Undergraduate Programs

Major Study Requirements

For the degree of Bachelor of Science: EPS required courses: 101, 105L (or ENVS 101 and 102L), 201L, 301, 302L, 303L, 304L, 307L, 319L, 401, 490 and 12 additional hours in Earth and Planetary Sciences above 299 (excluding 300, 491–492, 493 and 495).
Total credits for the Earth and Planetary Sciences sequence=43.

Non-Earth and Planetary Sciences Required Courses: CHEM 121, 123L, 122 and 124L; MATH 162 and 163, and either STAT 345 or EPS 428 or EPS 433; PHYC 160 and 161; and 7 additional hours from Chemistry, Math or Physics above the required levels, or BIOL 123/124L or higher, or ASTR 270 or above, or (with permission from the EPS Undergraduate Committee) from selected Anthropology, Engineering (including Computer Science) or Geography courses.
Total Credits of Supporting Science=32.

ENGL 219, 220 or 290 is required as an A&S Group Requirement.

Students completing the B.S. program will fulfill the requirements for a distributed minor, although an alternative minor or second major may be selected.

For the degree of Bachelor of Arts: EPS required courses: 101, 105L (or ENVS 101 and 102L), 201L, 301, 302L, 303L 304L, 307L, 310L (or 319L), 401, 490 and 6 additional hours in Earth and Planetary Sciences above 299 (excluding 491-492, 493 and 495).
Total credits for the Earth and Planetary Sciences sequence=37.

Non-Earth and Planetary Sciences required courses: CHEM 121 and 123L and either PHYC 151 or 160; and 9 additional hours from Chemistry or Physics above the required levels, or from MATH 162 or above, BIOL 123/124L or higher, or ASTR 270 or above, or (with permission from the EPS Undergraduate Committee) from selected Anthropology, Engineering or Geography courses.
Total Credits of Supporting Science=16.

Minor Study Requirements

The minor in Earth and Planetary Sciences will consist of 20 credit hours, of which 12 must be above the 299 level (excluding 401, 493 and 495). No more than 3 credit hours of problems (491–492) may be applied to the Earth and Planetary Sciences minor.

Departmental Honors

Students seeking honors in Earth and Planetary Sciences should consult with the department honors advisor no later than two full semesters prior to graduation. EPS 493 and 495 are required, as is a written senior thesis that will be orally defended.


Environmental Science

B.S. in Environmental Science

The B.S. in Environmental Science synthesizes quantitative studies of the interactions between the solid earth, oceans, atmosphere and biological processes taking place therein. The degree provides scientific training for environment-related occupations, including environmental sciences per se as well as peripheral fields such as Law and Medicine. Environmental Science covers a vast sweep of applied Earth science. Students, therefore, have considerable flexibility in tailoring the major to their individual interests while pursuing a common core of supporting math and science. By taking courses from four out of seven subdisciplinary groups, a wide variety of approaches to environmental science can be accommodated, including preparation for graduate study in the subdisciplines. Students pursuing this degree are strongly encouraged to consult the Environmental Science undergraduate advisor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at an early stage in their program in order to design their curriculum in the disciplinary groups. All majors are encouraged to pursue an undergraduate thesis (493 and 495) in collaboration with a faculty advisor.

Required Environmental Science Core Courses:
ENVS 101 or EPS 101, ENVS 102L or EPS 105L, ENVS 330, ENVS 430, EPS 428 or 433 or STAT 345 or higher, and EPS 490.

At least 6 credits each from four of the following seven groups (of which no more than 4 credits may be below 300), plus additional credits from Earth & Planetary Sciences above 300 (excluding 491-492, 493 and 495) for a total of 30 credits:

  1. Spatial analysis: EPS 455L; GEOG 381L, 487L, 488L
  2. Geochemistry: EPS 203, 407L, 410, 415, CE 437L
  3. Geoscience: EPS 201L, 301, 302L, 310L, 333
  4. Earth Surface Processes: EPS 304L, 333, 481L, 485L
  5. Hydroscience: EPS 462 or CE 441, EPS 443, 476
  6. Climate: EPS 352, 436, 437, 439
  7. Ecology: BIOL 203L, 310L, 405, 451, 461L, 463L, 475, 494, 495, 496L

Supporting Science required courses:
MATH 162, 163; BIOL 123/124L or higher; CHEM 121 and 123L; PHYC 160.

Students can satisfy the requirements for a distributed minor completing CHEM 122 and 124L, PHYC 161, and 7 additional hours from Chemistry (above 122 and 124L), MATH (above 163), Physics (above 161), Biology above 124L (not including courses counted in the Ecology subdisciplinary group) or Astronomy 270 or above or, with permission, from selected Anthropology, Engineering or Geography courses.

A student may also choose to complete a minor outside of the EPS Department. Six credits from courses in subdisciplinary group (g), all of which require additional Biology courses as prerequisites, will satisfy the requirements for a Minor in Biology (if taken separately from requirements for the B.S. in Environmental Science).

Undergraduate Minor in Environmental Science

A total of at least 20 hours distributed as follows:

  1. ENVS 101 and 102L (or EPS 101 and 105L), and ENVS 330.
  2. Plus at least 13 additional hours selected from ENVS 430, EPS 433 (or STAT 345 or higher) and from at least two of the Environmental Science subdisciplinary groups. Only one course numbered 299 or below may count toward this requirement.

Natural Science (NTSC)

No major or minor offered.

Matthew W. Nyman, Coordinator
Natural Sciences
Northrop Hall 126
MSC03 2040
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
(505) 277-4355


Courses

EPS 101. How the Earth Works–An Introduction to Geology. (3)



EPS 105L. Physical Geology Laboratory. (1)



EPS 106. Evolution and Age of the Earth. (2)



EPS 110. Topics in the Earth Sciences. (1-3 to a maximum of 3 Δ)



EPS 115. Geological Disasters. (3)



EPS 201L. Earth History. (4)



EPS 203. Energy and the Environment. (3)



EPS 211. Dinosaurs and Their World. (3)



EPS 225. Oceanography. (3)



EPS 250. Geology of New Mexico. (3)



EPS 251. Meteorology. (3)



EPS 252. Volcanoes!. (3)



EPS **300. Topics in Geology. (1-4 may be repeated once Δ)



EPS **301. Mineralogy/Earth and Planetary Materials. (3)



EPS **302L. Mineralogy Laboratory. (2)



EPS **303L. Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology. (4)



EPS **304L. Sedimentology and Stratigraphy. (4)



EPS **307L. Structural Geology. (4)



EPS 310L. New Mexico Field Geology. (4)



EPS **319L. Introductory Field Geology. (4)



EPS **333. Environmental Geology. (3)



EPS 352. Global Climate Change. (3)



EPS **365. Exploring the Solar System. (3)



EPS *400. Topics in Earth & Planetary Sciences. (1-4 may be repeated once Δ)



EPS 401 / 501. Colloquium. (1 to a maximum of 3 Δ)



EPS 405L / 505L. Stable Isotope Geochemistry. (3)



EPS 407L / 507L. Thermodynamics and Physical Foundations of Geochemistry. (4)



EPS 410 / 510. Fundamentals of Geochemistry. (3)



EPS *411L. Invertebrate Paleontology. (4)



EPS 415 / 515. Geochemistry of Natural Waters. (3)



EPS 420L / 520L. Advanced Field Geology. (4)



EPS 421L / 521L. Metamorphism. (4)



EPS 427 / 527. Geophysics. (3)



EPS 428 / 528. Applied Mathematics for Earth and Environmental Sciences. (3)



EPS 433. Statistics and Data Analysis in Earth Science. (3)



EPS 436 / 536. Climate Dynamics. (3)



EPS 437 / 537. Applied Meteorology. (3)



EPS *439. Paleoclimatology. (3)



EPS 443 / 543. Aquifers and Reservoirs. (3)



EPS 445 / 545. Topics in Sedimentology and Stratigraphy. (1-4 may be repeated 5 times Δ)



EPS 450L / 550L. Volcanology. (4)



EPS 453L / 553L. Field Studies in Volcanology. (4)



EPS 455L / 555L. Computational and GIS Applications in Geomorphology. (3)



EPS 457L / 557L. Mathematical Modeling in the Geosciences. (3)



EPS 462 / 562. Hydrogeology. (3)



EPS 465 / 565. Mars Evolution. (3)



EPS 472 / 572. Subsurface Fate and Transport Processes. (3)



EPS 476 / 576. Physical Hydrology. (3)



EPS 481L / 581L. Geomorphology and Surficial Geology. (4)



EPS 482L / 582L. Geoarchaeology. (3)



EPS 485L / 585L. Soil Stratigraphy and Morphology. (3)



EPS *488L. Scanning Electron Microscopy. (3)



EPS *490. Geologic Presentation. (1)



EPS 491-492. Problems. (1-3, 1-3)



EPS 493. Independent Study. (3)



EPS 495. Senior Thesis. (3)



EPS 501 / 401. Colloquium. (1 to a maximum of 3 Δ)



EPS 503. Organic Geochemistry. (3)



EPS 505L / 405L. Stable Isotope Geochemistry. (3)



EPS 507L / 407L. Thermodynamics and Physical Foundations of Geochemistry. (4)



EPS 510 / 410. Fundamentals of Geochemistry. (3)



EPS 513. Planetary Materials and the Evolution of the Solar System. (3)



EPS 515 / 415. Geochemistry of Natural Waters. (3)



EPS 516. Selected Topics in Geomorphology. (3, may be repeated 5 times Δ)



EPS 518L. Electron Microprobe Analysis. (3)



EPS 519. Selected Topics in Geochemistry. (2-4, may be repeated 5 times Δ)



EPS 520L / 420L. Advanced Field Geology. (4)



EPS 521L / 421L. Metamorphism. (4)



EPS 522. Selected Topics in Geophysics. (3, may be repeated 5 times Δ)



EPS 523. Topics in Tectonics. (3, may be repeated 5 times Δ)



EPS 526L. Advanced Structural Geology. (4)



EPS 527 / 427. Geophysics. (3)



EPS 528 / 428. Applied Mathematics for Earth and Environmental Sciences. (3)



EPS 533. Statistics and Data Analysis in Earth Science. (4)



EPS 534. Radiogenic Isotope Geochemistry. (3)



EPS 535. Freshwater Ecosystems. (3)



EPS 536 / 436. Climate Dynamics. (3)



EPS 537 / 437. Applied Meteorology. (3)



EPS 538L. Analytical Electron Microscopy. (3)



EPS 543 / 443. Aquifers and Reservoirs. (3)



EPS 544L. Sedimentary Petrology. (4)



EPS 545 / 445. Topics in Sedimentology and Stratigraphy. (1-4 may be repeated 5 times Δ)



EPS 547-548. Seminar. (2-3, 2-3, may be repeated 5 times Δ)



EPS 550L / 450L. Volcanology. (4)



EPS 551-552. Problems. (1-3, 1-3)



EPS 553L / 453L. Field Studies in Volcanology. (4)



EPS 555L / 455L. Computational and GIS Applications in Geomorphology. (3)



EPS 557L / 457L. Mathematical Modeling in the Geosciences. (3)



EPS 558. Geomicrobiology. (3)



EPS 562 / 462. Hydrogeology. (3)



EPS 564. Geological Fluid Mechanics. (3)



EPS 565 / 465. Mars Evolution. (3)



EPS 566. Selected Topics in Hydrogeology. (1-3, may be repeated 5 times Δ)



EPS 572 / 472. Subsurface Fate and Transport Processes. (3)



EPS 574L. Hydrogeology Laboratory. (1)



EPS 575. Advanced Volcanology. (3)



EPS 576 / 476. Physical Hydrology. (3)



EPS 581L / 481L. Geomorphology and Surficial Geology. (4)



EPS 582L / 482L. Geoarchaeology. (3)



EPS 584. Soil Genesis. (3)



EPS 585L / 485L. Soil Stratigraphy and Morphology. (3)



EPS 587. Advanced Mineralogy. (3)



EPS 599. Master’s Thesis. (1-6, no limit Δ)



EPS 699. Dissertation. (3-12, no limit Δ)



ENVS 101. The Blue Planet. (3)



ENVS 102L. The Blue Planet Laboratory. (1)



ENVS 330. Environmental Systems. (3)



ENVS 430 / 530. Advanced Environmental Science. (4)



ENVS 530 / 430. Advanced Environmental Science. (4)



NTSC 261L. Physical Science. (4)



NTSC 262L. Life Science. (4)



NTSC 263L. Environmental Science. (4)



NTSC *400. Science Topics for Educators. (1-4, may be repeated twice Δ)



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Office of the Registrar

MSC 11 6325
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131

Phone: (505) 277-8900
Fax: (505) 277-6809