Self-Study Curriculum for Environmental Science

This is a self-directed learning journey modeled on the structure, values, and methodology of the Open Source Society University (OSSU) curriculum. While this curriculum is not officially affiliated with OSSU, it embraces their open-access philosophy and is designed to remain free, community-driven, and continuously evolving.

🎯 Purpose 

The aim of this curriculum is to guide independent learners through a comprehensive, interdisciplinary study of Environmental Science—entirely free of cost and at your own pace. In 2025, with climate literacy more crucial than ever, this pathway empowers anyone to gain deep, technical, and applied knowledge in environmental systems and sustainability.

Due to the vast and multidisciplinary nature of environmental science, this curriculum may not be exhaustive. You’re encouraged to contribute—whether it's adding updated resources, suggesting new modules, or refining the learning paths.

🌱 Core Curriculum

• Problem Solving for Scientists Learn logical and structured approaches to scientific challenges using modern computational tools.

• Introduction to Environmental Science Explore global ecosystems, biodiversity, pollution, and sustainability challenges facing the 21st century.

• Ecology Understand population dynamics, trophic interactions, and ecosystem-level processes.

• Differential Equations I A mathematical foundation for modeling natural systems and processes.

• Environmental Physics and Chemistry Delve into the physical and chemical principles underlying atmospheric, terrestrial, and aquatic systems.

• Fluid Mechanics Study fluid flow in natural environments, with applications in oceanography, meteorology, and hydrology.

• Data Analysis Apply statistical and data science tools to analyze environmental datasets using Python or R (2025’s top open tools).

• Differential Equations II Advanced techniques for solving complex system models relevant to environmental engineering.

• Transport Processes Learn how energy, matter, and contaminants move through the environment.

• Hydrology Analyze the water cycle, watershed modeling, and water resource engineering.

• Probability and Statistics Build a strong statistical foundation for uncertainty analysis in environmental modeling.

• Modeling and Simulation Use tools like MATLAB, Python, or Julia to simulate climate systems, ecosystems, or pollution transport. 

Problem Solving

Courses	Duration	Effort
Creative Problem Solving and Decision Making	5 weeks	6 hours/week

Introduction to Environmental Science

Courses	Duration	Effort
Introduction to Environmental Science	4 weeks	5 hours/week
Climate Change: The Science	7 weeks	3 hours/week

Ecology

Courses	Duration	Effort
Ecology I: The Earth System	9 weeks	4 hours/week
Ecology: from Cells to Gaia	4 weeks	2-3 hours/week
Ecology II: Engineering for Sustainability	9 weeks	4 hours/week
Ecology: Ecosystem Dynamics and Conservation	2 weeks	6 hours/week

Differential Equations I

Courses	Duration	Effort
Introduction to Differential Equations	15 weeks	5-8 hours/week
Differential Equations: 2x2 Systems	9 weeks	2-5 hours/week

Environmental Physics and Chemistry

Courses	Duration	Effort
The Chemistry of Life	13 weeks	2-3 hours/week
The Physics of Energy	9 weeks	5 hours/week
Physics and Chemistry of the Terrestrial Planets	9 weeks	5 hours/week
Climate Physics and Chemistry	9 weeks	5 hours/week
Atmospheric Chemistry	9 weeks	5 hours/week
Experimental Atmospheric Chemistry	9 weeks	5 hours/week
Aquatic Chemistry	9 weeks	5 hours/week

Fluid Mechanics

Courses	Duration	Effort
Thermodynamics & Kinetics	9 weeks	5 hours/week
Hydrodynamics	9 weeks	5 hours/week
Advanced Fluid Dynamics of the Environment	9 weeks	5 hours/week

Data Analysis

Courses	Duration	Effort
Data Science Professional Certificate	18 weeks	9 hours/week

Differential Equations II

Courses	Duration	Effort
Linear Algebra and NxN Systems of Differential Equations	9 weeks	5-8 hours/week
Fourier Series and Partial Differential Equations	9 weeks	5-8 hours/week

Transport Processes

Courses	Duration	Effort
Transport Processes in the Environment	9 weeks	5 hours/week
Chemicals in the Environment: Fate and Transport	9 weeks	5 hours/week

Hydrology

Courses	Duration	Effort
Groundwater Hydrology	9 weeks	5 hours/week

Probability and Statistics

Courses	Duration	Effort
Fundamentals of Statistics	16 weeks	10-14 hours/week
Probability - The Science of Uncertainty and Data	16 weeks	10-14 hours/week

Modelling and Simulation

Courses	Duration	Effort
Mathematical Modelling Basics	9 weeks	4-8 hours/week
Simulation and modeling of natural processes	5 weeks	6 hours/week
Modeling Climate Change	8 weeks	3-5 hours/week

🎓 Specializations (Choose Your Path)

Once you've completed the core curriculum, explore a specialization aligned with your passion or career goals:

• Water Resources & Management Focus on hydrological engineering, sustainable irrigation, and global water policy.

• Sustainable Energy Systems Dive into renewable energy technologies, lifecycle analysis, and environmental impact assessments.

• Environmental Data Science Learn geospatial analysis, machine learning for sustainability, and climate data visualization.

• Urban Sustainability & Policy Explore how cities in 2025 are adapting through green infrastructure, policy reform, and environmental justice.

This curriculum is open-source and always in progress. Whether you’re a learner, practitioner, or educator, your feedback and contributions help improve the learning journey for others.

Learn. Share. Evolve. Welcome to the future of open environmental science education.