Environmental Resource Science (M.S.)

The Master of Science degree program in Environmental Resource Science will prepare you to become a highly-trained environmental scientist ready to address the challenges related to the most critical of the world’s environmental resources: water and soil.  

Through an innovative interdisciplinary approach, students learn about the interactions among water, soil, and human activities within a biophysical system. We incorporate core courses in Environmental Science and Geology and supplement them with elective courses in biology, civil engineering, and chemistry. 

Some of our current research areas include: 

  • GIS and Remote Sensing 

  • Fluvial geomorphology 

  • Lake sediment records 

  • Isotope geochemistry 

  • Climate reconstruction 

  • Climate change impact 

  • Environmental sustainability 

  • Hydrology 

  • Water quality 

  • Water resources 

  • Soil resources 

  • Wetland and coastal systems 

  • Environmental geohazards 

Our location in Lafayette, LA, helps make the School of Geosciences the ideal place to earn your graduate degree in environmental science. We have a strong agricultural industry, close ties to the oil and gas industry, and we are home to 40 percent of the country’s freshwater wetlands—meaning you will have an abundance of research, internship, and career opportunities in your own backyard. 

Environmental Resource Science at UL Lafayette  

Person sitting in grassy area

Location

Our location in Lafayette, LA, helps make the School of Geosciences the ideal place to earn your graduate degree in Earth and energy sciences. We have strong industry ties and we are home to 40 percent of the country’s freshwater wetlands—meaning you will have an abundance of research, internship, and career opportunities in your own backyard. 

Partnerships

The School of Geosciences has partnered with 14 businesses and organizations in the region to provide internships for student in the master’s in environmental resource science program. The School of Geosciences also manages the Ira Nelson Horticulture Center and Cade Farm, which function as off-campus research and educational facilities. At the Cade Farm, students have access to 600 acres of pasture lands, agricultural lands, wetland habitats, a coastal wetland research laboratory, and a seed bank for the state of ÃÞ»¨ÌÇÖ±²¥. 

Instruments and Labs

Our facilities include extensive bench space, available gas, vacuum and air lines, fume hoods, and wireless internet access. The labs are also equipped with a Barnstead pure water system.
Additional laboratory spaces are dedicated to sample preparation and analysis via isotope ratio mass spectrometry and Rock-Eval pyrolysis.

Geology Museum

The UL Lafayette Geology Museum hosts over 2,000 square feet of exhibit space for fossils, minerals, and rocks, and a 1,500-square-foot research space for students and faculty. It houses the University's collection of fossils, rocks and minerals with an on-site laboratory to process specimens.