Degree Offered
- Bachelor of Science
Nature of the Program
This major prepares students for careers in areas which safeguard the quality of the environment. The curriculum is built on interdisciplinary training in a broad array of environmental, soil, and water sciences. Recent graduates in this option are employed by municipal, state, and federal governmental agencies; consulting firms, especially those specializing in land reclamation, water quality, or pest management; and companies associated with natural resource industries.
In addition to the required curriculum students can enhance their career qualifications by also completing some or all of the following options:
- A minor in a relevant field (Geology, Resource Economics, Wildlife Conservation, etc.)
- USDA Soil Scientist Certification: thirty hours in biological, physical or earth science, including at least fifteen hours in soils courses such as:
Course List Code Title Hours ESWS 410 Soil Fertility 3 ESWS 415
& 415LSoil Survey and Land Use
and Soil Survey and Land Use Laboratory3 ESWS 417
& 417LSoil Genesis and Classification
and Soil Genesis and Classification Laboratory4 ESWS 425
& 425LEnvironmental Soil Management
and Environmental Soil Management Laboratory3 ESWS 430
& 430L
and Soil Physics Laboratory3 ESWS 455 Reclamation of Disturbed Soils 3
- USDA Soil Conservationist Certification: thirty hours in natural resources or agricultural disciplines including at least twelve hours from soils, crops, or plant science, with at least three hours in soils and three hours in crop or plant science.
- ENVP 415 Hazardous Waste Training. Equivalent to OSHA 40-hour HAZWOPER course.
- Information on academic requirements for other professional certifications may be obtained at https://www.agronomy.org/certifications or http://www.naep.org
Admissions for 2025-2026
- First-Time Freshman are admitted directly into the Environmental Soil and Water major.
- Students transferring from another major within WVU are directly admitted to the Environmental Soil and Water major if they are in good academic standing (2.0 or higher GPA).
- Students transferring from another institution are directly admitted to the Environmental Soil and Water major if they are in good academic standing (2.0 or higher GPA).
Major Code: 1706
General Education Foundations
Please use this link to view a list of courses that meet each GEF requirement.
NOTE: Some major requirements will fulfill specific GEF requirements. Please see the curriculum requirements listed below for details on which GEFs you will need to select.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations | ||
| F1 - Composition & Rhetoric | 3-6 | |
| Introduction to Composition and Rhetoric and Composition, Rhetoric, and Research | ||
or ENGL 103 | Accelerated Academic Writing | |
| F2A/F2B - Science & Technology | 4-6 | |
| F3 - Math & Quantitative Reasoning | 3-4 | |
| F4 - Society & Connections | 3 | |
| F5 - Human Inquiry & the Past | 3 | |
| F6 - The Arts & Creativity | 3 | |
| F7 - Global Studies & Diversity | 3 | |
| F8 - Focus (may be satisfied by completion of a minor, double major, or dual degree) | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 31-37 | |
Please note that not all of the GEF courses are offered at all campuses. Students should consult with their advisor or academic department regarding the GEF course offerings available at their campus.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| University Requirements | 38 | |
| Environmental, Soil and Water Major Requirements | 82 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
University Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Foundations (GEF) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 (31-37 Credits) | ||
| Outstanding GEF Requirements 1, 4, 5, and 6 | 15 | |
| ANRD 191 | First-Year Seminar | 1 |
| General Electives | 22 | |
| Total Hours | 38 | |
Environmental, Soil and Water Sciences Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| WRIT 305 | Technical Writing | 3 |
| Select one of the following sequences (GEF 8): | 8 | |
| General Biology 1 and General Biology 1 Laboratory and General Biology 2 and General Biology 2 Laboratory | ||
| Principles of Biology and Principles of Biology Laboratory and Introductory Physiology and Introductory Physiology Laboratory | ||
| Select one of the following pairs (GEF 2 & 8): | 8 | |
| Fundamentals of Chemistry 1 and Fundamentals of Chemistry 1 Laboratory and Fundamentals of Chemistry 2 and Fundamentals of Chemistry 2 Laboratory | ||
| Survey of General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry 1 and Survey of Chemistry 1 Laboratory and Survey of General Organic Biological Chemistry 2 and Survey of Chemistry 2 Laboratory | ||
| GEOL 101 & 101L | Planet Earth and Planet Earth Laboratory | 4 |
| Select one of the following (GEF 3): | 3 | |
| Algebra with Applications | ||
| Applied Calculus | ||
| AEM 341 & 341L | General Microbiology and General Microbiology Laboratory | 4 |
| ESWS 202 | Principles of Soil Science | 3 |
| ESWS 202L | Principles of Soil Science Laboratory | 1 |
| ESWS 155 | Elements of Environmental Protection | 3 |
| Plant Science Elective: | 3 | |
| Principles of Weed Science and Principles of Weed Science Laboratory | ||
| Forest Ecology and Forest Ecology Laboratory | ||
| Woody Plant Materials Laboratory | ||
| Principles of Plant Science and Principles of Plant Science Laboratory | ||
| STAT 211 | Elementary Statistical Inference | 3 |
| WMAN 150 | Principles of Conservation Ecology (GEF 7) | 3 |
| ESWS 425 & 425L | Environmental Soil Management and Environmental Soil Management Laboratory (Capstone Experience) | 3 |
| or ESWS 460 & 460L | Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Impact Assessment Laboratory | |
| Restricted Electives | 21 | |
| Environmental Microbiology and Environmental Microbiology Laboratory | ||
| Microcomputer Applications in Agricultural Education | ||
or FNRS 240 | Introduction to Computing in Natural Resources | |
| Group Organization and Leadership (GEF 4) | ||
| Reclamation of Disturbed Soils | ||
| Soil Microbiology | ||
| Introductory Biochemistry | ||
| Soil Judging Laboratory | ||
| Soil Survey and Land Use and Soil Survey and Land Use Laboratory | ||
| Soil Physics and Soil Physics Laboratory | ||
| Agribusiness Management | ||
| Plant Ecology and Plant Ecology Laboratory | ||
| Introduction to Environmental Engineering and Introduction to Environmental Engineering Laboratory | ||
| Introductory Soil Mechanics and Introductory Soil Mechanics Laboratory | ||
| Organic Chemistry: Brief Course and Organic Chemistry: Brief Course Laboratory | ||
| Environmental Sampling and Analysis | ||
| Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Impact Assessment Laboratory | ||
| Watershed Management and Principles of Water Resources | ||
| Geomorphology | ||
| Environmental Geology | ||
| Introductory Hydrogeology | ||
| Physical Hydrogeology | ||
| Environmental Geochemistry | ||
| Introductory Physics 1 and Introductory Physics 1 Laboratory | ||
| Introductory Physics 2 and Introductory Physics 2 Laboratory | ||
| Professional Field Experience | ||
| Environmental Policy | ||
| Foundations of Applied Geographic Information Systems and Foundations of Applied Geographic Information Systems Laboratory | ||
| Environmental Regulation | ||
| Freshwater Ecology and Freshwater Ecology Laboratory | ||
| Area of Emphasis | 12-14 | |
Environmental Assessment and Reclamation (12 Hours) | ||
Environmental Microbiology (14 Hours) | ||
Soil and Water Sciences (14 Hours) | ||
| Total Hours | 82 | |
Suggested Plan of Study
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ANRD 191 | 1 | ESWS 155 | 3 |
| ENGL 101 (GEF 1) | 3 | BIOL 102 & 102L (GEF 8) | 4 |
| BIOL 101 & 101L (GEF 8) | 4 | WMAN 150 (GEF 7) | 3 |
| Select one of the following (GEF 3): | 3 | General Electives | 6 |
| GEOL 101 & 101L | 4 | ||
| 15 | 16 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| Select one of the following (GEF 2): | 4 | Plant Science Elective | 3 |
| Select one of the following (GEF 8): | 4 | ||
| ENGL 102 (GEF 1) | 3 | ||
| STAT 211 | 3 | GEF 6 | 3 |
| GEF 5 | 3 | ESWS 202 | 3 |
| Restricted Elective | 3 | ESWS 202L | 1 |
| General Elective | 1 | ||
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| AEM 341 & 341L | 4 | Area of Emphasis Required Course | 3 |
| WRIT 305 | 3 | Restricted Electives | 7 |
| Area of Emphasis Required Course | 3 | General Electives | 4 |
| Restricted Elective | 3 | ||
| General Elective | 3 | ||
| 16 | 14 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours |
| ESWS 425 & 425L | 3 | Area of Emphasis Required Course | 3 |
| GEF 4 | 3 | Restricted Electives | 8 |
| Area of Emphasis Required Course | 3 | General Electives | 2 |
| General Electives | 6 | ||
| 15 | 13 | ||
| Total credit hours: 120 | |||
Areas of Emphasis
- Environmental Assessment and Reclamation
- Environmental Microbiology
- Soil and Water Sciences
Environmental Assessment and Reclamation Area of Emphasis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ESWS 255 | Elements of Environmental Management | 3 |
| ESWS 355 | Environmental Sampling and Analysis | 3 |
| ESWS 415 & 415L | Soil Survey and Land Use and Soil Survey and Land Use Laboratory | 3 |
| ESWS 455 | Reclamation of Disturbed Soils | 3 |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Environmental Microbiology Area of Emphasis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| AEM 470 | Microbes and Global Change | 3 |
| AEM 401 & 401L | Environmental Microbiology and Environmental Microbiology Laboratory | 4 |
| PPTH 401 & 401L | General Plant Pathology and General Plant Pathology Laboratory | 4 |
| PPTH 403 | Mycology | 3 |
| Total Hours | 14 | |
Soil and Water Sciences Area of Emphasis
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| AEM 470 | Microbes and Global Change | 3 |
| ESWS 125L | Soil Judging Laboratory | 1 |
| ESWS 410 | Soil Fertility | 3 |
| ESWS 415 & 415L | Soil Survey and Land Use and Soil Survey and Land Use Laboratory | 3 |
| ESWS 417 & 417L | Soil Genesis and Classification and Soil Genesis and Classification Laboratory | 4 |
| Total Hours | 14 | |
Major Learning Outcomes
Environmental, Soil and Water Sciences
The learning outcomes of the environmental protection major center on developing individuals who are effective stewards of soil and water resources. A thorough science-based curriculum will allow students - after completion of the major - to assess, evaluate, manage, and safeguard soil and water resources and develop plans to use and/or mitigate impacts on these resources. The major emphasizes long term sustainability, conservation, and stewardship balanced with the need to develop soil and water resources for current and future human use.
Soil & Water Sciences Area of Emphasis
- Describe the important roles of soil and water in the environment in agricultural and non-agricultural systems.
- Design and implement sustainable soil and water management practices.
- Evaluate existing soil, water and landscape resources to develop recommendations for sustainable land use practices.