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University of Montana Catalog 2025-2026

Environmental Sciences (ENSC)

ENSC 105N - Environmental Science. 3 Credits.

Offered autumn. Provides students with opportunities to use class knowledge to make a difference; helps students build all of the following: scientific literacy; skills in critical thinking, research and self-instruction; an understanding of the scientific basis of environmental issues, policies and laws; habits of sustainable living, scientifically-informed, active participation in social decisions, and service to their community and to the earth.

Gen Ed Attributes: Natural Science

ENSC 291 - Special Topics/Experimental Courses. 1-6 Credits.

(R-6) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.

ENSC 360 - Applied Ecology. 3 Credits.

To succeed in this course, students need college level courses in general biology, chemistry & statistics. Principles and concepts of ecology and how they can be applied to inform real life decisions about human interactions with the environment. Emphasizes the science of sustainability and the conservation of watersheds and biodiversity.

ENSC 390 - Undergraduate Research. 1-10 Credits.

(R-10) Offered intermittently. Directed individual research and study appropriate to the background and objectives of the student.

ENSC 391 - Special Topics/Experimental Courses. 1-9 Credits.

(R-12) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, new courses, or one time offerings of current topics.

ENSC 398 - Internship. 1-6 Credits.

(R-6) Offered autumn and spring. Practical application of classroom learning through internship with governments, organizations, or industry. A maximum of 6 credits of Internship (198, 298, 398, 498) may count toward graduation.

ENSC 470 - Agroecology. 3 Credits.

Offered Intermittently. Offering crucial tools for sustainability and resilience, agroecology is the study of ecological processes applied to food and agricultural systems. Students learn key concepts, scientific findings from the field, and how to apply agroecological principles. Level: Undergraduate-Graduate

ENSC 474 - Environmental Analytics. 3 Credits.

Offered spring. In this course, the student will learn how to use applied statistical and data mining techniques to inform decision-making in environmental problem solving, leveraging such methods as point analysis, location suitability analysis, spatial regression modeling, time series analysis, spatial interpolation, and forecasting. Co-convenes with ENSC 574. Level: Undergraduate

ENSC 491 - Special Topics/Experimental Courses. 1-9 Credits.

(R-9) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, new courses, or one time offerings of current topics. Level: Undergraduate

ENSC 492 - Independent Study. 1-6 Credits.

(R-6) Offered autumn and spring. Course material appropriate to the needs and objectives of the individual student. Level: Undergraduate-Graduate

ENSC 494 - Seminar/Workshop. 1-3 Credits.

(R-6) Offered intermittently. A seminar on a current environmental topic. Level: Undergraduate-Graduate

ENSC 495 - Field Study. 1-10 Credits.

(R-10) Offered autumn. Prereq. or coreq., ENSC 360. Designing, executing, interpreting and documenting field studies. Project oriented. Level: Undergraduate-Graduate

ENSC 501 - Scientific Approaches to Environmental Problems. 3 Credits.

Offered autumn. Restricted to graduate students in Environmental Studies. The strength and limitations of the scientific approach to investigating and solving selected environmental problems with an emphasis on the natural sciences. Level: Graduate

ENSC 508 - Environmental Health of Indigenous Peoples. 3 Credits.

This graduate seminar will focus on learning about historic and contemporary environmental health issues, innovative programs that improve health and restoring the environments of Indigenous peoples. Level: Graduate

ENSC 540 - Watershed Conservation. 3 Credits.

Offered autumn. Course assumes students have level of knowledge presented in a college level ecology course. Integrates watershed science, policy, planning, action and organizing. The science component explores watershed connections, evaluating change and assessing watershed condition. The policy component explains the scientific basis of national, state and local laws, programs and agencies that affect watersheds. The planning and action component discusses developing watershed conservation plans and selecting actions likely to address problems without creating other problems. The organizing component covers how to help watershed communities make choices, resolve conflicts, build commitment and find funding. Students work individually or in teams to assist Montana groups in developing watershed CPR plans, initiating monitoring projects, and/or conducting education projects. Level: Graduate

ENSC 550 - Pollution Ecology. 3 Credits.

Offered spring even-numbered years. Course assumes students have level of knowledge presented in a college level ecology course. Examines sources, fate, and effects of pollutants on organisms and ecosystems; methods of measuring and predicting pollutant fate and effects, assessing and reducing risks, estimating ecosystem assimilation capacity; setting standards and restoring ecosystems damaged by pollution. Briefly examines some relevant laws and policies at the federal, state and local level. Level: Graduate

ENSC 574 - Environmental Analytics. 3 Credits.

Environmental analytics concerns the quantitative analysis of environmental data in its non-spatial, spatial, and temporal dimensions, along with the assessment of quality indicators such as information redundancy, the accuracy and precision of models, and data uncertainty. Methods and techniques for environmental analytics are typically based on probability, stochastic modelling, and statistics as well as information science (inclusive of Geographic Information Systems and machine learning), though they take a more practical approach to the analysis and modeling of environmental processes. Applications include biophysical domains (e.g., agriculture, natural resources, ecology, air quality) as well as socioeconomic domains (e.g., epidemiology, health care, food systems, environmental planning). In this introductory course, students will work on case studies in both domains to illustrate the different facets of environmental problem solving. Co-convenes with ENSC 474. Level: Graduate

ENSC 590 - Graduate Research. 1-12 Credits.

(R-12) Offered intermittently. Restricted to graduate students in Environmental Studies. Directed individual research and study appropriate to the background and objectives of the student. Level: Graduate

ENSC 591 - Special Topics. 1-9 Credits.

(R-24) Offered autumn and spring. Restricted to Environmental Studies students with graduate standing. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics. Level: Graduate

ENSC 592 - Independent Study. 1-12 Credits.

(R-12) Offered autumn and spring. Restricted to graduate students in Environmental Studies. Course material appropriate to the needs and objectives of the individual student. Level: Graduate

ENSC 594 - Graduate Seminar. 1-15 Credits.

(R-15) Offered autumn and spring. In depth analysis of a current environmental topic. Different topics offered each semester. Level: Graduate

ENSC 598 - Internship. 1-8 Credits.

(R-8) Offered autumn and spring. Practical application of classroom learning during placements off campus. Level: Graduate

ENSC 599 - Thesis/Professional Paper. 1-6 Credits.

(R-6) Offered autumn and spring. Restricted to graduate students in Environmental Studies. Preparation of a thesis, manuscript, or professional paper based on research for presentation and/or publication. Level: Graduate