Western Carolina University

Transfer Guide

Western Carolina University
Environmental Science, BS

Transfer Guide for Associate in Science

2025-2026

Delivery Method: On-Campus

Program Admission Notes:

Transfer students should apply to Western Carolina University at applynow.wcu.edu. A minimum 2.2 GPA is required for consideration, however, this does not guarantee admission. We recommend that you aim for an average cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above on 12+ hours of college credit for competitiveness with other incoming transfer applicants.

Please note that admission to the institution does not guarantee admission to specific programs, and some programs do require a supplemental application. Check the program website at WCU.edu for supplemental application details and instructions, or reach out to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at 828.227.7317.

Contact:

Advising Center
transferadvising@wcu.edu

Revised: April, 2025

College Level Foreign Language Requirements:

No foreign language requirement for this program.

Major-Specific Course Recommendations:

Students are encouraged to build the North Carolina Community College (NCCC) course recommendations below into the associate degree to best prepare for the intended university and major.

Recommended NCCC Course Credit
Hours		 University Equivalent Associate Degree
Requirement Fulfilled		 University Requirement Fulfilled
BIO 112: General Biology II 4 BIOL 141: Principles of Biology II UGETC Natural Sciences Required Course, General Education
CHM 151: General Chemistry I 4 CHEM 139: General Chemistry I Additional General Education Courses Required Course, General Education
GEL 111: Geology 4 GEOL 151: Earth:Geol,Rsrce,Hazard,Envir & GEOL 19A: Lower Level Electives Elective/Pre-Major Courses Required Course
MAT 171: Precalculus Algebra 4 MATH 130: Precalculus I & MATH 19A: Lower Level Electives UGETC Math Suggested Course, General Education
MAT 172: Precalculus Trigonometry 4 MATH 146: Precalculus II UGETC Math Suggested Course, General Education
MAT 271: Calculus I 4 MATH 153: Calculus I Additional General Education Courses Suggested Course, General Education
MAT 152: Statistical Methods I 4 MATH 170: Applied Statistics & MATH 19A: Lower Level Electives Additional General Education Courses Suggested Course, General Education
GIS 111: Introduction to GIS 3 GEOG 221: Intro to Geospatial Analysis Elective/Pre-Major Courses Suggested Course

Remaining Associate Degree Requirements:

In addition to major-specific course recommendations above, students should work with a community college advisor to select additional community college courses to fulfill the remaining associate degree requirements identified below.

Recommended NCCC Course Credit
Hours		 University Equivalent Associate Degree
Requirement Fulfilled		 University Requirement Fulfilled
ENG 111: Writing and Inquiry 3 ENGL 101: Writing and Rhetoric English Composition General Education
ENG 112: Writing/Research in the Disc 3 ENGL 202: Writing and Critical Inquiry English Composition General Education
COM 231: Public Speaking 3 COMM 201: Foundations of Communication UGETC Humanities/Fine Arts General Education
Student Choice/No Preference (Approved Course Options) 3 University Equivalencies UGETC Humanities/Fine Arts General Education
Student Choice/No Preference (Approved Course Options) 6 University Equivalencies UGETC Social/Behavioral Sciences General Education
BIO 111: General Biology I 4 BIOL 140: Principles of Biology I UGETC Natural Sciences General Education
ACA 122: College Transfer Success 1 ELEC 19A: Lower Level Electives Academic Transition Elective
Student Choice/No Preference (Approved Course Options) 7 University Equivalencies Elective/Pre-Major Courses Elective

Additional Information From Western Carolina University:

Sustainability and science are the hallmarks of WCU’s interdisciplinary B.S. in Environmental Science. The major includes a core, taken by all students, consisting of solid foundations in biology, chemistry, geology, and geospatial analysis, as well as a sequence of four courses just for Environmental Science majors, from the freshman introduction to the senior capstone. This core is complemented by a set of Advanced Electives - Environment & Society and Advanced Environmental Science - which allows for increasing course choice in how students build their major.  Students will then select a second, concurrent major that is relevant to their intended environmental career path.

This program must be taken as part of a double major.  Students must complete a second major to graduate.

As a coordinate major, all ES students are assured to have a strong foundation in Environmental Science coupled with additional depth and breadth that will come from the coordinate major. ES majors may benefit by pursuing a second major in science with an environmental focus (ex. biology, geology, natural resources conservation and management, chemistry, environmental health) or by pursuing a complementary non-science major (ex. political science, philosophy and religion, education, history).

All ES majors must take all courses listed in  Foundations and Core.  There are lots of course choices for the Environment and Society and Advanced Environmental Science.  This flexibility lets students select courses most relevant to their interest and, in many cases, select courses that will also count in their coordinate major.

Remaining Bachelor’s Degree Requirements at University:

University Course Credit
Hours		 University Course Notes
Foundations and Core in Environmental Science 11
  • ES 150 - Introduction and Approaches to Environmental Science Credits: 4
  • ES 370 - Sustainability in a Changing World Credits: 3
  • ES 395 - Seminar in Energy, Economics, and the Environment Credits: 1
  • ES 495 - Senior Research Seminar in Environmental Science Credits: 3
Environment and Society 3

Choose one course from the following:

  • ANTH 351 - Environmental Anthropology Credits: 3
  • ECON 310 - Natural Resource Economics Credits: 3
  • ENVH 412 - Solid and Hazardous Materials Management Credits: 3
  • HIST 460 - Environmental History Credits: 3
  • PAR 330 - America’s Wilderness Ethics and Aesthetics Credits: 3
  • PAR 333 - Environmental and Animal Ethics Credits: 3
  • PSC 326 - Natural Resources Policy and Administration Credits: 3
  • PSC 354 - International Environmental Politics Credits: 3
  • PSC 374 - Global Water Politics Credits: 3
  • SOC 371 - Environmental Sociology Credits: 3
Advanced Environmental Science 8

Choose 2 or 3 courses (8 hours total) from the following:

  • BIOL 304 - General Ecology Credits: 3
  • BIOL 306 - Evolutionary Biology Credits: 3
  • BIOL 326 - Plants and Human Affairs Credits: 3
  • BIOL 375 - Methods in Ecology and Evolution Credits: 4
  • BIOL 441 - Conservation Biology Credits: 3
  • CHEM 330 - Aquatic Chemistry Credits: 4
  • ENVH 310 - Water Quality Control Credits: 3
  • ENVH 311 - Water Quality Control Laboratory Credits: 1
  • ENVH 375 - Environmental Toxicology Credits: 3
  • ENVH 430 - Vector-Borne Disease Control Credits: 3
  • ENVH 431 - Vector-Borne Disease Control Laboratory Credits: 1
  • ENVH 440 - Air Quality Control Credits: 3
  • ENVH 450 - Air Quality Control Lab Credits: 1
  • GEOG 300 - Weather and Climate Credits: 3
  • GEOG 324 - Introduction to Remote Sensing Credits: 4
  • GEOL 302 - Geomorphology Credits: 4
  • GEOL 305 - Soils and Hydrology Credits: 4
  • GEOL 405 - Hydrogeology Credits: 4
  • GEOL 410 - Fluvial Geomorphology Credits: 3
  • GEOL 423 - Contaminated Rivers: Assessment, Remediation, and Restoration Credits: 3
  • GEOL 455 - Wetlands Credits: 3
  • GEOL 465 - Environmental Geochemistry Credits: 3
  • NRM 320 - Soil Conservation Credits: 3
  • NRM 330 - Introduction to Fish and Wildlife Ecology and Management Credits: 3
  • NRM 344 - Applied Geographic Information Systems Credits: 4
  • NRM 460 - Watershed Management Credits: 3
  • NRM 472 - Geospatial Science Applications Credits: 4
Second Major 40

This program must be taken as part of a double major.  Students must complete a second major to graduate.

Credit hours will range based on what is added.
General Electives 30

To complete 120 hours, students may need to take additional General Electives (the number depends on how many Liberal Studies courses also count toward the major).