crossing river

Advising Guidelines for Earth and Environmental Studies (EAES) Majors

Welcome to the Department of Earth and Environmental Studies (EAES). We offer degrees in Earth and Environmental Science, Geography and Sustainability Science. This page explains our math and chemistry collateral requirements and your “To Do” list to make your entry into your EAES major as smooth as possible.

Earth and Environmental Science and Sustainability Science

These programs both require:

  • Two semesters of Math (MATH111 Pre-calculus or higher)
  • General Chemistry (CHEM120 and CHEM121).

Geography (GEOG) and Geography/Environmental Studies majors (GEEN)

  • These programs both require MATH109 Statistics
  • Several collateral natural science and social science courses are available, some of which require MATH100 as a pre-requisite.
    Please consult with your advisor as you consider these options.

Math and Chemistry Readiness Tests

New students will be placed into Math and Chemistry courses based on their application materials. Students already enrolled at the University considering an EAES major should complete the chemistry and math readiness tests. The readiness tests determine the level of chemistry and math that you are prepared to take now, or if additional background preparation is needed to succeed in the required courses. Current students should contact csamssc@montclair.edu to schedule their tests.

Please be aware:

  • If you take CHEM106, you must pass with a grade of C- or higher to be eligible to enroll in CHEM120.
  • If you take MATH100, you must pass with a grade of C- or higher to be eligible to enroll in MATH111.

We recommend completing your math and chemistry courses during the first two years of your degree program. Please see the CSAM Math Sequences for more information about math courses and their pre-requisites and consult with your faculty advisor.

To-Do List for Incoming Freshmen

Freshmen majoring in Earth and Environmental Science, Sustainability Science or Geography are placed into learning communities and assigned a package of courses for the first semester as shown in the table below.

Earth and Environmental Studies has a mandatory advising policy for all students. Every semester you will meet with your advisor to select your courses for the following semester and provide you with a PIN code to access the NEST registration system. Please visit the EAES list of program advisors to identify your advisor.

Freshmen Learning Community Courses for EAES Majors

BS Earth and Environmental Science BA Geography BS Sustainability Science
GNED199 New Student Seminar GNED199 New Student Seminar GNED199 New Student Seminar
EAES105 Physical Geology EAES101 Planet Earth EAES101 Planet Earth
EAES170 World Geography EAES160 Human Environment EAES160 Human Environment
ENWR105 Composition I ENWR105 Composition I ENWR105 Composition I
General Education Course or Math course General Education Course General Education Course or Math course

To-Do list for current Montclair State University students declaring an EAES major

The Department of Earth and Environmental Studies advisors are happy to meet with prospective majors and discuss which of our three programs is right for you and your career goals. Please contact the Department Chairperson, Dr. Greg Pope (popeg@montclair.edu), or one of the program advisors to set up a meeting. Students majoring in Earth and Environmental Science and Sustainability Science must complete the chemistry and math readiness tests, contact csamssc@montclair.edu to schedule your tests. Geography majors please consult with your advisor regarding the readiness tests.

Our recommendations for your first semester of coursework are outlined in the table below.

First Semester Courses for Newly Declared EAES Majors

BS Earth and Environmental Science BA Geography BS Sustainability Science
EAES105 Physical Geology EAES101 Planet Earth EAES101 Planet Earth
CHEM106 or CHEM120 (pending readiness test results EAES160 Human Environment EAES160 Human Environment
MATH100 or MATH111 (pending readiness test results) EAES170 World Geography CHEM106 or CHEM120 (pending readiness test results
EAES elective or GNED course EAES elective or GNED course MATH100 or MATH111 (pending readiness test results)
EAES elective or GNED course EAES elective or GNED course EAES elective, Sustainability Collateral course, or GNED course

Where to go from here