Course descriptionThis program provides the technical background necessary for understanding the biological, chemical, and physical aspects of the environment. It focuses on the application of biological, chemical, and physical principles to understanding the natural and physical environments of the Earth. Toward this end, the program’s graduates will have an understanding of and appreciation for the processes and interactions that occur both within and between the atmosphere, the biosphere, the lithosphere, and the hydrosphere. The program is founded on the principle that science – both as a body of knowledge and as a process that is grounded in intellectual inquiry and the scientific method – must be applied to assess and to address the direct and indirect influences of human activities on the integrity of the Earth’s systems.