2012-2013 Catalog Year

Admission to the Environmental Science (MS) program is competitive and selective. Applicants who meet the minimum requirements for consideration may not necessarily be admitted into the program.

Minimum Requirements

• A cover letter of introduction including your academic and career goals, and how FGCU can help you meet these goals.
• A statement of research interests, so that the program can identify an interim faculty mentor. This should be about one paragraph to one page in length.
• Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution or equivalent foreign institution in a field relevant to the field of research the applicant wishes to conduct.
• Official copies of all undergraduate transcripts with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 (4.0 scale) for the last 60 semester hours of upper division undergraduate coursework. GPA from previous graduate coursework (if any) may also be taken into consideration.
• Official scores from the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General Test (GRE Subject Test is not required).  Interquartile scores for students recently admitted to the program are available at: http://www.fgcu.edu/CAS/Env-Sci-MS/.
• A minimum TOEFL score of 550 (paper-based test), 213 (computer-based test) or 79 (internet-based test) for applicants whose baccalaureate degree was received in a country where English is not the official language.
• At least three letters of recommendation from people familiar with your academic and research potential.
• Completion of the following:
  • General Ecology
  • Introductory Statistics

1. Required Courses in the Major (16-18 hrs)
   
   Select 3 hours from the following:
   • OCB 6635 Estuarine Ecology (3)
   • PCB 6064C Advanced Ecology (3)
   
   Complete the following:
   • EVR 6022 Environmental Research Methodology (3)
   • EVS 6920 Graduate Seminar in Current Topics (1)
   • EVS 6970 Master's Thesis (total of 6-8 credits)
   
   Select 3 hours from the following:
   • EVR 6322 Concepts and Applications of Sustainability (3)
   • EVS 6937 Environmental Policy (3)
   • PAD 5620 Environmental Law (3)
   • URP 6421 Environmental Planning (3)


2. Electives in the Major (18-20 hrs)
   
   Select a minimum of 18 hours from the following:
   • EVR 5145 Ecotoxicology (3)
   • EVR 6907 Independent Graduate Study in Environmental Science (this course may be taken more than once subject to approval by the Graduate Studies Coordinator) (1-3)
   • EVR 6936 Special Topics in Graduate Study in Environmental Science (this course may be taken more than once for other topics) (3)
   • EVS 5818 Ecological Risk Assessment (3)
   • EVS 6941 Environmental Practicum (3-6)
   • GIS 6308C Advanced GIS: Research Project (3)
   • GLY 5266C Advanced Biogeochemistry (3)
   • GLY 5575 Coastal and Estuarine Sediment Dynamics (3)
   • GLY 5658 Geobiology (3)
   • GLY 6566 Carbonate Sedimentology, Petrology and Stratigraphy (3)
   • OCB 6646 Marine Biogeography (3)
   • OCB 6931 Special Topics in Ichthyology (3)
   • OCC 5115C Advanced Marine Chemistry (3)
   • OCG 6053 Coastal and Watershed Geology (3)


3. Policy / Management / Education Electives
   
   None are required. At most 6 credit hours may be counted toward degree requirements.
   
   • EVR 5414 Interpreting the Environment (3)
   • EVR 5925 Environmental Education for a Sustainable Future (3)
   • EVR 6322 Concepts and Applications of Sustainability (3)
   • EVS 6937 Environmental Policy (3)
   • PAD 5620 Environmental Law (3)
   • URP 6421 Environmental Planning (3)

   Alternative electives must be approved by the student's Graduate Committee.

• A minimum of 36 credit hours.
• A cumulative GPA of 3.0 for all coursework in program.
• Successful completion of each core course requires a grade of B or better.
• Elective courses require a grade of C or better.
• Provide two signed, bound copies of the student's thesis, one to the FGCU library and the other to the Department of Marine and Ecological Sciences.
• Each student must have a Graduate Committee composed of a minimum of three individuals, two of whom must be part of the graduate faculty in Environmental Science.
• Submit an application to graduate to CAS Advising by the deadline listed in the FGCU Academic Calendar.

A maximum of 9 credits of course work may be transferred from other institutions or from pre-degree enrollment at FGCU, if those courses are appropriate to the program of study. These are subject to approval of the Graduate Studies Coordinator.