Professional Science, PSM

Introduction

The Professional Science Master’s in Environmental Science (PSM-ENSC) offers working professionals and qualified undergraduates an education that is multidisciplinary and applications-oriented, and that applies current technologies in the environmental sciences, focusing on their use in the business and regulatory world. 

The PSM is built around a solid core of seven required technical and non-technical courses that provide common baseline knowledge for all students. This core is supplemented by a broad selection of electives tailored to an individual’s specialty area (e.g. “Monitoring Instrumentation,” “Surface Water Hydrology”). In combination, the core and associated electives form a curriculum that can easily adapt to the needs of individual students and to the region’s large-scale environmental trends. A capstone research project in collaboration with a faculty mentor and a professional in the corporate or government sector is required to encourage students to apply their course work and experience to case studies. The program is structured to be completed in as little as two years and emphasizes substantial flexibility in course scheduling (night classes, weekend and summer field work). Undergraduate students interested in a five- year BS/PSM accelerated dual-degree option can pursue that option from their first semester at Stockton; transfer students may apply for the dual-degree with their transfer application. 

Admission Requirements

For persons who hold a baccalaureate degree, the following are the admissions requirements for the Professional Science Master’s degree (PSM) in Environmental Science.

• Complete online application, including an essay explaining how the PSM degree in Environmental Science fits into his or her career goals.

• A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution with an environmentally- related major (e.g., Environmental Science, Marine Science, Earth Science, Chemistry, Biology or other related majors); transcripts for all colleges attended are required for acceptance into the PSM program if applicant’s undergraduate degree is not in the natural sciences. If applicant’s undergraduate degree was in the natural sciences, only the transcript from the degree granting institution is required.

• Two letters of recommendation from professional colleagues or college/university faculty.

• OPTIONAL: Completion of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), the general test; students should have their scores sent directly to Stockton (school code 2889).

• Minimum college/university cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0.

• If you are a recent Stockton graduate, check to see if you qualify for the Direct Entry Option.

• The TOEFL examination or another Stockton-accepted proof of English language proficiency is required of students for whom English is a second language.

• Specific minimum requirements may be waived at the discretion of the PSM-ENSC Admissions Committee. 

Acceptance into the PSM in Environmental Science program will be based on a review of the entire application packet. Admission to the program is competitive and acceptance is not guaranteed. 

Degree Requirements

The PSM in Environmental Science requires 36 credits for completion, including a capstone project. Students can choose from two concentrations: General and Energy Science. The General Concentration consists of seven core course requirements, four electives and a capstone project. Students in the General Concentration are still able to take elective courses that appeal to their areas of interest e.g. GIS related courses for those interested in pursuing GIS after graduation, Earth/Geological Science related electives and Ecology related courses for those interested in pursuing these fields. The seven core course requirements include five science courses and two professional courses. The entire core course sequence will be offered within two years during the fall, spring and summer terms. The remainder of the curriculum consists of electives, at least eight of which are offered over the two-year sequence.

The Energy Science Concentration consists of the same seven core courses as the General concentration, plus three cognate requirements, an energy focused capstone project experience and one elective.  This concentration provides students the opportunity to gain advanced training in alternative energy technology, high performance buildings, sustainable design, energy planning, and energy analysis and management. 

All PSM students are required take a mandatory placement exam upon admission. This test will determine whether they can get directly into Applied GIS, Environmental Quality or Land Use Planning or not. If students do not test out of the pre-requisites, they must take PSM Seminar (ENSC 5600 and GIS and the Environment (ENSC 5120). Credit from those two courses will count towards elective credits. Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 throughout the program earn a minimum of B- in all graduate courses taken at Stockton. Each student is assigned an advisor with whom they must meet regularly to plan and evaluate progress in their studies. 

Energy Science Concentration and Energy Certificate Program

Pursuing a concentration of study in energy science allows PSM students to be trained in the theory, principle and practices of alternative energy, energy analysis and high-performance design while completing the PSM coursework. Students who complete the requirements will receive a certification on Energy Studies along with the PSM in Environmental Science upon completion. In addition, students will receive hands-on training in building energy analysis, performance modeling, advanced thermography, energy auditing techniques, and laboratory procedures and testing. Speak to your advisor if you wish to substitute a specific core course with another course. 

Accelerated Dual-Degree Program

The dual-degree BS/PSM program [also known as Accelerated PSM (APSM) program] is an intensive five-year curriculum that offers students the opportunity to earn both a Bachelor’s and Professional Science Master’s degree in Environmental Science. Students take the scheduled courses to satisfy all requirements for the undergraduate B.S. (Environmental Science) and then transition into the PSM program in their senior year, the fourth year of study. This program is designed as a terminal degree for students who want to obtain advanced skills that will prepare them for the workplace. Students interested in research leading to a doctoral degree should consider programs that are more traditional and are advised to enroll in the B.S. in Environmental Science and take basic and applied science courses that prepare them for a broad range of research opportunities typical of a conventional graduate program. 

High school students may apply for early, conditional admission to the dual-degree BS/PSM program as high school seniors. Stockton students may apply up to the beginning of the first semester of their junior year or as soon as they decide they want to join the accelerated program and approved by the APSM faculty coordinator. The sooner the better. Transfer students may apply alongside their application for admission to Stockton. Transfer students will be considered for admission on a case-by-case basis, depending on prerequisites met and the likelihood of completing upper level undergraduate ENVL courses by their senior year. Exceptional transfer students who do not have prerequisites may be admitted conditionally in consultation with their advisors. These students may require more time to meet the requirements of the BS/PSM. Only students with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 will be considered and requires a successful evaluation by the PSM Admissions Committee. 

Full degree curriculum and transfer audits for the BS/PSM dual-degree program can be explored using the Degree Works web based tool. Details about the dual-degree BS/PSM program are also found in the Environmental Science/Studies section in this Bulletin and the BS/PSM dual-degree website. 

Maintenance of Academic Eligibility 

To remain academically eligible to continue in the program, BS/PSM students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.25 with at least a B+ average in science and mathematics courses. Students’ academic records will be reviewed at the end of the second year and every semester thereafter to check their eligibility to continue in the dual-degree program.

The conditional admission of those who do not maintain the eligibility requirements will be suspended. They will be then eligible for the bachelor’s degree only. However, a student with a suspended conditional admission can request to be reinstated if s/he meets the eligibility requirements at or before the end of the third year of the program.

At the end of the senior year, each conditionally admitted dual-degree student must complete a formal application for admission to the Stockton graduate school by the end of their last undergraduate semester and submit it to the Office of Enrollment Management. After submission of the application, the PSM Admissions Committee will evaluate the student’s progress and verify that the early, conditional acceptance to the dual-degree program would continue. The results of their decisions will be communicated to the student in writing from the Office of Graduate Studies.

Full degree curriculum and transfer audits for the PSM-ENSC program can be explored using the Degree Works web based tool. Details about the PSM-ENSC curriculum is accessible on the PSM-ENSC website. General information regarding graduate education is found in the Graduate Studies section of this Bulletin.