Physical, Environmental, and Computer Sciences -- Medgar Evers College

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The Department of Physical, Environmental and Computer Sciences (PECS) is dedicated teaching and research in the physical sciences and technology. The Department offers a Baccalaureate of Science degree (BS) in Environmental Science, Associate of Science (AS) degrees in Computer Science, and Associate of Science (AS) degree in Science (Chemistry, Physics and Engineering concentrations). The AS degree programs are essentially transfer programs.

Departmental Goals

to develop in our students high-level skills, such as problem solving, reasoning, and the ability to engage in research;
to prepare students for advanced study in graduate programs in Environmental Science and B.S. degree programs in Computer Science, Chemistry, Physics and Engineering;
to prepare students to compete for well-paying positions in the applied and environmental sciences; and
to prepare our students such that they may create their own position in society (e.g. consulting, entrepreneurship) regardless of the economic climate.

Academic Standards

Students in the Department are expected to pass all departmental required courses with a grade of C or better. Students will be required to repeat any course on which a grade of C- or below is received before being permitted to go on to the next course in the sequence.

The B.S. in Environmental Science (ES) Program stresses that environmental science is about much more than science. It is also about ethics, responsibility and values, as well as sociology, politics, law and business. Areas of study include: Toxic Sites, Waste Disposal and Management, Water Pollution, Global Warming and Ocean/Atmospheric Studies. Numerous job opportunities are available for ES graduates in industry and in local, state, regional and federal governments, due to new laws and regulations from agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). This is the only program of this type in CUNY. Research opportunities are available through our relationship with the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies.

Atmospheric Science (Environmental Science Option)
Global warming, water pollution, draughts, and ozone depletion are some of the serious problems facing the world community. The Atmospheric
Environmental Science options provides students with the opportunity for study in the following areas: cloud/storm lifecycles, storm tracking,
volcanic aerosols, regional water conservation and turbulence. Students may be involved with NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) scientist and/or MEC and CUNY faculty on scientific research topics. Students will help in the analysis of comprehensive global data sets in order to predict atmospheric and climate changes in the early 21st century.

The A.S. in Computer Science (C.S.) Program is concerned with computers, their organization, the theory which underlies their existence, and their application. The Program designed to encourage graduates to enter baccalaureate degree programs in Computer Science and related programs such as Artificial Intelligence, Computer Engineering, Telecommunications, and Applied Sciences. This program follows the guidelines of the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM) and the Computer Society of the IEEE Joint Curriculum Task Force.

A.S. in Science (Chemistry, Engineering and Physics Concentrations) is essentially a transfer program which is designed to meet the requirements for entry into the lower junior level of most baccalaureate degree (B.S.) programs in Chemistry, Engineering or Physics. Students may transfer to the Chemistry and Physics programs at Brooklyn College, City College, College of Staten Island, Hunter College and the Engineering programs at City College and Polytechnic University.

Academic Standards