University of Massachusetts Lowell
AC-3: Undergraduate Program

Students majoring in Environmental Science prepare for a variety of careers in the private and public sector. Environmental scientists perform environmental impact analyses, water/soil pollution assessment and remediation, water resource management, resource exploration and development, and air quality monitoring and control. This major is highly interdisciplinary and provides strong foundations in physics, biology, mathematics, and chemistry. Upper-level electives allow students to tailor the program to acquire the tools to work in a wide range of environmental consulting and careers.

The major has two options:

Environmental Science
Geoscience
The Environmental Science option is for students focused on addressing human impacts on the environment and major environmental challenges including climate change, pollution, and sustainability. The Geoscience option is for students interested in the geologic environment including mineral resources, geochemistry, and paleoclimatology. Both Environmental Science and Geoscience options provide training in hydrogeology, soil sciences, biogeochemistry, and geographic information systems (GIS).

The Meteorology and Atmospheric Science major is for students interested in meteorology, weather forecasting, climatology and air pollution, and fulfills the education requirements for federally employed meteorologists. Students in this program conduct forecasting of weather, extreme events and climate, assess climate change impacts and climate variability, and study air pollution sources, forecasting and control. The work of meteorologists and atmospheric scientists is concentrated on the effort to understand the physical causes of weather and climate and to apply this knowledge to the solution of practical problems ranging from forecasting of weather and climate, assessing influence of weather and climate on public health, agriculture, engineering, industry and commerce, and national defense. Meteorologists and atmospheric scientists are employed by commercial aviation companies, private consulting firms, agencies of the federal government (such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Weather Service, and the Department of Defense) as well as agencies of state and local governments.

he Department of Public Health offers science-based undergraduate programs that prepare individuals to become public health professionals, health care managers, and researchers working to create a sustainable future. Our programs provide the foundation for the design, implementation, and evaluation of health policies and programs.

The Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health at UMass Lowell offers two options:

Community Health/Health Promotion Option
Health Sciences Option
All undergraduate students in public health participate in a required capstone experience in the final semester of their degree. The capstone is 6 credits, and students spend 16 hours per week in a practicum setting that is associated with their career goals in Public Health. The following is a short list of practicum sites we regularly partner with to support students’ capstone experience: Lowell General Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, Lowell Community Health Center, D’Youville Senior Care, Summit Eldercare, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Girls, Inc., Greater Lawrence Family Health Center, Amesbury Senior Center, Step Up International, Lowell WIC Program, Lowell Transitional Living Center, Westford Department of Health, Lexington Department of Health, Tewksbury Police Department, Mold Health Department, and many more.

Climate Change and Sustainability is an interdisciplinary minor, under the direction of the UMass Lowell Climate Change Initiative and housed in the Department of Environmental, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. A student enrolled in this minor will gain an understanding of the basic science behind climate change, as well as the social and economic consequences of climate change. Strategies for sustainability and climate adaptation will be addressed through electives and the capstone course.

A minor in Climate Change and Sustainability requires completion of a minimum of 18 credits. Six of the credits must be at the 3000 level or above. Two courses of the minor cannot be double counted but may be free electives for the student’s major.

Environment and Society is an interdisciplinary minor that provides students with analytical and communication skills, as well as the scientific foundation needed to succeed in environmental planning, environmental policy, sustainable development, environmental education, and other fields. Topics explored include climate change, sustainability, resource rights, law and regulation, environmental ethics, and the role of environmental issues in domestic and international conflicts.

Students are encouraged to participate in collaborative environmental research and service projects with government agencies, non-profit organizations, local businesses and other environmental actors such as state and national park systems.

The Environment and Society minor collaborates with the Climate Change Initiative to advance UMasss Lowell’s Climate Action Plan, and to serve the region, the state, and beyond.

The minor consists of a minimum of 18 credits of coursework. At least two courses need to be at the 3000 level or above.
Students are encouraged to participate in collaborative environmental research and service projects with government agencies, non-profit organizations, local businesses and other environmental actors such as state and national park systems.

The Environment and Society minor collaborates with the Climate Change Initiative to advance UMass Lowell’s Climate Action Plan, and to serve the region, the state, and beyond.

The minor consists of a minimum of 18 credits of coursework. At least two courses need to be at the 3000 level or above.

The procurement of sustainable energy is one of the major challenges facing humanity in the twenty-first century. The Energy Engineering minor allows students attain a greater understanding of the role of energy in human society, establishing the basis for advanced studies and for addressing our most pressing energy challenges. This minor is offered for undergraduate degree programs and is particularly well suited to technical majors such as Mechanical Engineering and Physics.

The Energy Engineering minor consists of 21 credits.