The Environmental Science (EVS) major is an interdisciplinary degree, integrating the principles of biology, geography, and geology to give students a wholistic, broad perspective of some of the world’s most pressing environmental and sustainability issues. With a focus on the geosciences, students can dive deeper into fields such as climate research, hydrology, and atmospheric science.

Why environmental science?

Environmental science is a broad field that examines the facets of Earth most vital to life. Students have the opportunity to explore the Earth and its environment with a foundational understanding of its mechanisms, and have the tools and critical thinking skills to solve a wide scope of issues, from pollution to the energy transition to conservation.

What do environmental scientists do?

Environmental scientists examine problems at the intersection of geoscience, biology, and geography. Utilizing scientific knowledge and their own curiosity about how the world works, environmental scientists may conduct air quality monitoring, ground water modeling, endangered species surveys, environmental justice advocacy, applied geographic information systems work, or other Earth science-focused work.

Career and graduate school opportunities

Equipped with a degree in Environmental Sciences with a Geoscience focus, graduates will be prepared to work across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, often connecting policy and science. They will also be ready to continue their studies at the graduate level, diving deeper into the subjects of their choosing.

Wage data for related jobs with a bachelor’s degree

Median annual wage data courtesy of the Bureau of Labor Statistics

Research opportunities

Environmental science majors are required to complete a capstone research project for their degree, entailing two semesters of independent, original research. Environmental Science Geoscience students have explored topics such as groundwater sustainability issues, real estate development in the Texas Hill Country, environmental engineering to mitigate pollutants, and urban stream health. This major gets students out into the field early, and has multiple research experiences built into the program.

All Jackson School undergraduates have an abundance of research opportunities at their fingertips. Explore more on our Undergraduate Research page.

Degree requirements

The EVS-Geosciences degree requires students to take an interdisciplinary array of courses, plus a more focused selection of geoscience courses. With this foundation, students who complete this program will be able to assess environmental issues critically from multiple perspectives; to perform field, laboratory, and computer analyses; and to conduct original research.

Geoscience courses

All EVS-Geoscience majors need to fulfil the following coursework for their concentration. These courses will equip them with a geoscientific understanding of climate, water, and sustainability issues.

Environmental science courses

All Environmental Science majors need to fulfil the following coursework requirements. These courses will give students a scientific perspective on environmental and sustainability issues, analysis, and management.

Building block requirements

These courses take place outside of the Jackson School and are required of all environmental science students. This major requires a robust understanding of mathematics, physics, biology, and chemistry to prepare students for advanced classes specific to the degree.

Read more about these courses in the University of Texas course catalog. The 2024-2025 catalog will be available soon.

The 2024-2026 environmental science degree plan is coming soon.

Past degree plans: 2022-2024 | 2020-2022 | 2018-2020 |2016-2018 | 2014-2016

Next steps: Applying and transferring

Ready to start changing the world? If you’re a high school student interested in applying to the Jackson School to be an environmental science major, please select Geological Sciences during the process of your undergraduate application to The University of Texas at Austin. Additional application information can be found on the UT Office of Admissions website and the Jackson School’s Admissions page.

Thinking of transferring to the Jackson School to be an environmental science major? If you’re an undergraduate student already enrolled at The University of Texas at Austin, you may enter the Jackson School through an internal transfer process which occurs once a year. Please visit the Jackson School’s Internal Transfers webpage for details about the internal transfer process, deadlines, and upcoming information session dates to learn more about our school and programs. We also encourage you to contact academic advising before you start this process.