 103 Geology of the Hawaiian Islands (3), or ERTH104 Volcanoes in the Sea (3), or ERTH 106 Humans and the Environment (3), or ERTH130 Geologic Hazards, or ERTH 170 Physical Geology (4)
  • ERTH 101L Dynamic Earth Laboratory (1) (unless ERTH 170 is taken)
  • ERTH 200 Geological Inquiry (4)
  • ERTH 305 Geological Field Methods (3)
  • ERTH 309 Sedimentology and Stratigraphy (4)
  • ERTH 325 Geochemistry (3) - or- ERTH425 Environmental Geochemistry (3)
  • ERTH 410 Research Seminar (2)
  • ERTH 455 Hydrogeology (4)
  • ERTH 461 Geospatial Information (3)
  • ERTH 101 Dynamic Earth (3), or ERTH 102 Introduction to Global Change (3), or 103 Geology of the Hawaiian Islands (3), or ERTH104 Volcanoes in the Sea (3), or ERTH 106 Humans and the Environment (3), or ERTH130 Geologic Hazards, or ERTH 170 Physical Geology (4)
  • ERTH 101L Dynamic Earth Laboratory (1) (unless ERTH 170 is taken)
  • ATMO 101, 101L Introduction to Meteorology (4)
  • ERTH 105 Voyage through the Solar System (3) or ASTR 110 Survey of Astronomy (3)
  • ERTH 200 Geological Inquiry (4)
  • ATMO 200 Atmospheric Processes and Phenomena (3)
  • OCN 201, 201L Science of the Sea (4)
  • ERTH 300 Volcanology (3)
  • ERTH 305 Geological Field Methods (3)
  • OCN 310 Global Environmental Change (3)
  • ERTH 406 Natural Disasters (3)
  • ITE 401 Engaging the Adolescent Learner (3)
  • ERTH 410 Research Seminar (2)

                                                    Science Electives

Lower Division

  • ERTH 250 Scientific Programming (3)

Upper Division (12 credits)

  • ERTH 300 Volcanology (3)
  • ERTH 301 Mineralogy (4)
  • ERTH 302 Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology (3)
  • ERTH 303 Structural Geology (3)
  • ERTH 304 Physics of Earth and Planets (4)
  • ERTH 312 Geomathematics (3)
  • ERTH 325 Fundamentals of Geochemistry (3)
  • ERTH 395 Undergraduate Internship (V)
  • ERTH 399 Directed Reading (V)
  • ERTH 402 Hawaiian Geology (3)
  • ERTH 406 Natural Disasters (3)
  • ERTH 407 Energy and Mineral Resources (3)
  • ERTH 413 Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis (3)
  • ERTH 420 Coastal Geology (3)
  • ERTH 421 Geologic Record of Climate Change (3)
  • ERTH 423 Marine Geology (3)
  • ERTH 425 Environmental Geochemistry (3)
  • ERTH 444 Plate Tectonics (3)
  • ERTH 450 Geophysical Methods (4)
  • ERTH 451 Earthquakes (3
  • ERTH 454 Engineering Geology (3)
  • ERTH 455 Hydrogeology (4)
  • ERTH 466 Planetary Geology (3)
  • ERTH 499 Undergraduate Thesis (3)
  • GEOG 405 Water in the Environment (3)
  • NREM 477 Geographic Information Systems for Resource Managers (4)
  • OCN 320 Aquatic Pollution (3)
  • TPSS 304 Fundamentals of Soil Science (4)

Upper Division (5 credits)

  • ERTH 300 Volcanology (3)
  • ERTH 301 Mineralogy (4)
  • ERTH 302 Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology (3)
  • ERTH 303 Structural Geology (3)
  • ERTH 304 Physics of Earth and Planets (4)
  • ERTH 312 Geomathematics (3)
  • ERTH 325 Fundamentals of Geochemistry (3)
  • ERTH 395 Undergraduate Internship (V)
  • ERTH 399 Directed Reading (V)
  • ERTH 402 Hawaiian Geology (3)
  • ERTH 406 Natural Disasters (3)
  • ERTH 407 Energy and Mineral Resources (3)
  • ERTH 413 Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis (3)
  • ERTH 420 Coastal Geology (3)
  • ERTH 421 Geologic Record of Climate Change (3)
  • ERTH 423 Marine Geology (3)
  • ERTH 425 Environmental Geochemistry (3)
  • ERTH 444 Plate Tectonics (3)
  • ERTH 450 Geophysical Methods (4)
  • ERTH 451 Earthquakes (3
  • ERTH 454 Engineering Geology (3)
  • ERTH 455 Hydrogeology (4)
  • ERTH 460 Geological Remote Sensing (4)
  • ERTH 461 Geospatial Information (3)
  • ERTH 466 Planetary Geology (3)
  • ERTH 499 Undergraduate Thesis (3)
  • GEOG 405 Water in the Environment (3)
  • NREM 477 Geographic Information Systems for Resource Managers (4)
  • OCN 320 Aquatic Pollution (3)
  • OCN 331 Living Resources of the Sea (3)
  • OCN 457 Ridge to Reef: Coastal Ecosystem Ecology and Connectivity (3)
  • TPSS 304 Fundamentals of Soil Science (4)

                                    Required Support Courses (23-24 credits)

  • General Chemistry (CHEM 161, 161L, 162, 162L)
  • Calculus I (MATH 215 or 241)
  • College Physics (PHYS 151, 151L, 152, 152L)
  • Biological Sciences (BIOL 171, or BOT 101, or BOT 105 or ZOOL 101, or MICR 130, or OEST 103)
  • General Chemistry (CHEM 161, 161L, 162, 162L)
  • Calculus I (MATH 215 or 241)
  • College Physics (PHYS 151, 151L, 152, 152L)
  • Biological Sciences (BIOL 171, or OEST 103)

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