The B.S. in Earth and Environmental Sciences is a broad-based program in earth and environmental sciences that combines the offerings of three former B.S. degree programs (Geology, Geophysics, and Environmental Science and Policy) and draws on the research programs of the Pontchartrain Institute for Environmental Studies (PIES) at the University of New Orleans. The primary objective of this new program is to formalize the collaborations in teaching and research that already exist across the various programs at UNO to meet the changing needs of the New Orleans metropolitan area and southeast Louisiana.

The University of New Orleans is situated in an environmentally sensitive area that also is the center of focus for the petroleum industry, tourism, recreational sports, and commercial fisheries. Opportunities for earth and environmental scientists are numerous and varied. The B.S. program in Earth and Environmental Sciences is designed to produce the educated workforce necessary to support the highly diverse needs of our region. It will continue to graduate high quality students that are capable of entering the local petroleum industry, working in private and governmental agencies, and enrolling in graduate degree programs throughout the country. The new program also is intended to train students who can integrate and apply knowledge from diverse fields such as ecology, geochemistry, geomorphology, and geophysics to present a scientific synthesis in a form that is relevant for policy specialists and decision makers.