Master of Science in Environmental Science

Objectives

University of Guam

The Environmental Science Graduate Program prepares students for professional employment, teaching, or advanced studies in environmental science and related disciplines. Courses are offered by faculty from the College of Natural and Applied Sciences, the Water and Environmental Research Institute of the Western Pacific, the Marine Laboratory, and the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. Specific objectives of the program include seeking answers to environmental questions, especially those arising in the developing island nations of the Pacific; promoting needed educational and service projects in Western Pacific island communities; and equipping graduates with the knowledge and skills needed for sound scientific inquiry and professional practice, and a solid understanding and commitment to professional ethics.

Values

University of Guam The environmental science program faculty is committed to the search for objective truth, impartial, honest, and thorough scientific debate, and excellence in all endeavors. We hold that scientists must have the integrity to not compromise research or other work in response to political, ideological, social, or financial pressures. Scientific integrity also includes a commitment to share data and cooperate with others in their attempts to advance scientific understanding and replicate or verify the quality of previous work. We seek to instill these values in our students through personal example as well as thoughtful academic instruction.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the Program, students will be able to demonstrate:

ability to analyze data and design experiments using standard statistical procedures.
ability to write technical scientific reports and articles.
knowledge of basic biological and ecological principles.
knowledge of basic geosciences and engineering principles.
knowledge of management and management and environmental resources.
knowledge of environmental impact assessment.
knowledge of current topics and research activities related to environmental science in the literature and in Guam.
ability to conceive, conduct and report original research.

Associate Research Units

WERI (Water and Environmental Research Institute of the Western Pacific)
WPTRC (Western Pacific Tropical Research Center)
UOG Marine Laboratory

Admission Requirements

General Admission Requirements

Applicants must first meet the Graduate Admission Standards for pre-candidacy as described in this Graduate Bulletin. Once admitted for pre-candidacy by the University Graduate Admissions office, they may then apply for admission to the Environmental Science Program. In addition to the materials submitted for admission to pre- candidacy, applicants must submit the following to the Environmental Science Graduate Program Recruiting and Admission Committee: three letters of recommendation, a comprehensive statement of academic achievements, interests, professional goals, and specific reasons for pursuing a master’s degree in environmental science. Application packages are first evaluated by the Recruiting and Admission Committee, based on the submitted materials and the Background and Performance Requirements specified below. The Recruiting and Admission Committee recommends acceptance or rejection of the application to the Program Chair. Upon approval by the Chair, the applicant is admitted to the program.

Background and Performance Guidelines

The Environmental Science Program is built around three component disciplines: Biology-Ecology, Geoscience- Engineering, and Economics-Management. Applicants are expected to have backgrounds related to at least one of these three disciplines. Related backgrounds are broadly defined. For example, disciplines related to Biology- Ecology, include all the sub-disciplines of biology and other life sciences, such as physiology, biochemistry, or genetics; the health sciences; and agricultural, animal, and plant sciences. Disciplines related to Geosciences- Engineering include the physical and natural sciences, particularly physics, chemistry, and the earth, oceanographic, and atmospheric sciences. Relevant disciplines also include engineering and applied sciences, particularly civil or mechanical engineering, applied mathematics, statistics, and computer science. Economics-Management backgrounds include economics, business, management, law, public administration, political science, and human, economic, or political geography. Applicants with other backgrounds, especially with interdisciplinary training or experience, who have completed the prerequisites listed below or can provide other evidence of their ability to successfully complete the core course requirement will be considered as well.

The recommended prerequisites listed below represent the ideal background preparation for each component discipline. It is acknowledged, however, that capable students from any given undergraduate major may not necessarily have completed the full suite of courses listed. Any of the listed prerequisites may therefore be waived by the Program Chair on the recommendation of the Recruiting and Admission Committee, based on its confidence that the applicant will nevertheless be able to successfully complete the core requirements (described in the section titled “Degree Requirements,” below). Applicants who have taken the prerequisite courses listed below, however, should have no grade lower than a C in any of the courses listed for their discipline of interest. An applicant who does not meet these grade criteria may be admitted to the program on a provisional basis, however, if a faculty member agrees to serve as his or her advisor. Full admission may be granted by the Program Chair on the recommendation of the Recruiting & Admission Committee after such a student has completed 12 hours of environmental science courses approved in advance by the student’s advisor, with grades of B or better in each of them, and has demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Recruiting and Admission Committee and the Program Chair that he or she has remedied whatever deficiencies the committee identified when it recommended provisional admission.

Recommended Prerequisites

All Disciplines
Methods: Statistics and geographic information systems (upper level, i.e., 300-400 level)
Math: 2 semesters calculus

Biology-Ecology
Physics: 1 semester general physics with lab
Chemistry: 2 semesters inorganic chemistry with lab and 2 semesters organic chemistry with lab
Biology: 2 semesters of general biology with lab

Geosciences-Engineering
Physics: 2 semesters general physics with lab Chemistry: 2 semesters general chemistry with lab
Biology: 1 semester biological/life science with lab

Economics-Management
Physics: 1 semester general physics with lab
Chemistry: 1 semester general chemistry with lab
Biology: 1 semester biological/life science with lab
Economics & business: 1 semester microeconomics and 1 semester intro to business or public administration

Degree Requirements

University of Guam Upon admission to the program, students must choose and be accepted by a faculty advisor with expertise in their selected sub-discipline. Subsequently, the student’s individual program is developed by the student and his or her advisor, and monitored by the advisor and the student’s advisory committee. Final program approval requires endorsement by the Chair of the Environmental Science Program, with subsequent approval by the Director of Graduate Studies. In consultation with his or her advisor, each student must select which of the two tracks he or she will follow for the capstone experience: research or professional, as described below. For the research track, the capstone experience is a research thesis. For the professional track there are three options: a professional thesis, an internship, or additional coursework with a related research paper. Students may only apply for degree candidacy and register for capstone credits after their proposal has been presented to and approved by their advisory committee, as described below.

Course Requirements

CORE REQUIREMENT

The University of Guam’s graduate Environmental Science Program is a rigorous and challenging program, designed to produce graduates equipped with essential knowledge and skills and committed to the highest standards of professional integrity in research and application of environmental science to matters of public interest. The core curriculum thus contains consists of six courses totaling 18 credit hours:

The “inner core” is three courses totaling 9 credit hours, centered on the essential skills of scientific thought and practice and advanced methods of applied environmental science. Scientific Competence & Integrity (EV/BI508, 3 credit hours) addresses critical thinking, the defining methods of science, evolution of scientific thought and practice, the application of science to public problems, and historical and contemporary ethical issues in scientific and professional practice. The inner core further includes two methods courses: a technical writing course, and one of two advanced quantitative methods courses, at the choice of the student. Biological Literature & Scientific Writing (EV/BI503, 2 credit hours) develops and hones skills in scientific and technical writing. For their advanced quantitative methods course, students may choose either of two courses: Advanced Statistical Methods (EV/BI507, 4 credit hours, with lab) or Advanced Geospatial Methods (EV558, 4 credit hours, with lab). The course not chosen to meet the core requirement may, of course, be taken as an elective.
Building on these central courses, is an “outer core” of three 3 credit hour courses in each of the respective sub-disciplines of environmental science: Biology-Ecology (EV510), Geosciences-Engineering (EV511), and Economics-Management-Law (EV512). Students take all three of these courses, irrespective of which sub-discipline they choose for their concentration. This second suite of core courses thus equips each student with the essential knowledge and skills from each of the three sub-disciplines that define environmental science.

ELECTIVE REQUIREMENT

Beyond the core, each student must complete at least three elective courses for a total of at least 9 credit hours related to his or her selected area of concentration and agreed upon by his or her advisor. Elective courses should support the student’s proposed capstone requirement within either the research or professional track, as described below. Students who desire to take additional electives (i.e., beyond the requirement) may do so with the consent of their advisor, but students need take no more than three elective courses to meet the degree requirement. Students may include no more than one 400G-level course among their electives, nor may electives include 400G-level courses in statistics, geographic information systems, or any other subject that is a prerequisite for admission to the program.

CAPSTONE REQUIREMENT

For the research thesis or professional thesis options, the capstone requirement is 6 hours of thesis (EV695) credit. For the internship option, the capstone requirement is 6 hours or internship (EV698) credit. For the coursework option, the capstone requirement is an additional 9 hours of coursework with a related research paper derived from the current professional literature. These requirements are based on the expectation that full-time students will complete their program in two years.

PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENT

Students must maintain at least a B (3.00) average, with no more than one grade of C or lower in all courses taken for credit. Students may retake any course for which they have received a grade of C or lower. However, any student who fails to improve his or her grade to at least a B after re-taking the course and whose record shows two unimproved C grades as a result, will be dismissed from the program.

Research Track

The purpose of the research track is to prepare students for advanced (doctoral level) studies in environmental science and related disciplines, or careers in scientific or professional work for which a research background is necessary or desirable. The capstone requirement for the research track is thus a traditional research thesis, for which the student earns 6 hours of academic credit. General requirements for research theses are described on page 11 of the Graduate Bulletin. Research theses in Environmental Science are expected to make an original contribution to the selected sub-discipline and reflect mastery of the knowledge and skills required to successfully pursue advanced study and research in environmental science.

Professional Track

The purpose of the professional track is to produce competent and credentialed professionals prepared especially for employment in industry, education, or government. Students following the professional track may select one of the three options described below: professional thesis, internship, or additional coursework/research paper. The professional track options demand the same mastery of basic knowledge and skills required of the research-track students, including writing skills. These options, however, accommodate students planning professional careers in industry, education, or government rather than scientific research careers. The professional thesis option requires submission of a professional thesis, which requires the same standards as for a research thesis. The internship option requires a report, which must be worthy of a typical consultant’s report from major (year-long) project or substantive agency publication (such as a comprehensive regulatory guideline), and requires the same level of effort as a research or professional thesis. The research paper for the coursework option must be derived from the current relevant professional literature and comprise no fewer than 20 pages, double-spaced, 12-point Times Roman font, inclusive of figures and references. The thesis or paper should be worthy, in accordance with the topic, of local and/or on-line publication as a technical report, user’s manual, review paper, or educational pamphlet. Each option also requires a comprehensive oral defense presentation following submission of the thesis or paper. Following the defense, the student corrects or revises the thesis or paper, based on the committee’s review of it. The grade (Pass or Fail) is based on the committee’s evaluation of the final report or paper and the outcome of the oral examination. General requirements for capstone documents are contained in the Graduate Bulletin.

PROFESSIONAL THESIS OPTION

This option consists of a 6-hr professional thesis EV695 agreed upon by the student and committee and approved by the Program Chair. An example might be the development of a major database, solution of a practical environmental engineering problem, of construction of an educational website containing animations, databases, and informative or instructional material on a selected local or regional environmental problem. The student prepares a proposal agreed upon by the student and committee and approved by the Program Chair. At the completion of the project, the student prepares and presents a written thesis, as specified above, and stands for a comprehensive oral examination (thesis defense) before his or her committee.

Example: The student was employed as a WERI Research Assistant. Her coursework focused on groundwater hydrology, and she designed, developed, and documented a comprehensive database of historical and current water wells drilled on northern Guam. The Northern Guam Lens Aquifer Database consists of a spreadsheet that contains basic information on 525 wells, including locations, depth, use, custodial agency, with each cell linked to digital appendices that contain all of the historical records that could be located for the well, including drilling and pump test logs, and design and construction records. The database is published at WERI Technical Report 141 and is now a permanent on-line water resource management tool for water managers, educators, scientists, and engineers.

INTERNSHIP OPTION

This option consists of a semester-length six-credit-hour internship (EV698) with an environmental firm (profit or non-profit) or government agency, under collaborative supervision of an academic advisor and workplace supervisor. The internship must include work on a specific project, product, or set of projects and products. These are agreed upon in advance by the student and his or her advisory committee (which includes the workplace supervisor), and approved by the Program Chair. At the completion of the internship, the student prepares and presents a written report, as specified above, on the project or projects undertaken during the internship, with the purpose and content of the report agreed on in advance by the student and the committee. The model for the internship product is a report or document such as typically results from a major project at private firm or government agency. Following review of the report by the advisory committee, the student stands for a comprehensive oral defense.

Example: The student is employed with the environmental office of the local US Navy Facilities Engineering Command. As part of his work he is required to coordinate the production of an Environmental Impact Assessment in conjunction with the relocation of some wetlands on DOD property. In consultation with his academic and professional supervisors, he prepares a formal report, which meets the requirements of the command, and which he presents to his committee.

COURSEWORK OPTION

University of Guam This option requires 9 hours of additional coursework equivalent to a second, and separate, major sub-discipline. The student may select the second concentration from among the three sub-disciplines (Biology-Ecology, Geosciences- Engineering, or Economics-Management) or a second concentration in a relevant inter-disciplinary field, such as Mathematics, Micronesian Studies, or Business Administration. Thus, in addition to selecting 9 hours for his or her first sub-discipline concentration, the student selects courses comprising 9 additional hours in another appropriate field. Examples of appropriate courses include probability, statistics, and numerical analysis, from Mathematics; physical geography, health and human adaptation, or economic development in Micronesia, from Micronesian Studies; or management and economics courses from Business Administration. These courses may include no more than one special topic or reading and conference course. The committee must include members with expertise in the two concentrations selected and agree on the curriculum proposed by the student. The student also prepares a proposal for a research paper, as specified above, which must address a topic related to one or both of the two selected concentration areas of coursework and offer some judgment or present an argument, drawing on a comprehensive review of the current scientific literature. The topic must be agreed upon by the committee and approved by the Program Chair. The paper does not require original research but must draw from the appropriate works from the current professional literature, based on a comprehensive review of the literature. On completion of the coursework, the student prepare and submits the paper to the advisory committee and stands for a comprehensive oral defense.

Example: The student is employed as an instructor at the College of Micronesia. For the research paper, the student conducts a comprehensive literature search on the historical incidence of El Nino-related droughts in Micronesia and prepares a summary paper describing its effects, and the human responses to them in Micronesia. He selects Geology/Engineering as his first major sub-discipline concentration, comprised of Hydrology (EV542), Hydrogeology (EV543) and Tropical Climate and Climate Variability (EV535). For the second sub-discipline concentration field he selects Micronesian Studies, with Physical Geography of Micronesia (EV/MI506), Health and Human Adaptation in Micronesia (EV514), and Economic Development and Change in Micronesia (EV520) in which he will search, read and study the literature pertaining to water resources on Micronesia and similar islands.

SUMMARY

Each student must complete the core requirement, consisting of 18 credit hours, plus at least three elective courses totaling at least 9 hours of elective credits. Electives may include no more than one course at 400G level, nor may electives include 400G-level courses in statistics, geographic information systems, or any other subject that is a prerequisite for admission to the program. Students in the research track must also complete 6 hours of thesis credit. Similarly, students taking the professional thesis or internship options within the professional track (as described in the previous section), must complete 6 hours of professional thesis or internship credit. For students taking the research paper-coursework option within the professional track, the capstone requirement includes 9 credit hours of additional elective courses and a research paper (as described above). These coursework and capstone requirements are summarized in the table below.

Curriculum Component		Courses		Credit Hours
Core	Fundamentals of Scientific Practice and Tools of Environmental Science*	Scientific Competence & Integrity	EV/BI508	3
		Advanced Statistical Methods, or Advanced Geospatial Methods	EV/BI507 or EV558	4
		Biological Literature & Scientific Writing	BI503	2
	Component Disciplines	Biology-Ecology	EV510	3
		Geosciences-Engineering	EV511	3
		Economics-Management-Law	EV512	3
Electives		As appropriate to support capstone research or professional thesis. (No more than 3 hours of 400G level.)	At least 3 courses	9
Capstone		Research thesis, professional thesis, or internship	EV695 or 698 ♣	6
		Total		33
		Coursework option, professional track: additional 9-hour elective concentration ♣♣		9
		Total		36

* Students should take these courses in the first year of their program.
** Electives may not include 400G courses in statistics or GIS, or other program prerequisites.
♣ Research Thesis (EV695), Professional Thesis (EV695), or Professional Internship (EV698).
♣♣ Students selecting the Coursework Option within the Professional Track must take an additional 9 hours of electives, for a total of 18 elective credit hours, and submit and defend a research paper.

Research spans topics of global, regional, and local interest.

Research spans topics of global, regional, and local interest.
Recent and ongoing projects include:

Biology-Ecology	Geosciences-Engineering	Management
Invasive species on tropical islands	West Pacific climatic history	Watershed management, Pohnpei Island, FSM
Tropical island terrestrial & aquatic ecology	Atoll island hydrology and modeling	Land coverage strategies for soil erosion control in southern Guam
Assessment & preservation of biodiversity	Geologic map of Guam	Land cover accuracy assessment for southern Guam
Systematics of Micronesian insects	Carbonate island karst geology of Guam, Saipan, Tinian, Aguijan,Rota, and Fais	Remote sensing applications to soil erosion and sediment loading in southern Guam badlands
Developing composting technology as a waste management strategy for resource recovery and recycling of organic wastes	Modeling the Northern Guam Lens Aquifer	A training needs assessment for hazardous waste handlers at Camp Butler, Okinawa.
	Saltwater intrusion in the Northern Guam Lens Aquifer	An evaluation of public participation in the EIA process in Palau.
	Dye trace studies of Guam’s aquifer and coastal zones	An assessment of the Environmental Education curriculum in Chuuk State, FSM public schools.
	Groundwater resources on Fais Island, Yap State, FSM	Using vetiver technology for mitigating sedimentation to improve the water quality in order to protect coral reefs
	Modeling recharge for the Northern Guam Lens Aquifer	Using composted organic waste as an alternative to synthetic fertilizers to improve soils agricultural sustainability in Guam and Micronesia
	Water distribution system modeling for island water supplies
	Water distribution system modeling for island water supplies
	Slow sand filter technology for FSM drinking water
	Soil erosion modeling for southern Guam watersheds

Program Faculty

Bentlage Bastian

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Master of Science in Environmental Science