The Planning and Administration track is intended to bridge the gap between scientists gathering environmental data and administrators who formulate and implement programs and policies. This track will train students to work with numerous experts from diverse fields, to synthesize various and often conflicting perspectives, and to arrive at viable and practical solutions. Students will also learn to communicate scientific research to audiences as diverse as government agencies, citizen committees, corporate decision-makers, and the general public.

Employment for graduates may be found in both public and private agencies with environmental concerns. An especially effective and marketable skill developed in this track is the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), which allows scientists and planners to map, analyze, and even predict environmental data based on location.

The Planning and Administration track requires the completion of the Environmental Sciences core curriculum (38-39 hours), plus the following (45 hours):

• INFO 1343: Information Processing and Analysis
• INFO 3321: Managing Systems and Technology
• GEOG 2320: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
• GEOG 2345: Geographic Information Techniques
• GEOG 3325: Urban and Regional Planning
  OR
  PSCI 4351: Community and Regional Planning
• PSCI 2340: State and Local Government
• PSCI 3360: Public Administration
• SOC 1300: Principles of Sociology
• HED 4393: Environmental Health Problems
• HIST 4301: American Environmental History
• Electives: Fifteen hours chosen from the following:
  • Any of the courses in the Biology or Chemistry emphasis areas
  • SOC 3340: Urban Sociology
  • SOC 4301: Social Movements and Social Change
  • SOC 4321: Social Policy Analysis
  • SOC 4341: Population
  • PSCI 3350: Interest Groups and Money in Politics
  • PSCI 3365: Intergovernmental Relations
  • PSCI 3372: Political Behavior
  • PSCI 4336: City Governments and Politics
  • PSCI 4351: Community and Regional Planning
  • PSCI 4391: Government Budgeting
  • PSCI 4X99: Studies in Political Science
  • GEOG 3325: Urban and Regional Planning
  • GEOG 3306: Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation
  • GEOG 3333: Geography of Natural Hazards
  • GEOG 3351: Weather and Climate
  • GEOG 3361: Landforms
  • GEOG 3371: Urban Geography
  • GEOG 3375: Cartography
  • GEOG 4303: Water Resources
  • GEOG 4305: Soils
  • GEOG 4308: Oceanography
  • GEOG 4313: Recreation and Tourism
  • GEOG 4330: Geographic Information Analysis
  • GEOG 416X: Special Problems in Geography
  • INFO 2322: Introduction to Minicomputers
  • INFO 3328: Systems Analysis and Design
  • INFO 4350: Information Systems Technology
  • INFO 4362: Administrative Information Management