Mar 28, 2024  
2012-2013 General Catalog 
    
2012-2013 General Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

School of the Coast & Environment


 

CHRISTOPHER D’ELIA
Dean

RICHARD F. SHAW
Associate Dean

LEAH D. COURVILLE
Assistant Dean

DONALD M. BALTZ
Chair, Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences

LAWRENCE J. ROUSE
Chair, Department of Environmental Sciences

VINCENT L. WILSON
Director of Undergraduate Programs

1002Q Energy, Coast & Environment Building
225-578-6316  
FAX 225-578-5328
WEBSITE www.sce.lsu.edu

The School of the Coast & Environment (SC&E) includes two academic departments - Department of Environmental Sciences and Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences. The School administers undergraduate and graduate degrees and facilitates the development of innovative research programs leading to a better understanding of coastal and environmental systems worldwide.

The school offers preparation for careers in environmental sciences, environmental planning and management, oceanography, coastal and marine sciences, and wetland studies. Undergraduate students are provided a strong academic background in general education and the basic sciences, may choose among five areas of specialty for their upper level courses, and have the opportunity to perform an independent research project in an environmental or coastal science related field.

For specific information concerning undergraduate degree requirements for the BS in Coastal Environmental Science, refer to the curriculum shown in either department. Detailed information about graduate degree programs in Environmental Sciences or Oceanography & Coastal Sciences may be found in the Graduate School • Professional Programs section .

Admission Requirements

Students who are considering a BS in Coastal Environmental Science should pay special attention to the mathematics and science courses they select and should consult a representative of the program prior to their initial registration. Students will be admitted to the program when they have earned 24 or more semester hours of credit in courses numbered 1000 or higher; maintained a GPA of at least 2.00 on both LSU and cumulative averages; and have passed all courses in mathematics and science with a grade of “C” or better, or received special approval from the dean of the school.

Students transferring from another institution must meet university transfer admission requirements. Transfer students must also meet the current admission requirements of the school and receive approval from the dean of the school.

Students who, after initial enrollment in this school, wish to obtain credit for courses taken at other accredited institutions, and who plan to use this course credit toward their degree requirements, must obtain approval from the dean.

Student Responsibility

Students in this school and program bear final responsibility for selection of their academic programs and adherence to all published regulations and requirements of the school and the university. Each student must see his or her counselor in the program office of the school for a final degree checkout during the semester prior to the semester in which the degree is to be awarded.

Degree Requirements

It is the student’s responsibility to qualify for the bachelor’s degree by meeting the following requirements:

  • Meet the university’s general education course requirements.
  • Achieve a “C” or better in all basic science and mathematics requirements.
  • Achieve a 2.00 GPA, as required by the University, for all work taken at LSU and on all work attempted at U. S. institutions.
  • Successfully complete a minimum of 30 hours of residence in the Coastal Environmental Science program. These hours are included in the University requirement that a minimum of 25 percent of hours applied toward the degree be earned at LSU.
  • Six hours of ROTC may be allowed for degree credit as long as they are taken at 3000 level or above.

College Probation

A student in the School of the Coast & Environment who fails to earn a 2.00 semester GPA in a regular semester will be placed on college probation. In addition, students who fail to meet the school academic requirements noted in the section on degree requirements, or who enter the school with deficiencies, may be placed on college probation. At the discretion of the dean, a student who is on college probation and fails to meet the academic requirements, including earning a 2.00 or better semester GPA, may be declared ineligible to continue in the School at the end of a regular semester. A student on college probation who does earn a 2.00 or better semester GPA, who remediates course deficiencies, and who makes satisfactory progress in the degree program will be removed from college probation at the end of a regular semester or summer term.

Phi Beta Kappa

Seniors and juniors with GPAs of at least 3.60 and 3.90, respectively, are considered for membership in Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest scholastic honor society in the United States. Excellence in a variety of intellectual disciplines, rather than proficiency in a single field of study, is the major criterion for election.

The academic record should include satisfactory completion of the general education requirement, including two courses in English or American literature or literature in a foreign language (if not the major field); six-hour sequences in both a life science and a physical science, with an additional two hours of related laboratory work in one of these fields; upper division courses (3000 level or above) in at least two different humanities or social sciences outside the major; and electives that show a commitment to a liberal education.

Sophomores and juniors should consult with Phi Beta Kappa officers for more specific information. Specific requirements are described on the Phi Beta Kappa website: www.lsu.edu/student_organizations/phibetakappa/.

Phi Kappa Phi

Founded in 1897 at the University of Maine, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest, largest, and most selective honor society for all academic disciplines. Its chapters are on nearly 300 campuses in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines. Each year, approximately 30,000 members are initiated. Some of the organization’s more notable members include former President Jimmy Carter, writer John Grisham, NASA astronaut Wendy Lawrence, and Netscape founder James Barksdale. The LSU chapter was founded in 1930 as the 43rd chapter in the nation.

The mission of Phi Kappa Phi is to recognize and promote academic excellence in all fields of higher education and to engage the community of scholars in service to others. Phi Kappa Phi is unique because it recognizes superior scholarship in all academic fields, rather than restricting membership to a limited field. Juniors in the top 7.5 percent and seniors and graduate students in the top ten percent of their classes may be invited to become members of Phi Kappa Phi. New LSU Phi Kappa Phi members are initiated and honored in the spring semester each year and wear identifying ribbons on their academic gowns at commencement exercises. Additional information about the Society may be found at www.phikappaphi.org.

Departments and Curricula