The Master of Science Degree in Environmental Science prepares students for environmental science research, doctoral study, community college teaching, and technical positions in universities, industry, or governmental agencies. The degree offers four options:

• The Environmental Biology Option emphasizes basic research into such areas as conservation, pollution, and global change.
• The Environmental Engineering Science Option treats similar issues (i.e., air, soil, and water pollution and sustainability) from the perspective of engineering solutions.
• The Environmental Hydrology Option emphasizes fundamental problems of the hydrologic cycle, including water pollution issues, wetlands and watershed hydrology, and hydrologic modeling.
• The Geospatial Sciences Option emphasizes both theoretical and analytical skills in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing data processing.

The Degree Offers Two Training Experiences:

• The Professional Experience is designed for students who want to conclude graduate studies with a master’s degree and immediately seek employment in government agencies or industry.
• The Research Experience is designed for students who want to continue on to a doctoral program for further preparation for work in academia, agencies or industry.

Admission to the Program

Applicants must possess a BA or BS degree from an accredited institution in biology, chemistry, civil engineering, environmental engineering, environmental science, geography, geology, or a related field. Applicants with a minimum GPA of 2.75 in the last 60 semester (90 quarter) units who are admitted by the Environmental Science Program are admitted to the degree program in Classified standing. Promising applicants with GPAs in the last 60 semester (90 quarter) units between 2.5 and 2.74 may be admitted as Special Action students. Special Action students must achieve an overall grade point average of a B (3.0) for up to three qualifying courses (9 units) after formal admission to the program. The qualifying courses should be completed by the end of the second semester of graduate study. Students who do not have a BS degree or a BS degree in the option chosen can be admitted through Special Action admission, but are encouraged to complete the following courses (e.g., at a community college) prior to submitting their application to the program (Cal State LA course equivalent are in parenthesis):

• Chemistry I, (CHEM 1100)
• Chemistry II, (CHEM 1110)
• Calculus I, (MATH 2110)
• Calculus II or Biostatistics (or equivalent statistics course), (MATH 2120 or BIOL 3000 or equivalent)
• Biology I or Physics I, (BIOL 1100 or PHYS 1100)
• Biology II or Physics II, (BIOL 1200 or PHYS 1200)

Application Procedures

Applicants must  submit a University Application through Cal State Apply. Applicants must prepare and complete the application, personal statement, three recommendation letters, TOEFL or Equivalent (if needed-for International Students only). 

Applicants interested in doing the Research Experience must have contacted two potential faculty research mentors before submitting his/her application. This is a key first step in the application process.  Please note that acceptance into the program for the research experience is contingent on confirmation of acceptance into a research laboratory. 

Professional Track students are encouraged to contact two potential faculty mentors before submitting his/her application.

All materials must be submitted on Cal State Apply on or before the deadline stipulated on the Admissions website (https://www.calstatela.edu/admissions). Official transcripts must also be sent to the Admissions Office before the set deadline.

 Learning Outcomes    Roadmap