From our perch on the hill, Bloomsburg University's Department of Environmental, Geographical, and Geological Sciences (EGGS) looks out over the town of Bloomsburg and the beautiful Appalachian Valley and Ridge. We take advantage of our location as much as possible by getting students outside to use the local area as our classroom.
The EGGS curriculum builds on the department’s strengths in planning, environmental and economic geography, traditional hard rock geology, and environmental geoscience. Students in our all-undergraduate department also have the opportunity to prepare for careers or graduate school by getting experience outside the classroom with ongoing research projects, volunteering in the community, and our established geography and planning internship program.
The department offers a single major: the Bachelor of Science in Environmental, Geographical, and Geological Sciences, with four different tracks:
All four tracks start with a common core of four courses in which students study how the Earth works, the impacts people have on the environment (and the impact the environment has on us), and ways to use maps to record, store, and communicate information about the world around us. Having a common core helps build a sense of community, exposes each student to all aspects of EGGS, and allows majors to make more informed choices about which major track they ultimately pick.
Common Core Courses:
All EGGS majors must take some courses in related science disciplines such as biology, physics, and chemistry because these are vital to developing a good understanding of the Earth, and our interactions with it! For instance, to treat a stream affected by acid mine drainage, it helps to understand some chemistry; to work for an alternative energy company, it helps to understand some physics; and understanding stream biology can help students restore a stream damaged by dredging or bank erosion.
At least one math course is also required. Having good math skills helps our majors identify and analyze patterns, construct logical arguments, and dissect and solve problems.
Science and Math Cognate Courses: The number and type of required cognate science and math courses varies, depending on your chosen EGGS track.
Each track has additional required foundational courses, as well as upper-level electives that allow you to specialize in a particular area of interest.
In addition to courses required for the major, every student at Bloomsburg University must also complete the General Education requirements. General Education courses will connect you to the world of ideas outside of EGGS, and help you develop the critical thinking and communication skills that are vital for success in every job.
Thoughtful planning will allow you to choose approved General Education courses that reflect your interests, strengthen your major, and perhaps even get you started on a related minor. For example:
Bloomsburg’s new MyCore General Education program gives students more flexibility to include a minor, ad customize their degree to their specific interests and talents. Talk with your advisor early on to see which minors might best support your interests and intended career path, and to help lay out a plan to complete your coursework.
Any math or science minor can be of value, depending on your interests:
Sometimes, a minor in a different field will make you stand out to an employer.
Alternatively (not minors but still useful)
While most of our General Education and Introductory courses are offered every semester, many of our upper level courses are not! Some are offered once a year, others once every other year or every three semesters. Knowing when the classes needed for your major are offered will help you determine when to take prerequisites for necessary coursework, and when specific requirements and electives will best fit into your plan.
Sometimes we require that you take courses in a specific order. Mastering fundamental concepts in one course allows you to succeed in another course that builds upon those fundamentals. When we need you to take classes in a particular order, we make one course a required prerequisite for the next. You will not be able to register for the higher-number course until you have completed (or are taking) the prerequisite lower-number course. For instance, you must take EGGS 242 - Map Use and Analysis before you take EGGS 360 - Principles of GIS I. Being aware of course prerequisites will help you map out an efficient plan for completing the major (as will seeing your advisor regularly!).