Students in Earth, Climate and Biology apply principles from Earth science, biology, chemistry, and physics to understand how major components of the Earth system, such as its atmosphere and oceans, interact with and sustain life over time. Many courses emphasize climate change, environmental quality, and biogeochemistry, so this concentration is a good match for students interested in studying the environment. Courses also investigate Earth history, including past climate, extinction events, and using the Earth’s sedimentary record to investigate environmental change.
Both A.B. and Sc.B. degrees are offered, requiring 12 and 19 courses, respectively. These degrees build skills in critical thinking, data analysis and modeling, finding solutions to complex problems, and written and oral communication. DEEPS provides a highly collaborative learning environment that emphasizes process-oriented, hands-on approaches in the classroom, in labs and on field trips. There are many opportunities for students to do paid research during the summer or academic year.
Students interested in this concentration may also wish to consider related concentrations: Geochemistry and Environmental Chemistry, Geophysics and Climate Physics, and Earth and Planetary Science.
Standard program for the A.B. degree
This program provides a broad introduction to the geologic and biologic processes that shape the Earth and our environment. It is recommended for students seeking to combine diverse educational interests with a general understanding of Earth processes, including the evolution of climate and the environment, global environmental change and Earth history. The program prepares students for careers in environmental science, geoscience, ecology, oceanography, and global change. Some course requirements may be flexible based on consultation with the concentration advisor.
Note - For students still enrolled with the prior Concentration in Geology-Biology A.B., please refer to the Archived Bulletin link on left hand navigation for your requirements for the year you declared.
| Basic supporting science courses | ||
| BIOL 0200 | The Foundation of Living Systems (or equivalent) | 1 |
| or BIOL 0210 | Diversity of Life | |
| CHEM 0330 | Equilibrium, Rate, and Structure (or equivalent) | 1 |
| A course to build quantitative skills: | 1 | |
| Single Variable Calculus, Part I (or higher) | ||
| Statistical Analysis of Biological Data | ||
or APMA 1650 | Statistical Inference I | |
| Computing Foundations: Data (or higher) | ||
| Engineering Statics and Dynamics (or higher) | ||
| Foundations of Mechanics (or higher) | ||
| Applied Ordinary Differential Equations (or higher) | ||
| Nine Concentration courses | ||
| Two of these four fundamentals courses: | 2 | |
| Understanding Earth and Environmental Processes | ||
| Geochemistry: Earth and Planetary Materials and Processes | ||
| Earth: Evolution of a Habitable Planet | ||
| Computational Approaches to Modelling and Quantitative Analysis in Natural Sciences: An Introduction | ||
| EEPS 1240 | Stratigraphy and Sedimentation | 1 |
| Select three upper level Biology courses such as: | 3 | |
| Invertebrate Zoology | ||
| Principles of Ecology | ||
| The Evolution of Plant Diversity | ||
| Evolutionary Biology | ||
| Conservation Biology | ||
| Three EEPS courses such as: | 3 | |
| One of EEPS 0220, EEPS 0230, EEPS 0240, or EEPS 0250 if not already taken | ||
| Weather and Climate | ||
| Paleoceanography | ||
| Ocean Biogeochemical Cycles | ||
| Limnology: The Study of Lakes | ||
| Global Water Cycle | ||
| Introduction to Geographic Information Systems for Environmental Applications | ||
| Environmental Geochemistry | ||
| Making Connections: The Environmental Policy Process | ||
| Individual Study of Geologic Problems | ||
| Total Credits | 12 | |
Standard program for the Sc.B. degree
This program is recommended for students interested in more in-depth study in the Earth, environmental, or biological sciences, potentially including graduate school and diverse careers in these areas. It is relevant for students interested in environmental science, paleoclimate, Earth systems science, biogeochemistry, oceanography, or paleobiology. Some course requirements may be flexible based on consultation with the concentration advisor.
Note - For students still enrolled with the prior Concentration in Geology-Biology Sc.B., please refer to the Archived Bulletin link on left hand navigation for your requirements for the year you declared.
| Five supporting science courses: | ||
| BIOL 0200 | The Foundation of Living Systems (or equivalent) | 1 |
| or BIOL 0210 | Diversity of Life | |
| CHEM 0330 | Equilibrium, Rate, and Structure (or equivalent) | 1 |
| Three courses to build quantitative skills: | 3 | |
| Single Variable Calculus, Part I (or higher) | ||
| Statistical Analysis of Biological Data | ||
or APMA 1650 | Statistical Inference I | |
| Computing Foundations: Data (or higher) | ||
| Engineering Statics and Dynamics (or higher) | ||
| Applied Ordinary Differential Equations (or higher) | ||
| Foundations of Mechanics (or higher) | ||
| Fourteen concentration courses: | ||
| EEPS 0220 | Understanding Earth and Environmental Processes | 1 |
| EEPS 0240 | Earth: Evolution of a Habitable Planet | 1 |
| EEPS 0230 | Geochemistry: Earth and Planetary Materials and Processes | 1 |
| or EEPS 0250 | Computational Approaches to Modelling and Quantitative Analysis in Natural Sciences: An Introduction | |
| EEPS 1240 | Stratigraphy and Sedimentation | 1 |
| Three upper level Biology courses such as: | 3 | |
| Invertebrate Zoology | ||
| Principles of Ecology | ||
| The Evolution of Plant Diversity | ||
| Evolutionary Biology | ||
| Conservation Biology | ||
| Three upper level EEPS courses such as: | 3 | |
| Weather and Climate | ||
| Paleoceanography | ||
| Ocean Biogeochemical Cycles | ||
| Limnology: The Study of Lakes | ||
| Global Water Cycle | ||
| Introduction to Geographic Information Systems for Environmental Applications | ||
| Global Environmental Remote Sensing | ||
| Environmental Geochemistry | ||
| Principles of Planetary Climate | ||
| Making Connections: The Environmental Policy Process | ||
| Three upper level science or math courses with approval from the concentration advisor | 3 | |
| EEPS 1970 | Individual Study of Geologic Problems (Senior Research Thesis) | 1 |
| Total Credits | 19 | |