The Master of Science in Environmental Science (MSES) is a two-year program designed for students who wish to pursue graduate study on a full or part-time basis so that they can balance professional and personal goals. Courses are held primarily in the evening, and occasionally on Saturdays. With approximately 40 students enrolled, we stress personalized, individual attention to graduate student education and research. In-service teachers seeking a science-oriented M.S. are welcome.

THE PROGRAM:

The MSES program provides a choice between emphasizing the environmental aspects of biology, chemistry, or geology or a more broadly focused approach involving courses in each of the above fields. Faculty and students are engaged in the research of environmental issues including:

• wetlands delineation,
• the treatment of nitrate contamination of groundwater with microbiological techniques,
• the impact of land use on groundwater and surface water quality,
• the use of phytoremediation in the cleanup of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon contaminated soil, and
• brownfield investigation and restoration.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

• A completed Rackham Application and fee of $60
• A one-page statement of purpose
• Two letters of recommendation
• Official transcripts from all universities attended
• A bachelor's degree in biology, chemistry, environmental science, or geology from an accredited institution with a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.1 or higher (based on 4.0 scale). Candidates with degrees in other fields may be conditionally accepted into the program with the understanding that additional prerequisites may be required.

Admitted students who have prior graduate courses completed are elegible to have several MSES core courses waived.

Dearborn is located in an urban setting in southeast Michigan along the main branch of the Rouge River. About one-third of the campus, more than 70 acres, is maintained as one of the largest natural areas in metropolitan Detroit, serving as a research and teaching facility for students and school teachers on campus and throughout southeast Michigan.A focal point for the environmental program on the Dearborn campus is the Environmental Interpretive Center that opened in May, 2001.

RESEARCH FACILITIES:

The Department of Natural Sciences has extensive networked computing facilities, including scanners, digitizers and plotters, GIS and groundwater modeling software, GPS equipment, a scanning electron microscope and labs for preparation and chemical analysis of environmental, biological and geological samples. We also have extensive mineralogic and paleontologic collections as well as the Merritt Geode Collection, one of the finest in the world.

PROGRAM PREREQUSITES:

• A field course in biology or geology
• One course in biology, geology, physics and statistics
• Two courses in calculus
• Three courses in chemistry

THESIS/PROJECT REQUIREMENTS:

The requirements for the M.S. degree in Environmental Science can be satisfied by one of three options:

A printable brochure is available in PDF format: page 1, page 2

Plan A--Thesis Option: 24 credits hours (500 or above level) plus 6 credits ESCI 699. A thesis will be based on original research.

Plan B--Project Option: 27 credits hours (500 or above level) plus 3 credits ESCI 698. A project will be based on library/field/laboratory research or classroom exercises demonstrating analysis and interpretation of scientific data.

Plan C: Coursework Option: 30 credits hours (500 or above level) (not recommended for students interested in doctoral degrees).

COURSEWORK OFFERED:

MSES Core Courses (15 Credits)

BIOL 514 Applied Ecology (3)
CHEM 548 Environmental Chemistry (3)
ESCI 572 Environmental Communications (3)
ESCI 595 Topics in Environmental Science (3) or any BIOL, CHEM or GEOL 590 Topics course with permission of instructor

And a Choice Between:
GEOL 575 Contaminant Hydrogeology (3) or
LIBS 585 Watershed Analysis (3)

MSES Elective Courses (15 Credits)

BIOL 508 Invasive Species Ecology (3)
BIOL 515 Aquatic Ecosystems (4)
BIOL 545 Restoration Ecology (3)
BIOL 552 Medical and Environmental Toxicology (3)
BIOL 561 Advances in Cell Biol (2)
BIOL 590 Topics in Biology (1-4)
CHEM 590 Topics in Chemistry (1-4)
ESCI 504 Field Studies Environ Sci (2)
ESCI 585 Spatial Analysis and GIS (3)
ESCI 590 Topics in Environmental Science (3)
GEOL 550 Glacial Geology (3)
GEOL 560 Engineering Geology (3)
GEOL 562 Environmental Geophysics (3)
GEOL 570 Geochemistry (3)
GEOL 575 Contaminant Hydrogeology (3)
GEOL 577 Geology Field Methods (1-2)
GEOL 587 Groundwater Modeling (3)
GEOL 590 Topics in Earth Science (1-4)
LIBS 585 Watershed Analysis (3)
LIBS 586 Ecological Economics (3)
MICR 505 Applied and Environmental Microbiology (3)
STAT 530 Applied Regression Analysis (3)
STAT 545 Reliability & Survival Analysis (3)
STAT 555 Environmental Statistics (3)
ESCI 597/599 Independent Study Off/On Campus (1-3)
ESCI 698 MSES Project (3)
ESCI 699 MSES Thesis (1-6)

FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT:

CASL Office of Graduate Programs
4901 Evergreen Road, 1080 Social Sciences Building (SSB), University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dearborn MI 48128-1491; (313) 593-1183; (313) 583-6498 (FAX) CASLgrad@umd.umich.edu
Also see information on the web at: http://casl.umd.umich.edu/gradprograms/

Dr. Kent Murray, Program Director, Department of Natural Sciences; 111G Science Building, Dearborn MI 48128-1491; (313) 436-9129 kmurray@umd.umich.edu