Courses - Spring 2026
ENST111
Field Exploration in Environmental Science and Technology
Credits:
4
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Restriction: Must be in the Environmental Science and Technology program; or by permission of the Environmental Science and Technology department.
Immerse yourself in the diverse aspects of the Environmental Science and Technology Department (ENST) with the Field Exploration in Environmental Science and Technology course. In this hands-on course, both the outdoors and the laboratory serve as your classroom. You will travel by foot, bus, and boat to a variety of ecosystems, from forests and wetlands to urban rivers and the open Bay. Along the way, you will explore many of the ecological challenges posed by human activities. Under expert guidance, you will learn and apply field methods and laboratory techniques, gaining a deeper understanding of how environmental scientists address humanity's grand challenges through scientific data collection and analysis. Each field experience, corresponding discussion, and laboratory analysis is designed to enhance your ecological literacy by engaging directly with the environment and the professionals working to understand and protect it.
ENST200
Fundamentals of Soil Science
Corequisite: CHEM131 and CHEM132; or permission of AGNR-Environmental Science & Technology department.
Credit only granted for: ENST200 or NRSC200.
Formerly: NRSC200.
Study and management of soils as natural bodies, media for plant growth, and ecosystem components. Morphology, composition, formation, and conservation of soils. Chemical, biological, and physical properties are discussed in relation to the production of plants, the functioning of hydrologic and nutrient cycles, the protection of environmental quality, and engineering uses of soils.
ENST214
Introduction to Natural Resources Management
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: BSCI160 and BSCI161; or permission of instructor.
Restriction: Must be in the ENST Natural Resources Management or ENSP Wildlife Ecology & Management programs; and must have completed less than 90 credits; or permission of instructor.
Lectures, discussion, and readings in social, biological, and human dimension issues facing natural resource managers in the United States. Coverage will include history and philosophical discussions of fishery, wildlife, and forestry sciences; conservation and management; principles of community, habitat, and animal ecology and management; and interrelations of wildlife, fish, and forestry.
ENST220
Can Soil Be a Climate Solution?
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Credit only granted for: HNUH248W or ENST220.
Formerly: HNUH248W.
Can soil help mitigate climate change? The top 30 cm of soil stores twice as much carbon as the atmosphere and more than all of Earth's vegetation combined. Understanding how soil captures and retains carbon is essential to reversing global warming trends. This course explores the vital role soils play not only in food production but also in climate change mitigation. Through lectures, discussions, field trips, and literature-based research, students will examine the drivers of climate change, key soil properties, and sustainable soil management practices that can help reduce atmospheric carbon and prevent the worst impacts of climate change.
ENST233
Introduction to Environmental Health
Examines how humans are affected by the quality of our air, water, soil and food supply as well as how human activities alter these survival necessities. Students will learn how the evolution and prosperity of human populations have resulted in degradation of our environment and the impact of environmental degradation on the health of people. The implications of individual and collective choices for sustainable food production, population management, and resource utilization will be explored.
ENST283
Artificial Intelligence for Environmental Good
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Credit only granted for: ENST499E or ENST283.
Formerly: ENST499E.
Explore the exciting world of generative AI to tackle real-world environmental challenges. This course blends science, ethics, and practical skills. You will learn the science and ethics of large language models, like ChatGPT, master cutting-edge AI skills, apply them to analyze a practical and complex environmental problem so you can develop a nature-based solution, all while working in a supportive, collaborative setting.
ENST309
Advanced Field Soil Morphology
Credits:
1
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Restriction: Permission of AGNR-Environmental Science and Technology department.
Prerequisite: ENST301
Prerequisite: ENST301
ENST321
Statistics for Environmental Scientists
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: MATH115.
Restriction: Must be in the Environmental Science and Technology program; or permission of the Environmental Science and Technology department.
Introduces students to statistical methods used in environmental science to analyze, interpret, and communicate data related to environmental science. The course emphasizes solving problems and independent learning and inquiry. Students will learn key concepts in descriptive and inferential statistics, probability distributions, hypothesis testing, regression modeling, and time series analysis. The course also covers advanced topics such as model selection and spatial data analysis. Hands-on exercises using real-world environmental datasets and statistical software (R) will provide students with practical skills in data visualization, analysis, and decision-making. By the end of the course, students will be equipped to critically evaluate environmental data and apply statistical tools to address pressing environmental challenges.
ENST334
Environmental Toxicology
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: CHEM131, CHEM132, and BSCI207; or permission of AGNR-Environmental Science & Technology department.
Concepts and case histories in ecotoxicology. Emphasis on origin and variety of environmental pollutants, routes of biological exposure, modes of toxicological action and effects on individual organisms, populations and ecosystems. Ecotoxicological issues in the Chesapeake Bay will be used as examples.
ENST344
Principles of Aquaponics: The Circular Food Production System
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: BSCI160 or BSCI170; and CHEM131 or CHEM135.
Credit only granted for: ENST499O or ENST344.
Formerly: ENST499O.
In the last few years, aquaponics has attracted a lot of attention around the globe, especially in the context of urban farming. This course addresses the question: how does an aquaponics system work and what knowledge is needed to successfully run an aquaponic system? The different parts of this course will give the students an understanding of important topics in the field of aquaponics and develop a broad knowledge base: from water chemistry, fish and plant physiology, to engineering and microbiology and show them how to plan and design such a sustainable production system. Aquaponics is a technique that combines aquaculture (fish farming) and hydroponics (soil-less plant cultivation) in a circulatory system with the aim of recycling nutrients from fish farming wastewater. Also, aquaponics can serve as a learning model for inter-and transdisciplinary thinking and acting.
ENST379
Environmental Science and Technology Undergraduate Teaching Assistant
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg
This course is designed for students who are Undergraduate Teaching Assistants in the ENST department. The course has 2 parts: 1) ENST379 seminar with Instructor Eni Baballari, and 2) the student's individual experience with the instructor they are assisting during the semester. Together, these two parts provide undergraduate students with the foundational skills and knowledge for effective college teaching. It covers essential topics such as teaching methods, classroom management, student engagement, and the basics of course design. Emphasis will be placed on understanding diverse student needs, promoting inclusive teaching practices, and fostering critical thinking. Through interactiv activities and peer & instructor feedback, students will gain hands-on experience in creating positive and impactful learning environments.
ENST388
Honors Thesis Research
Credits:
3 - 6
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Restriction: Permission of AGNR-Environmental Science & Technology department. Repeatable to 6 credits if content differs.
Undergraduate honors thesis research conducted under the direction of an AGNR faculty member in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the College of AGNR Honors Program. The thesis will be defended to a faculty committee.
Undergraduate honors thesis research conducted under the direction of an AGNR faculty member in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the College of AGNR Honors Program. The thesis will be defended to a faculty committee.
ENST389
Internship
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
S-F
ENST415
Renewable Energy
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: CHEM131, PHYS121, and MATH113; or permission of AGNR-Environmental Science & Technology department.
An overview of renewable energy technologies and their current applications. Emphasis will be placed on technological readiness, efficiency and sustainability of renewable energy alternatives. Technologies include solar thermal, photovoltaics, biodiesel, ethanol, anaerobic digestion, wind, hydroelectric, and microbial fuel cells.
ENST421
Soil Chemistry
Credits:
4
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: ENST200.
The chemistry and composition of mineral and organic colloids in soils, including ion exchange, oxidation-reduction, acidity, surface charge, and solution chemistry. Lectures and readings pertain to plant nutrition, waste disposal, and groundwater quality.
ENST422
Soil Microbial Ecology
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: ENST200; or 1 course in BCHM; or must have completed a course in microbiology; or students who have taken courses with comparable content may contact the department.
Jointly offered with: ENST622.
The interdisciplinary study of soil microorganisms and their interactions with the mineral matrix; resulting in processes such as nutrient cycling, decontamination, and natural product production. We will focus on the diversity of soil communities, their survival strategies, and the new strategies used to study these communities.
ENST423
Soil-Water Pollution
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: ENST200.
Reaction and fate of pesticides, agricultural fertilizers, industrial and animal wastes in soil and water with emphasis on their relation to the environment.
ENST430
Wetland Soils
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: ENST200.
Credit only granted for: ENST430 or ENST630.
The soils of wetlands including hydrology, chemistry, and genesis are discussed. Federal and regional guidelines for wetland soils are covered with an emphasis on validating interpretations through field observations.
ENST431
Environmental Data Science
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Recommended: ENST321 or other 300-level statistics course.
Modern environmental science relies on data from many sources such as field observations, sensors, satellites, and models to understand how the planet is changing. This course introduces students to the core ideas and practices of environmental data science through theory and practice. Students will learn how to explore, visualize, and interpret environmental data. They will work with spatial datasets to map environmental patterns, build models to describe relationships among different environmental processes, and analyze time series. Emphasis is placed on developing algorithmic thinking, creativity in problem solving, and clear communication of results. By the end of the course, students will be able to work confidently with diverse datasets and models to solve real-world environmental problems. No prior programming experience is required, but familiarity with the R programming language is strongly recommended.
ENST436
Emerging Environmental Threats
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: ENST233; or permission of AGNR-Environmental Science & Technology department.
Examine new and potential environmental concerns in the air, water, soil, space, and the built environment. Emphasis on studying the intrinsic links between ecosystem and human health. Topics will include climate change, resource consumption, biodiversity change, infectious disease, non-traditional pollutants, and other complex and significant environmental concerns.
ENST453
Watershed Science: Water Balance, Open Channel Flow, and Near Surface Hydrology
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: MATH120, ENST200, GEOG306 or BIOM301.
Recommended: PHYS121.
Credit only granted for: ENST453 or ENST653.
Definition and delineation of watersheds based on the stream orders. Discussion of the principle of conservation of mass in the context of life cycles (water cycle, carbon cycle, photosynthesis, aerobic cycle, anaerobic cycle, and nitrogen cycle) as it relates to our Biosystem. Conceptual study of hydrologic cycle components and their prediction using empirical and physical-based models is covered. Role of water as the dynamic force within the context of its interaction with landscapes of diverse geology and land cover will be discussed. Elements of watershed management is discussed.
ENST462
Field Techniques in Wildlife Management
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: ENST460. And BSCI160 and BSCI161; or BSCI106. And BSCI170 and BSCI171; or BSCI105.
Recommended: ENST461.
Restriction: Permission of AGNR-College of Agriculture & Natural Resources.
Hands-on experience with field techniques in wildlife management focusing on various methods of conducting indices, estimates, and censuses of wildlife populations. Includes capture and handling of amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals by use of drift fences, cover boards, mist nets, box traps, and dart guns.
ENST470
Ideas into Impact
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Restriction: Junior or Senior standing only; Permission of AGNR-Environmental Science & Technology department.
This will be a capstone-type course based around developing proposals for projects emphasizing research, monitoring, design, restoration, managament, entrepreneurship, or other approaches to ecological or environmental questions, issues, or problems.
ENST472
Capstone
Restriction: Must be in a major within AGNR-Environmental Science & Technology department; and permission of AGNR-Environmental Science & Technology department.
Additional information: This is the pinnacle course for students majoring in ENST and is therefore recommended in one of the students' final semesters.
This capstone course focuses on professional project preparation, presentation, and critical evaluation on environmental science research. Students will develop and present original projects and critique projects presented by others.
ENST481
Ecological Design
Credits:
4
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
Prerequisite: (MATH120 or MATH140; or must have completed MATH220); and (PHYS121 and CHEM131); and (BSCI361; or students who have taken courses with comparable content may contact the department). Or permission of instructor.
Restriction: Permission of AGNR-Environmental Science & Technology department.
Jointly offered with: MEES681.
Credit only granted for: ENST481, ENST681, or MEES681.
An advanced survey course on the field of ecological design. Principles of design are illustrated with case studies from biologically-based waste treatment systems, ecosystem management and sustainable development. Concepts covered include ecology, ecological engineering, nutrient cycling, emergy, lifecycle analysis, and design process. Technologies include treatment wetlands, living machines, anaerobic digestion, rain gardens, bioswales, bioremediation, algal turf scrubbers, and green building design.
ENST486
Senior Professional Experience
Prerequisite: ENST389.
Restriction: Must be in the Environmental Science and Technology program; and permission of AGNR-Environmental Science & Technology department.
Additional information: The course has two types of activities: lecture and experiential learning. Students are expected to work on their professional-level experience for 90 hours and participate in a 2-hour lecture every other week, during the semester to develop their Senior Integrative Experience (SIE) project. Each student's research question, proposal methodology, analysis, paper, and presentation will follow learning outcomes of all ENST SIE course options.
Students will arrange an off-campus professional-level work experience related to Environmental Science and Technology (ENST) to develop expertise in a specific area of their ENST concentration curriculum. Classroom sessions will frame student experiences within the broader discipline of Environmental Science and Technology. This course will tie together current practices in the ENST career industry, proposal writing, critical analysis, and culminate in a final paper and presentation.
ENST487
Environmental Conflicts and Decision Making
Credits:
2
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F
Restriction: Senior standing. And must be in one of the following programs (Environmental Sci & Tech: Natural Resources Mgmt; Environmental Sci&Pol-Wildlife Ecology & Mgmt) ; or permission of AGNR-Environmental Science & Technology department.
Study major cases which focus on environmental science with concentration on the role and techniques of negotiation, collaborative decision making, and adaptive resource management as an environmental conflict resolution process.
ENST489
Research Experience
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
ENST499
Special Topics in Environmental Science and Technology
Credits:
1 - 4
Grad Meth:
Reg, P-F, Aud
ENST602
Research Principles and Methodology in Environmental Scienceand Technolgy
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, Aud, S-F
Restriction: Must be in Environmental Sci & Tech program.
Fundamental research strategies and methods of investigation in Environmental Science and Technology including field and laboratory procedures.
ENST622
Advanced Soil Microbial Ecology
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, Aud
Prerequisite: ENST200; or 1 course in BCHM; or must have completed one course in microbiology; or students who have taken courses with comparable content may contact the department.
Jointly offered with ENS T422.
Credit only granted for: ENST422 or ENST622.
The interdisciplinary study of soil microorganisms and their interactions with the mineral matrix; resulting in processes such as nutrient cycling, decontamination, and natural product production. We will focus on the diversity of soil communities, their survival strategies, and the new strategies used to study these communities.The course will include an examination of current literature in this field.
ENST630
Advanced Wetland Soils
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, Aud
Prerequisite: ENST200.
Credit only granted for: ENST630, ENST430, or NRSC461.
The soils of wetlands including hydrology, biogeochemistry, and pedogenesis, including a focused discussion of current literature. Federal and regional guidelines for wetland soils are covered with an emphasis on validating interpretations through field observations.
ENST645
Water and Development: A Global Challenge
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg
Prerequisite: MATH120, MATH220 or MATH140 (students who have taken courses with comparable content may contact the faculty).
Credit only granted for: ENST689P or ENST645.
Formerly: ENST689P.
Broad study of water systems by integrating elements of environmental sciences, engineering, and policy analysis. Explore several real-world case studies, focusing on practical approaches for developing and managing water resources and derivative services. Review advanced methodologies for quantitative and qualitative policy analysis. Design management policies pertaining to complex water systems.
ENST681
Advanced Ecological Design
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, Aud, S-F
Prerequisite: Must have completed one semester of calculus; and (CHEM131 and PHYS121). Or permission of instructor.
Cross-listed with M EES681.
Credit only granted for: ENST481, ENST681, or MEES681.
An advanced survey course on the field of ecological design. Principles of design are illustrated with case studies from biologically-based waste treatment systems, ecosystem management and sustainable development.
ENST689
Special Topics
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, Aud
ENST689Y
Special Topics; Advances in Research: Plant Membrane Biology
Credits:
3
Grad Meth:
Reg, Aud
ENST689Z
Special Topics; Introductory University Instruction
Credits:
1
Grad Meth:
Reg, Aud
ENST702
Environmental Science and Technology: Communication and Professional Development
Credits:
2
Grad Meth:
Reg, Aud
Prerequisite: ENST602.
Restriction: Must be in Environmental Science and Technology (Master's) program; or must be in Environmental Science and Technology (Doctoral) program; or permission of instructor.
Training in communication and professional development to prepare students to succeed in careers within the fields of environmental science and technology. Topics will include manuscript and technical writing, job search, communication with academic and non-academic audiences, multi-disciplinary collaboration, management (project, personnel, time), professionalism, leadership, ethics, and career opportunities. Course emphasizes practical training through facilitated discussions and critique practicums.
ENST798
Graduate Seminar
Credits:
1
Grad Meth:
Reg
Restriction: Must be in one of the following programs (Environmental Science and Technology (Doctoral); Environmental Science and Technology (Master's)); or permission of AGNR-Environmental Science & Technology department.
ENST799
Master's Thesis Research
Credits:
1 - 6
Grad Meth:
S-F
ENST898
Pre-Candidacy Research
Credits:
1 - 8
Grad Meth:
Reg
ENST899
Doctoral Dissertation Research
Credits:
6
Grad Meth:
S-F
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