At UWM, students with a passion for nature and the environment can obtain a solid education in the natural sciences that are central to environmental science - biology, geosciences, and chemistry - and the social sciences of geography, economics, and politics which guide the application of conservation and environmental science in the real world.
Students at UWM can focus their conservation and environmental science work around land resources, water resources, biological resources/biodiversity, or environmental analysis. Internships and field work complement classroom learning. These opportunities can be found locally at UWM's own Field Station, on Lake Michigan aboard UWM's R/V Neeskay vessel, and at local agencies, or abroad in places as far flung as Iceland, Africa, Romania and the Caribbean.
An active Conservation Club is another student advantage at UWM. Activities range from on-campus sustainability projects to professional networking and more.
UWM’s CES major builds on students’ passion to solve environmental issues through either a BS or a BA degree. The BS requires more courses in math, biology, chemistry, and science and is suitable for careers in field or laboratory work, while the BA has fewer electives in science for a career in public programming, education, or administration.
Because of the breadth and flexibility of this major, students should consult with the Director and/or Coordinator to plan a course of study, preferably before the start of their sophomore year. It is particularly important to begin the introductory course sequences early, since they are prerequisites for advanced courses.
It is recommended that students obtain at least one semester of practical work or internship experience, either as an employee or as a volunteer, with state or federal resource management agencies, consulting firms, conservation or environmental organizations, or with nature centers or local parks.
Course of Study – Bachelor of Arts Degree
Complete 120 credits including 75 credits in the College of Letters & Science and with 36 of the 75 credits in L&S upper-level (numbered above 300) courses.
The College requires that students must complete in residence at UWM at least 15 credits in upper-division (numbered 300 or above) courses in their major. The College also requires that students complete at least 30 credits overall in residence at UWM. For additional residency and transfer credit limitations, see L&S Undergraduate Policies and Regulations.
Students are also required to complete University-wide General Education Requirements and the specific L&S requirements listed below.
To complete a major, students must satisfy all the requirements of the major as stated in this catalog. Students who declare their majors within five years of entering the UW System as a degree candidate may satisfy the requirements outlined in any catalog issued since the time they entered. Credits used to satisfy the major also may be used to satisfy other degree requirements.
University General Education Requirements (GER)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Oral and Written Communication | ||
| Part A | ||
| Achieve a grade of C or better in the following course: | ||
| ENGLISH 102 | College Writing and Research (or equivalent) | |
| Part B | ||
| Course designated as OWC-B; may be completed through a major-specific course requirement | ||
| Quantitative Literacy | ||
| Part A | ||
| Earn at least 3 credits with a grade of C or higher in one of the following courses or an equivalent course, or achieve a placement code of at least 30 on the mathematics placement test (or other appropriate test, as determined by the Mathematical Sciences Department) | ||
| Mathematical Literacy for College Students II | ||
| Contemporary Applications of Mathematics | ||
| Introduction to College Algebra | ||
| Algebraic Literacy II | ||
| Introduction to Logic - Critical Reasoning 1 | ||
or PHILOS 111 | Introduction to Logic - Critical Reasoning | |
| College Algebra | ||
Or equivalent course | ||
| Part B | ||
| Course designated as QL-B; may be completed through a major-specific course requirement | ||
| Arts | ||
| Select 3 credits | 3 | |
| Humanities | ||
| Select 6 credits | 6 | |
| Social Sciences | ||
| Select 6 credits | 6 | |
| Natural Sciences | ||
| Select 6 credits (at least two courses including one lab) | 6 | |
| UWM Foreign Language Requirement | ||
| Complete Foreign Language Requirement through: | ||
Two years (high school) of a single foreign language | ||
Two semesters (college) of a single foreign language | ||
Or equivalent | ||
| UWM Cultural Diversity Requirement | ||
| One course from the Arts, Humanities, or Social Sciences must also satisfy UWM's Cultural Diversity requirement | ||
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Math 111 and Philosophy 111 are jointly offered and count as repeats of one another. Students cannot receive credit for both courses.
College of Letters & Science Requirements
The degree requirements in the College of Letters and Science build on the University General Education Requirements to provide a broad base of knowledge as well as an array of skills cited by employers as critical to professional success: critical thinking, problem solving, oral and written communication, ability to work well with others, and adaptability to change.
For the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), you must complete the UWM General Education Requirements as well as these L&S requirements: the International requirement, the Breadth requirement, and the Research requirement. The International requirement develops your potential for cross-cultural understanding in a globalizing world. The Breadth requirement ensures that you take classes in a wide variety of subjects, across humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences. The Research requirement calls for you to build your critical thinking and oral and written communication skills through conducting an independent research project, usually in your major.
For the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) you will also complete the Language other than English requirement, to further develop your understanding of cultures through language.
I. Total Credits and Upper-Division Courses Requirement
Students must complete 120 credits including 75 credits in the College of Letters & Science and with 36 of the 75 credits in L&S upper-level (numbered above 300) courses.
II. Language other than English Requirement
Students doing the BA must fulfill the language other than English requirement by either successfully completing the fourth semester of university work or equivalent in one language other than English, or by successfully completing the second semester of university work or equivalent in two languages other than English (including all world languages and American Sign Language).
Language courses (including American Sign Language) other than English taken in high school may be used to satisfy all or part of this requirement. One year of high school language equates to one semester of college work. Proficiency tests approved by the Languages faculty may be used to satisfy all or part of this requirement.
Completion of the L&S Language Requirement also satisfies the university-wide Language other than English GER, but not vice versa.
III. International Requirement
To meet the International Requirement, students must successfully complete some three course (minimum 9 credits) combination of
- language other than English (not including American Sign Language) at 3rd semester level or above, and/or
- non-language courses with L&S approved international content (see Courses Approved for the L&S International Requirement for course options).
IV. Breadth Requirement
In addition to completing the University General Education Requirements, L&S students must complete the Breadth requirement.
The L&S Breadth requirement calls for 6 credits each in L&S courses designated L&S Humanities, L&S Natural Sciences, and L&S Social Sciences breadth. One of the L&S Natural Science breadth courses must be a laboratory or fieldwork course. These courses must be beyond and in addition to courses in those areas used to satisfy General Education Requirements.
Please refer to the list of Courses Approved for the L&S Breadth Requirement.
V. The Major
The College of Letters and Science requires that students attain at least a 2.0 GPA in all credits in the major attempted at UWM. In addition, students must attain a 2.0 GPA on all major credits attempted, including any transfer work. Individual departments or programs may require higher GPAs for graduation. Some departmental majors require courses from other departments. Contact your major department for information on whether those credits will count as part of the major GPA. The College requires that students must complete in residence at UWM at least 15 credits in upper-division (numbered 300 or above) courses in their major.
Research Requirement
Within their majors, students must complete a research experience approved by the L&S faculty. A list of courses satisfying the research requirement in each major can be found here.
VI. The Minor
Students are encouraged to consider completing a minor, but it is not required. To complete a minor, the College of Letters and Science requires that students attain at least a 2.0 GPA in all credits in the minor attempted at UWM. In addition, students must attain a 2.0 GPA on all minor credits attempted, including any transfer work. The minor must contain at least 9 credits in upper-division (numbered 300 and above) courses.
Conservation and Environmental Science Major Requirements
The Conservation and Environmental Science (CES) major requires a minimum of 54 credits, 29 of which are advanced-level. All students in the major must fulfill the required 36 credits (25 lower-level core credits, and 11 advanced-level credits) and an additional 18 advanced-level credits from among the approved CES upper-level electives.
Students must complete the courses listed below, including at least 15 upper-division (numbered 300 and above) credits in the major in residence at UWM. The College of Letters & Science requires that students attain at least a 2.0 GPA on all credits in the major attempted at UWM. In addition, students must attain a 2.0 GPA on all major credits attempted, including any transfer work.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Introductory Core | ||
| BIO SCI 150 | Foundations of Biological Sciences I | 4 |
| BIO SCI 152 | Foundations of Biological Sciences II | 4 |
| CES 210 | Introduction to Conservation and Environmental Science | 3 |
| CHEM 102 | General Chemistry | 5 |
| GEO SCI 100 | Introduction to the Earth | 3 |
| or GEOG 120 | Our Physical Environment | |
| GEO SCI 102 | Evolution of the Earth | 3 |
| or GEO SCI 150 | Introduction to Ocean Sciences | |
| GEOG 215 | Introduction to Geographic Information Science | 3 |
| Mid-Level Distributional Requirement | ||
| BIO SCI 310 | General Ecology | 4 |
| GEOG 350 | Conservation of Natural Resources | 3 |
| Upper-Level Core | ||
| Select 18 upper-level approved CES electives with at least 3 credits taken from each of the following areas | 18 | |
Biological Sciences | ||
Geosciences | ||
Geography | ||
| Research Requirement | ||
| CES 471 | Practicum in Natural Resources Management | 4 |
| Total Credits | 54 | |
List of Approved Electives for the CES Major
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIO SCI 315 | Cell Biology | 3 |
| BIO SCI 325 | Genetics | 4 |
| BIO SCI 358 | Birds of Wisconsin | 2 |
| BIO SCI 370 | Mammalian Physiology | 3 |
| BIO SCI 383 | General Microbiology | 4 |
| BIO SCI 406 | Marine Biology | 3 |
| BIO SCI 440 | Ecology and Evolution of Amphibians and Reptiles | 3 |
| BIO SCI 451 | Field Methods in Conservation | 3 |
| BIO SCI 465 | Biostatistics | 3 |
| BIO SCI 480 | Ecological Genetics | 3 |
| BIO SCI 489 | Internship in Biological Sciences, Upper Division | 1-6 |
| BIO SCI 500 | Plant Physiology | 3 |
| BIO SCI 501 | Plant and Aquatic Ecophysiology Laboratory | 3 |
| BIO SCI 502 | Introduction to Programming and Modeling in Ecology and Evolution | 3 |
| BIO SCI 505 | Conservation Biology | 3 |
| BIO SCI 512 | Limnology I | 3 |
| BIO SCI 523 | Evolution and Ecology of Birds | 3 |
| BIO SCI 532 | Behavioral Ecology | 3 |
| BIO SCI 540 | Microbial Diversity and Physiology | 3 |
| BIO SCI 562 | Topics in Field Biology: | 1-2 |
| BIO SCI 575 | Evolutionary Biology | 3 |
| BIO SCI 611 | Seminar on Recent Advances in Limnology and Oceanography | 2 |
| CES 451 | Field Methods in Conservation | 3 |
| CES 461 | The Politics and Policy of Sustainability | 3 |
| CES 489 | Internship in Environmental Studies, Upper Division | 1-6 |
| CES 497 | Study Abroad: | 1-12 |
| CES 499 | Ad Hoc: | 1-6 |
| CES 515 | Environmental Law for Natural Resource Managers | 3 |
| CES 651 | Principles of Stream Management and Restoration | 3 |
| CHEM 341 | Introductory Survey of Organic Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 342 | Introductory Organic Chemistry Laboratory | 2 |
| CHEM 343 | Organic Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 344 | Organic Chemistry Laboratory | 2 |
| CHEM 345 | Organic Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 501 | Introduction to Biochemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 524 | Instrumental Analysis | 3 |
| CHEM 560 | Biophysical Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 603 | Introduction to Biochemistry Laboratory | 2 |
| ECON 328 | Environmental Economics | 3 |
| GEOG 304 | Human Impact on the Environment | 3 |
| GEOG 306 | Natural Hazards | 3 |
| GEOG 310 | General Climatology | 3 |
| GEOG 340 | Biogeography | 3 |
| GEOG 403 | Remote Sensing: Environmental and Land Use Analysis | 4 |
| GEOG 405 | Cartography | 4 |
| GEOG 415 | The Water Environment | 3 |
| GEOG 450 | Climates of the Past and Climate Change | 3 |
| GEOG 464 | Environmental Problems | 3 |
| GEOG 515 | Watershed Analysis and Modeling | 3 |
| GEOG 520 | Physical Geography of the City | 3 |
| GEOG 525 | Geographic Information Science | 4 |
| GEOG 547 | Spatial Analysis | 4 |
| GEOG 564 | Urban Environmental Change and Social Justice | 3 |
| GEOG 625 | Intermediate Geographic Information Science | 4 |
| GEOG 650 | Geography Field Work | 3 |
| GEO SCI 301 | Principles of Mineralogy | 4 |
| GEO SCI 400 | Water Quality | 4 |
| GEO SCI 409 | Process Geomorphology | 4 |
| GEO SCI 421 | Conservation Paleontology | 3 |
| GEO SCI 422 | Plant-Insect Interactions in Deep Time | 3 |
| GEO SCI 443 | Glacial and Pleistocene Geology | 4 |
| GEO SCI 463 | Physical Hydrogeology | 4 |
| GEO SCI 464 | Chemical Hydrogeology | 4 |
| GEO SCI 511 | Stratigraphy and Sedimentation | 4 |
| GEO SCI 515 | Physical Sedimentology | 4 |
| GEO SCI 520 | Introduction to Paleontology | 4 |
| GEO SCI 525 | Terroir: Geology in a Glass | 3 |
| GEO SCI 562 | Environmental Surface Hydrology | 3 |
| GEO SCI 563 | Field Methods in Hydrogeology | 4 |
| GEO SCI 696 | Topics in the Geological Sciences: | 1-3 |
| GEO SCI 697 | Seminar in the Geological Sciences: | 1-3 |
| POL SCI 383 | Environmental Political Theory | 3 |
Approved CES Course Electives Outside of the College of Letters and Science
Although the following courses may count as credits toward the CES major requirements, they do not count to satisfy the advanced L&S credits requirement for the degree. Consult the program coordinator before enrolling any of these courses.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ARCH 340 | Urban Design | 3 |
| ATM SCI 330 | Air-Pollution Meteorology | 3 |
| CIV ENG 492 | Environmental Impact Assessment | 3 |
| FRSHWTR 502 | Aquatic Ecosystem Dynamics | 3 |
| FRSHWTR 322 | Ecology and Evolution of Freshwater Organisms | 3 |
| FRSHWTR 361 | Introduction to Environmental Data Systems | 3 |
| FRSHWTR 391 | Water and Natural Resource Economics | 3 |
| FRSHWTR 392 | Water, Energy, Food, and Climate | 3 |
| FRSHWTR 393 | Water Law, Policy, and the Environment | 3 |
| FRSHWTR 471 | Introduction to Sensing Networks | 3 |
| FRSHWTR 504 | Quantitative Freshwater Analysis | 3 |
| PH 375 | Topics in Public Health: | 3 |
| URBPLAN 591 | Introduction to Urban Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in Planning | 3 |
Other Potential Courses
Because of the interdisciplinary nature of the Conservation and Environmental Science Program, students are encouraged to work with the program coordinator to identify classes that will enable them best to gain the knowledge to achieve their goals. CES students can petition the Program to accept many classes beyond those listed above, if they are appropriate for the major and the individual student's program of study. For example, the following courses may apply:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ARCH 601 | Special Topics: | 1-3 |
| ANTHRO 699 | Independent Work | 1-3 |
| BIO SCI 497 | Study Abroad: | 1-12 |
| BIO SCI 599 | Special Topics in Biological Sciences: | 1-3 |
| BIO SCI 699 | Independent Study | 1-3 |
| FRSHWTR 690 | Undergraduate Seminar in Freshwater Sciences: | 1-3 |
| GEOG 698 | GIS/Cartography Internship | 1-6 |
| GEOG 699 | Independent Work | 1-3 |
| GEO SCI 699 | Advanced Independent Reading | 1-3 |
Conservation and Environmental Science BA/BS Learning Outcomes
Students graduating from the Conservation and Environmental Science program will be able to:
- Students will be able to describe, summarize, and explain the core concepts and frameworks of earth science, biological science, and chemistry.
- Students will be able to apply science as a process to environmental problems and solutions.
- Students will be able to relate the social, political, and economic processes that contribute to environmental problems and solutions.
- Students will be able to explain policy and regulatory processes that contribute to environmental problems and solutions.
- Students will be able to analyze coupled human and environmental systems using a systems thinking approach.
- Students will be able to critique various perspectives of environmental issues.
- Students will be able to develop and present a proposed solution to a complex environmental problem.
- Students will be able to effectively communicate environmental science to the public.
Declaration of Major
Students wishing to declare the major can obtain the necessary information by contacting the CES Program Coordinator’s office (Lapham Hall, Room 366) or their College of Letters and Science advisor.
Letters & Science Advising
During your time at UWM, you may have multiple members of your success team, including advisors, peer mentors and success coaches. Letters & Science students typically work with at least two different types of advisors as they pursue their degrees: professional college advisors and faculty advisors. L&S college advisors advise across your entire degree program while departmental faculty advisors focus on the major.
College advisors are located in Holton Hall (or virtually for online students) and serve as your primary advisor. They are your point person for your questions about navigating college and completing your degree. College advisors will:
- Assist you in defining your academic and life goals.
- Help you create an educational plan that is consistent with those goals.
- Assist you in understanding curriculum, major and degree requirements for graduation, as well as university policies and procedures.
- Provide you with information about campus and community resources and refer you to those resources as appropriate.
- Monitor your progress toward graduation and completion of requirements.
Faculty advisors mentor students in the major and assist them in maximizing their development in the program. You will begin working with a faculty advisor when you declare your major. Faculty advisors are an important partner and will:
- Help you understand major requirements and course offerings in the department.
- Explain opportunities for internships and undergraduate research and guide you in obtaining those experiences.
- Serve as an excellent resource as you consider potential graduate programs and career paths in your field.
Students are encouraged to meet with both their college advisor and faculty advisor at least once each semester. Appointments are available in-person, by phone or by video.
Currently enrolled students should use the Navigate360 website to make an appointment with your assigned advisor or call (414) 229-4654 if you do not currently have an assigned Letters & Science advisor. Prospective students who haven't enrolled in classes yet should call (414) 229-7711 or email let-sci@uwm.edu.
College of Letters and Science Dean's Honor List
GPA of 3.750 or above, earned on a full-time student's GPA on 12 or more graded credits in a given semester.
Honors College Degree and Honors College Degree with Distinction
Granted to graduating seniors who complete Honors College requirements, as listed in the Honors College section of this site.
Commencement Honors
Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.500 or above, based on a minimum of 40 graded UWM credits earned prior to the final semester, will receive all-university commencement honors and be awarded the traditional gold cord at the December or May Honors Convocation. Please note that for honors calculation, the GPA is not rounded and is truncated at the third decimal (e.g., 3.499).
Final Honors
Earned on a minimum of 60 graded UWM credits: Cum Laude - 3.500 or above; Magna Cum Laude - 3.650 or above; Summa Cum Laude - 3.800 or above.