Information and Policies
Introduction
The environmental studies major provides an interdisciplinary approach to learning how to move toward a more sustainable future for human and ecological systems. Courses in environmental studies provide training not only in the physical, biological, and social sciences, but also in writing, critical thinking, quantitative analysis, project and team management, and more. Most students extend their learning outside the classroom through the departmental internship program.
The major is available either without a concentration or in conjunction with one of four more specialized concentrations that provide depth in particular areas of expertise. See the Undergraduate Program page for a description of each of the concentrations offered.
Academic Advising for the Program
Advising is one way to make the most of your university experience. The advising system at UC Santa Cruz is amazing, and we encourage you to use it often. Ask questions, seek advice, and make decisions that work best for you.
To receive advising for this major, contact envsadvi@ucsc.edu. Additional information for prospective transfer students can be found in the Transfer Information and Policy section.
Program Learning Outcomes
Students graduating with a B.A. degree in environmental studies will be able to:
- Identify the societal (social, political, economic and ethical) agents and structures that contribute to environmental change. (social science competency)
- Describe the structure and functioning of major physical and ecological components of the earth’s systems. (natural science competency)
- Access and analyze a complex literature addressing specific topics in environmental studies, and evaluate the usefulness and limitations of individual sources of information. (analytic thinking)
- Demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills. (communication skills).
Major Qualification Policy and Declaration Process
Major Qualification
To qualify to declare the environmental studies major, students must complete the specific courses listed below, or their approved equivalents.
One of the following:
| ENVS 23 | The Physical and Chemical Environment | 5 |
| CHEM 1A | General Chemistry | 5 |
Plus one of the following:
Plus all of the following:
| STAT 7 | Statistical Methods for the Biological, Environmental, and Health Sciences | 5 |
| STAT 7L | Statistical Methods for the Biological, Environmental, and Health Sciences Laboratory | 2 |
| ENVS 25 | Environmental Policy and Economics | 5 |
Determining qualification
-
Students who complete all the qualification courses with a grade of P, or letter grade of C or better are eligible to declare a major.
-
Students who have received one grade of NP, C-, D+, D, D-, or F in one of the qualification courses taken at UC Santa Cruz will only be eligible to declare after successfully completing the same or an equivalent course with a grade of P, or letter grade of C or better.
-
Students with two or more grades of NP, C-, D+, D, D-, or F in the qualification courses taken at UC Santa Cruz are not eligible to declare.
-
Students with AP credit for any of the qualification course(s) are eligible to declare after successfully completing the remaining qualification courses.
-
Students must attend an Environmental Studies Department declaration workshop when requesting to declare the major.
Appeal Process
Students who are not eligible to declare the major may appeal this decision by submitting an appeal to qualify for the major within 15 days of the denial of the declaration. Within 15 days of receipt of the appeal, the department will notify the student and college of the decision. If a student has questions about the appeals process, they should contact envsadvi@ucsc.edu.
How to Declare a Major
All students are required to attend one declaration workshop offered during the first three weeks of the quarter they are eligible to declare. Before students attend declaration workshops, they should check to see if they are eligible to declare using the major qualification page. Students wishing to declare within the Environmental Studies Department should visit the Environmental Studies Department website and follow the steps listed in the "how to declare" tab. Degree requirement sheets may be downloaded from the Environmental Studies Undergraduate Program Requirements page.
Transfer Information and Policy
Transfer Admission Screening Policy
The following courses or their equivalents are required prior to transfer, by the end of the spring term for students planning to enter in the fall. Students must pass equivalents of the following courses with a C (2.0) or better.
One of the following:
ENVS 23 or a general chemistry course
Plus one of the following:
Plus one of the following:
| AM 3 | Precalculus for the Social Sciences | 5 |
| AM 11A
/ECON 11A
| Mathematical Methods for Economists I | 5 |
| AM 11B
/ECON 11B
| Mathematical Methods for Economists II | 5 |
| MATH 3 | Precalculus | 5 |
| MATH 11A | Calculus with Applications | 5 |
| MATH 11B | Calculus with Applications | 5 |
| MATH 19A | Calculus for Science, Engineering, and Mathematics | 5 |
| MATH 19B | Calculus for Science, Engineering, and Mathematics | 5 |
| MATH 22 | Introduction to Calculus of Several Variables | 5 |
| MATH 23A | Vector Calculus | 5 |
Plus one of the following options:
Either this course:
| ENVS 25 | Environmental Policy and Economics | 5 |
Or these courses:
ECON 2 and a course in national or international politics
Or these courses:
ECON 1 and a course in national or international politics
GPA Requirement
To be considered for admission in the environmental studies majors, transfer students must pass the screening policy courses or its equivalents with a C (2.0) or better.
Recommended Courses
In addition, the following courses are recommended prior to transfer to ensure timely graduation.
| SOCY 1 | Introduction to Sociology | 5 |
| SOCY 10 | Issues and Problems in American Society | 5 |
| SOCY 15 | World Society | 5 |
| ANTH 2 | Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | 5 |
| PHIL 22 | Introduction to Ethical Theory | 5 |
| PHIL 24 | Introduction to Ethics: Contemporary Moral Issues | 5 |
| PHIL 28 | Environmental Ethics | 5 |
| BME 80G
/PHIL 80G
| Bioethics in the 21st Century: Science, Business, and Society | 5 |
General Education Courses (GEs)
Prospective students are also encouraged to complete the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or to complete all UC Santa Cruz general education requirements before matriculation.
Getting Started at UCSC as a Transfer Student
Transfer students pursuing environmental studies majors are encouraged to transfer in the fall quarter.
Transfer students should enroll in STAT 7 & STAT 7L during the summer or fall quarter in order to take ENVS 100 & ENVS 100L in winter or spring quarter of their first year. Transfer students who have completed the screening requirements listed above can formally declare their major once STAT 7 and STAT 7L are completed. Transfer students can formally declare their major once qualification courses are successfully completed, following the steps in How to Declare a Major given above.
ENVS 25 and CHEM 1A are usually offered during Summer Session at UC Santa Cruz, and transfer students are encouraged to take these classes if they have not yet completed a substitute requirement or if they want a better understanding of the relevant material. If you are transferring, compare catalog descriptions, consult your current institution's adviser, and refer to the ASSIST website to determine equivalency. Prospective transfer students should review the transfer information.
Students who are proposed in a different major and have advanced standing when they come to UCSC require permission from the department to change into the major. Contact envsadvi@ucsc.edu to request permission.
Letter Grade Policy
This program does not have a letter grade policy, except that the comprehensive requirement must be taken for a letter grade.
Course Substitution Policy
Single environmental studies students can petition up to two upper-division courses to count toward the single environmental studies major requirements. These two substitutions courses may be the following:
-
Pre-approved substitution courses: You may enroll into this list of courses without petition to substitute for up to two ENVS electives.
-
By petition: You may petition to substitute courses taken outside of ENVS and/or UC Santa Cruz such as: other institutions, other departments, courses not listed on the pre-approved substitution list, other programs including Educational Abroad Program (EAP), Wildlands Studies, or the Sierra Institute. Please review the petitioning process here.
Study Abroad
Environmental studies students are encouraged to study abroad and participate in other off-campus programs. If students are interested in planning to study abroad please note the following policies:
- Students planning to study abroad must be declared in their major prior to studying abroad.
- Students must have their courses they plan to take abroad reviewed and approved by Environmental Studies Advising.
- Single environmental studies majors may petition to substitute up to two courses taken abroad to count toward the environmental studies upper-division electives. Combined environmental studies majors cannot petition for substitution. Please review the petitioning process here prior to your EAP program.
- For more information on EAP, please visit the UC Education Abroad Program website.
Honors
Departmental Honors. Students must have a 3.5 grade point average (GPA) in all courses used to satisfy the environmental studies upper-division requirements. To be considered for departmental honors, students are limited to no more than one grade of P in those upper-division courses.
Senior Comprehensive Honors. Only applicable to a senior thesis, senior internship, or individual work in a senior seminar. Honors must be awarded by the student’s faculty sponsor, and a second faculty member (chosen by the student’s faculty adviser) must concur.
Highest Departmental Honors. Students must have a 3.75 grade point average (GPA) in in all courses used to satisfy the environmental studies upper-division requirements and must also receive senior comprehensive honors (see above). To be considered for highest departmental honors, students are limited to no more than one grade of P in those upper-division courses.
Major Without a Concentration
Course Requirements
Continuing students must complete all lower-division course requirements before taking ENVS 100 and ENVS 100L.
Lower-Division Courses
One of the following courses
| ENVS 23 | The Physical and Chemical Environment | 5 |
| CHEM 1A | General Chemistry | 5 |
Plus one of the following courses
Plus the following course:
| ENVS 25 | Environmental Policy and Economics | 5 |
Plus one of the following options:
One of the following courses
| AM 3 | Precalculus for the Social Sciences | 5 |
| AM 11A
/ECON 11A
| Mathematical Methods for Economists I | 5 |
| AM 11B
/ECON 11B
| Mathematical Methods for Economists II | 5 |
| MATH 3 | Precalculus | 5 |
| MATH 11A | Calculus with Applications | 5 |
| MATH 11B | Calculus with Applications | 5 |
| MATH 19A | Calculus for Science, Engineering, and Mathematics | 5 |
| MATH 19B | Calculus for Science, Engineering, and Mathematics | 5 |
| MATH 22 | Introduction to Calculus of Several Variables | 5 |
| MATH 23A | Vector Calculus | 5 |
Or take a placement exam:
Take the Math Placement Exam (MPE) with a score of 300 or higher or take the AP Calculus exam with a score of 3 or higher
Plus all of the following
| STAT 7 | Statistical Methods for the Biological, Environmental, and Health Sciences | 5 |
| STAT 7L | Statistical Methods for the Biological, Environmental, and Health Sciences Laboratory | 2 |
Plus one introductory course in sociology, cultural anthropology, or ethics
Choose one of the following:
| ANTH 2 | Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | 5 |
| BME 80G
/PHIL 80G
| Bioethics in the 21st Century: Science, Business, and Society | 5 |
| PHIL 22 | Introduction to Ethical Theory | 5 |
| PHIL 24 | Introduction to Ethics: Contemporary Moral Issues | 5 |
| PHIL 28 | Environmental Ethics | 5 |
| SOCY 1 | Introduction to Sociology | 5 |
| SOCY 10 | Issues and Problems in American Society | 5 |
| SOCY 15 | World Society | 5 |
Upper-Division Courses
Students are required to complete the following upper-division courses:
Environmental studies core course offered twice yearly during the winter and spring quarters.
Electives
A total of seven upper-division electives (environmental studies courses numbered ENVS 101 through ENVS 179) must be completed. One course must be from the list below of upper-division courses based on natural sciences, and one course must be from the list below of upper-division courses based on the social sciences.
A list of all courses offered by the Environmental Studies Department is available in the courses section of the catalog. A list of which upper-division courses offered in the current year by the Environmental Studies Department are based in the natural sciences and which in the social sciences is available on the department website.
Lecture/lab combinations count as one course.
Courses based on natural sciences
| ENVS 104A | Introduction to Environmental Field Methods | 5 |
| ENVS 104L | Field Methods Laboratory | 2 |
| ENVS 106A | Natural History of Birds | 5 |
| ENVS 107A | Natural History Field Quarter | 5 |
| ENVS 107B | Natural History Field Quarter | 5 |
| ENVS 107C | Natural History Field Quarter | 5 |
| ENVS 108 | General Entomology | 5 |
| ENVS 108L | General Entomology Laboratory | 3 |
| BIOE 151A
/ENVS 109A
| Ecology and Conservation in Practice Supercourse: Ecological Field Methods | 5 |
| BIOE 151B
/ENVS 109B
| Ecology and Conservation in Practice Supercourse: Ecological Field Methods Laboratory | 5 |
| BIOE 151C
/ENVS 109C
| Ecology and Conservation in Practice Supercourse: Functions and Processes of Terrestrial Ecosystems | 5 |
| BIOE 151D
/ENVS 109D
| Ecology and Conservation in Practice Supercourse: Conservation in Practice | 4 |
| ENVS 120 | Conservation Biology | 5 |
| ENVS 121 | Landscape Ecology | 5 |
| ENVS 122 | Tropical Ecology and Conservation | 5 |
| ENVS 123 | Animal Ecology and Conservation | 5 |
| BIOE 125
/ENVS 125
| Ecosystems of California | 5 |
| ENVS 129 | Integrated Pest Management | 5 |
| ENVS 129L | Integrated Pest Management Laboratory | 2 |
| ENVS 130A | Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture | 5 |
| ENVS 130L | Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture Laboratory | 2 |
| ENVS 130C | Field Experiences in Agroecology and Sustainable Food | 5 |
| ENVS 131 | Insect Ecology | 5 |
| ENVS 133 | Agroecology Practicum | 5 |
| ENVS 138 | Field Ethnobotany | 5 |
| ENVS 160 | Restoration Ecology | 5 |
| ENVS 161A | Soils and Plant Nutrition | 5 |
| ENVS 162 | Plant Physiological Ecology | 5 |
| ENVS 162L | Plant Physiological Ecology Laboratory | 2 |
| ENVS 163 | Plant Disease Ecology | 5 |
| ENVS 163L | Plant Disease Ecology Lab | 2 |
| ENVS 164 | Projects and Practices in Soil Ecology | 5 |
| ENVS 166 | Agroecosystem Analysis and Watershed Management | 5 |
| ENVS 167 | Freshwater and Wetland Ecology | 5 |
| ENVS 167L | Freshwater and Wetland Ecology Lab | 2 |
| ENVS 168 | Biogeochemistry and the Global Environment | 5 |
| ENVS 169 | Climate Change Ecology | 5 |
| ENVS 170 | Agriculture and Climate Change | 5 |
Courses based on the social sciences
| ENVS 110 | Institutions, the Environment, and Economic Systems | 5 |
| ENVS 130B | Justice and Sustainability in Agriculture | 5 |
| ENVS 140 | National Environmental Policy | 5 |
| ENVS 141 | Ecological Economics | 5 |
| ENVS 143 | Sustainable Development: Economy, Policy, and Environment | 5 |
| ENVS 144
/POLI 179
| Global Climate Change Politics | 5 |
| ENVS 145 | Green Cities | 5 |
| ENVS 146 | Water Quality: Policy, Regulation, and Management | 5 |
| ENVS 147 | Environmental Inequality/Environmental Justice | 5 |
| ENVS 149
/LGST 149
| Environmental Law and Policy | 5 |
| ENVS 150 | Coastal and Marine Policy | 5 |
| ENVS 151 | Environmental Assessment | 5 |
| ENVS 152
/POLI 170
| International Environmental Politics | 5 |
| ENVS 153
/POLI 162
| Globalization and the Environment: Trade Complements and Conflicts | 5 |
| ENVS 154 | Amazonian Cultures and Conservation | 5 |
| ENVS 158 | Political Ecology and Social Change | 5 |
| ENVS 165 | Sustainable Water Systems | 5 |
| ENVS 172 | Environmental Risks and Public Policy | 5 |
| ENVS 173 | An Introduction to World Environmental History | 5 |
| ENVS 176 | Vulnerability, Complex Systems, and Disasters | 5 |
Disciplinary Communication (DC) Requirement
Students of every major must satisfy that major's upper-division Disciplinary Communication (DC) requirement. A primary goal of the environmental studies major is to train students who are able to critically analyze interdisciplinary environmental problems, justify their position on an issue, and communicate that position to a range of audiences verbally and in writing.
The DC requirement in environmental studies is satisfied by completing
Plus one of the following
| BIOE 151B
/ENVS 109B
| Ecology and Conservation in Practice Supercourse: Ecological Field Methods Laboratory | 5 |
| ENVS 183B | Senior Internship | 5 |
| ENVS 190 | Capstone Course: Environmental Problem Solving | 5 |
| ENVS 195B | Senior Thesis Group | 5 |
| ENVS 196 | Senior Seminar | 5 |
Comprehensive Requirement
The senior comprehensive may be satisfied by completing one of the options listed below. All courses used to satisfy the senior comprehensive requirement must be taken for a letter grade.
Before enrolling in the senior thesis or senior internship option, students must formally apply to work with a particular faculty mentor very early in their thesis or project preparation. The senior thesis and senior internship option require careful planning, additional independent research, and at least a two-quarter commitment.
Students with advanced skills in one of the graduate focal areas may also take a graduate seminar by invitation from the instructor.
ENVS 190 is offered in the spring and summer.
Planners
The following are two sample academic plans for students pursuing the environmental studies B.A. major without a concentration. Plan One is for incoming frosh and Plan Two is for incoming transfer students.
Plan One for Incoming Frosh
| |
Fall |
Winter |
Spring |
| 1st (frosh) |
MATH 3 or AM 3 |
SOC/ANTH/PHIL
course |
ENVS 23 or
CHEM 1A |
| |
ENVS 25 |
|
| |
|
|
| 2nd (soph) |
ENVS 24 or BIOE 20C |
ENVS 100 & ENVS 100L* |
Upper-division ENVS |
| STAT 7 & STAT 7L |
|
|
| |
|
|
| 3rd (junior) |
Upper-division ENVS
(social science) |
Upper-division ENVS
(natural science) |
Upper-division ENVS |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| 4th (senior) |
Upper-division ENVS |
Upper-division ENVS |
Upper-division ENVS |
| |
|
Comprehensive
requirement |
| |
|
|
*This course is also offered in the spring term.
Students completing this major will have satisfied the SI, IN, PE-E, IS, and PR-E general education requirements. In addition, they will need to fulfill all remaining university, college, and general education requirements.
Students interested in taking the senior thesis or senior internship as their comprehensive requirement must take ENVS 195A (thesis) or ENVS 183A (internship) in the quarter before completing ENVS 195B (thesis) or ENVS 183B (internship). Both the senior thesis and senior internship are two consecutive quarter commitments.
Plan Two for Incoming Transfer Students
| |
Fall |
Winter |
Spring |
| 3rd (junior) |
STAT 7 & STAT 7L |
ENVS 100 & ENVS 100L* |
Upper-division ENVS |
| |
Upper-division ENVS |
Upper-division ENVS
(social science) |
| |
|
|
| 4th (senior) |
Upper-division ENVS |
Upper-division ENVS |
Comprehensive
requirement |
| Upper-division ENVS |
Upper-division ENVS
(natural science) |
|
| |
|
|
*This course is also offered in the spring term.
This planner assumes that a student has completed all required lower-division courses—including UCSC or community college general education requirements—with the exception of STAT 7 and STAT 7L, which is only offered at UC Santa Cruz.
Students interested in taking the senior thesis or senior internship as their comprehensive requirement must take ENVS 195A (thesis) or ENVS 183A (internship) in the quarter before completing ENVS 195B (thesis) or ENVS 183B (internship). Both the senior thesis and senior internship are two consecutive quarter commitments.
A transfer student who has completed the requirements for the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) before matriculating at UC Santa Cruz, with at most two course requirements left to complete, is allowed to satisfy IGETC in lieu of the UCSC general education requirements.
Geographic Information Systems Concentration
Course Requirements
Continuing students must complete all lower-division courses before taking ENVS 100 & ENVS 100L.
Lower-Division Courses
One of the following
| CHEM 1A | General Chemistry | 5 |
| ENVS 23 | The Physical and Chemical Environment | 5 |
Plus one of the following courses
Plus the following
| ENVS 25 | Environmental Policy and Economics | 5 |
Plus one of the following
One of the following
| AM 3 | Precalculus for the Social Sciences | 5 |
| AM 11A
/ECON 11A
| Mathematical Methods for Economists I | 5 |
| AM 11B
/ECON 11B
| Mathematical Methods for Economists II | 5 |
| MATH 3 | Precalculus | 5 |
| MATH 11A | Calculus with Applications | 5 |
| MATH 11B | Calculus with Applications | 5 |
| MATH 19A | Calculus for Science, Engineering, and Mathematics | 5 |
| MATH 19B | Calculus for Science, Engineering, and Mathematics | 5 |
| MATH 22 | Introduction to Calculus of Several Variables | 5 |
| MATH 23A | Vector Calculus | 5 |
Or take a placement exam
Take the Math Placement Exam (MPE) with a score of 300 or higher or take the AP Calculus exam with a score of 3 or higher
Plus all of the following
| STAT 7 | Statistical Methods for the Biological, Environmental, and Health Sciences | 5 |
| STAT 7L | Statistical Methods for the Biological, Environmental, and Health Sciences Laboratory | 2 |
Plus one introductory course in sociology, cultural anthropology, or ethics
Students choose one of the following introductory courses in sociology, cultural anthropology, or ethics:
| ANTH 2 | Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | 5 |
| BME 80G
/PHIL 80G
| Bioethics in the 21st Century: Science, Business, and Society | 5 |
| PHIL 22 | Introduction to Ethical Theory | 5 |
| PHIL 24 | Introduction to Ethics: Contemporary Moral Issues | 5 |
| PHIL 28 | Environmental Ethics | 5 |
| SOCY 1 | Introduction to Sociology | 5 |
| SOCY 10 | Issues and Problems in American Society | 5 |
| SOCY 15 | World Society | 5 |
Upper-Division Courses
Students are required to complete the following upper-division courses:
All of the following
Environmental studies core course, offered twice yearly during the winter and spring quarters
Plus all of the following
| ENVS 115A | Geographic Information Systems and Environmental Applications | 5 |
| ENVS 115L | Exercises in Geographic Information Systems | 2 |
| ENVS 115B | Intermediate Geographic Information Systems (GIS) | 5 |
| ENVS 115C | Advanced Geographic Information Systems | 5 |
Electives
Four upper-division electives (environmental studies courses numbered ENVS 101 through ENVS 179).
One course must be from the list below of upper-division courses based on natural sciences, and one course must be from the list below of upper-division courses based on the social sciences.
Lecture and lab combinations count as a single course.
A list of all courses offered by the Environmental Studies Department is available in the courses section of the catalog. A list of which upper-division courses offered in the current year by the Environmental Studies Department are based in the natural sciences and which in the social sciences is available on the department website.
In addition to coursework, it is strongly recommended that students complete at least one internship related to GIS applications environmental problem-solving (either upper- or lower-division).
Courses based on natural sciences
| ENVS 104A | Introduction to Environmental Field Methods | 5 |
| ENVS 104L | Field Methods Laboratory | 2 |
| ENVS 106A | Natural History of Birds | 5 |
| ENVS 107A | Natural History Field Quarter | 5 |
| ENVS 107B | Natural History Field Quarter | 5 |
| ENVS 107C | Natural History Field Quarter | 5 |
| ENVS 108 | General Entomology | 5 |
| ENVS 108L | General Entomology Laboratory | 3 |
| BIOE 151A
/ENVS 109A
| Ecology and Conservation in Practice Supercourse: Ecological Field Methods | 5 |
| BIOE 151B
/ENVS 109B
| Ecology and Conservation in Practice Supercourse: Ecological Field Methods Laboratory | 5 |
| BIOE 151C
/ENVS 109C
| Ecology and Conservation in Practice Supercourse: Functions and Processes of Terrestrial Ecosystems | 5 |
| BIOE 151D
/ENVS 109D
| Ecology and Conservation in Practice Supercourse: Conservation in Practice | 4 |
| ENVS 120 | Conservation Biology | 5 |
| ENVS 121 | Landscape Ecology | 5 |
| ENVS 122 | Tropical Ecology and Conservation | 5 |
| ENVS 123 | Animal Ecology and Conservation | 5 |
| BIOE 125
/ENVS 125
| Ecosystems of California | 5 |
| ENVS 129 | Integrated Pest Management | 5 |
| ENVS 129L | Integrated Pest Management Laboratory | 2 |
| ENVS 130A | Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture | 5 |
| ENVS 130L | Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture Laboratory | 2 |
| ENVS 130C | Field Experiences in Agroecology and Sustainable Food | 5 |
| ENVS 131 | Insect Ecology | 5 |
| ENVS 133 | Agroecology Practicum | 5 |
| ENVS 138 | Field Ethnobotany | 5 |
| ENVS 160 | Restoration Ecology | 5 |
| ENVS 161A | Soils and Plant Nutrition | 5 |
| ENVS 162 | Plant Physiological Ecology | 5 |
| ENVS 162L | Plant Physiological Ecology Laboratory | 2 |
| ENVS 163 | Plant Disease Ecology | 5 |
| ENVS 163L | Plant Disease Ecology Lab | 2 |
| ENVS 164 | Projects and Practices in Soil Ecology | 5 |
| ENVS 166 | Agroecosystem Analysis and Watershed Management | 5 |
| ENVS 167 | Freshwater and Wetland Ecology | 5 |
| ENVS 167L | Freshwater and Wetland Ecology Lab | 2 |
| ENVS 168 | Biogeochemistry and the Global Environment | 5 |
| ENVS 169 | Climate Change Ecology | 5 |
| ENVS 170 | Agriculture and Climate Change | 5 |
Courses based on the social sciences
| ENVS 110 | Institutions, the Environment, and Economic Systems | 5 |
| ENVS 130B | Justice and Sustainability in Agriculture | 5 |
| ENVS 140 | National Environmental Policy | 5 |
| ENVS 141 | Ecological Economics | 5 |
| ENVS 143 | Sustainable Development: Economy, Policy, and Environment | 5 |
| ENVS 144
/POLI 179
| Global Climate Change Politics | 5 |
| ENVS 145 | Green Cities | 5 |
| ENVS 146 | Water Quality: Policy, Regulation, and Management | 5 |
| ENVS 147 | Environmental Inequality/Environmental Justice | 5 |
| ENVS 149
/LGST 149
| Environmental Law and Policy | 5 |
| ENVS 150 | Coastal and Marine Policy | 5 |
| ENVS 151 | Environmental Assessment | 5 |
| ENVS 152
/POLI 170
| International Environmental Politics | 5 |
| ENVS 153
/POLI 162
| Globalization and the Environment: Trade Complements and Conflicts | 5 |
| ENVS 154 | Amazonian Cultures and Conservation | 5 |
| ENVS 158 | Political Ecology and Social Change | 5 |
| ENVS 165 | Sustainable Water Systems | 5 |
| ENVS 172 | Environmental Risks and Public Policy | 5 |
| ENVS 173 | An Introduction to World Environmental History | 5 |
| ENVS 176 | Vulnerability, Complex Systems, and Disasters | 5 |
Disciplinary Communication (DC) Requirement
Students of every major must satisfy that major's upper-division Disciplinary Communication (DC) requirement. A primary goal of the environmental studies major is to train students who are able to critically analyze interdisciplinary environmental problems, justify their position on an issue, and communicate that position to a range of audiences verbally and in writing.
The DC requirement in environmental studies is satisfied by completing
Plus one of the following
Comprehensive Requirement
The senior comprehensive may be satisfied by completing one of the options listed below. All courses used to satisfy the senior comprehensive requirement must be taken for a letter grade. The topic engaged in the senior comprehensive courses must be relevant to the field of Geographic Information Systems. The relevance of the topic will be reviewed by the instructor of the senior comprehensive course.
Before enrolling in the senior thesis or senior internship option, students must formally apply to work with a particular faculty mentor very early in their thesis or project preparation. The senior thesis and senior internship options require careful planning, additional independent research, and at least a two-quarter commitment. The topic must be related to geographic information systems.
ENVS 196 must be a topic related to geographic information systems
Planners
The following are two sample academic plans for students pursuing the environmental studies B.A. major with a concentration in geographic information systems. Plan One is for incoming frosh and Plan Two is for incoming transfer students.
Plan One for Incoming Frosh
*This course is also offered in the spring term.
This planner assumes that a student has placed into MATH 3 or AM 3.
Students completing this major will have satisfied SI, IN, PE-E, IS, and PR-E general education requirements. In addition, they will need to fulfill all remaining university, college, and general education requirements.
Students interested in taking the senior thesis or senior internship as their comprehensive requirement must take ENVS 195A (thesis) or ENVS 183A (internship) in the quarter before completing ENVS 195B (thesis) or ENVS 183B (internship). Both the senior thesis and senior internship are two consecutive quarter commitments.
Plan Two for Incoming Transfer Students
*This course is also offered in the spring term.
This planner assumes that a student has completed all required lower division courses—including UCSC or community college General Education requirements—with the exception of STAT 7 & STAT 7L, which is only offered at UC Santa Cruz.
Students interested in taking the senior thesis or senior internship as their comprehensive requirement must take ENVS 195A (thesis) or ENVS 183A (internship) in the quarter before completing ENVS 195B (thesis) or ENVS 183B (internship). Both the senior thesis and senior internship are two consecutive quarter commitments.
A transfer student who has completed the requirements for the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) before matriculating at UC Santa Cruz, with at most two course requirements left to complete, is allowed to satisfy IGETC in lieu of the UCSC general education requirements.
Global Environmental Justice Concentration
Course Requirements
Continuing students must complete all lower-division courses before taking ENVS 100 & ENVS 100L.
Lower-Division Courses
One of the following
| CHEM 1A | General Chemistry | 5 |
| ENVS 23 | The Physical and Chemical Environment | 5 |
Plus one of the following courses
Plus the following
| ENVS 25 | Environmental Policy and Economics | 5 |
Plus one of the following
One of the following
| AM 3 | Precalculus for the Social Sciences | 5 |
| AM 11A
/ECON 11A
| Mathematical Methods for Economists I | 5 |
| AM 11B
/ECON 11B
| Mathematical Methods for Economists II | 5 |
| MATH 3 | Precalculus | 5 |
| MATH 11A | Calculus with Applications | 5 |
| MATH 11B | Calculus with Applications | 5 |
| MATH 19A | Calculus for Science, Engineering, and Mathematics | 5 |
| MATH 19B | Calculus for Science, Engineering, and Mathematics | 5 |
| MATH 22 | Introduction to Calculus of Several Variables | 5 |
| MATH 23A | Vector Calculus | 5 |
Or take a placement exam
Take the Math Placement Exam (MPE) with a score of 300 or higher or take the AP Calculus exam with a score of 3 or higher
Plus all of the following
| STAT 7 | Statistical Methods for the Biological, Environmental, and Health Sciences | 5 |
| STAT 7L | Statistical Methods for the Biological, Environmental, and Health Sciences Laboratory | 2 |
Plus one introductory course in sociology, cultural anthropology, or ethics
Students choose one of the following introductory courses in sociology, cultural anthropology, or ethics:
| ANTH 2 | Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | 5 |
| BME 80G
/PHIL 80G
| Bioethics in the 21st Century: Science, Business, and Society | 5 |
| PHIL 22 | Introduction to Ethical Theory | 5 |
| PHIL 24 | Introduction to Ethics: Contemporary Moral Issues | 5 |
| PHIL 28 | Environmental Ethics | 5 |
| SOCY 1 | Introduction to Sociology | 5 |
| SOCY 10 | Issues and Problems in American Society | 5 |
| SOCY 15 | World Society | 5 |
Upper-Division Courses
Students are required to complete the following upper-division courses:
All of the following
Environmental studies core course, offered twice yearly during the winter and spring quarters
Plus one of the following
| ENVS 147 | Environmental Inequality/Environmental Justice | 5 |
| ENVS 172 | Environmental Risks and Public Policy | 5 |
Plus one of the following
| ENVS 158 | Political Ecology and Social Change | 5 |
| ENVS 173 | An Introduction to World Environmental History | 5 |
Plus two of the following
No duplicate courses from lists above.
| ENVS 130B | Justice and Sustainability in Agriculture | 5 |
| ENVS 140 | National Environmental Policy | 5 |
| ENVS 143 | Sustainable Development: Economy, Policy, and Environment | 5 |
| ENVS 147 | Environmental Inequality/Environmental Justice | 5 |
| ENVS 154 | Amazonian Cultures and Conservation | 5 |
| ENVS 158 | Political Ecology and Social Change | 5 |
| ENVS 172 | Environmental Risks and Public Policy | 5 |
| ENVS 173 | An Introduction to World Environmental History | 5 |
| ENVS 176 | Vulnerability, Complex Systems, and Disasters | 5 |
| CLTE 135 | Apprenticeship in Community Engaged Research | 5 |
| SOCY 185 | Environmental Inequality | 5 |
Electives
Three upper-division electives (environmental studies courses numbered ENVS 101 – ENVS 179).
One course must be from the list below of upper division courses based on natural sciences.
Lecture and lab combinations count as a single course.
A list of all courses offered by the Environmental Studies Department is available in the courses section of the catalog. A list of which upper-division courses offered in the current year by the Environmental Studies Department are based in the natural sciences and which in the social sciences is available on the department website.
Courses based on natural sciences
| ENVS 104A | Introduction to Environmental Field Methods | 5 |
| ENVS 104L | Field Methods Laboratory | 2 |
| ENVS 106A | Natural History of Birds | 5 |
| ENVS 107A | Natural History Field Quarter | 5 |
| ENVS 107B | Natural History Field Quarter | 5 |
| ENVS 107C | Natural History Field Quarter | 5 |
| ENVS 108 | General Entomology | 5 |
| ENVS 108L | General Entomology Laboratory | 3 |
| BIOE 151A
/ENVS 109A
| Ecology and Conservation in Practice Supercourse: Ecological Field Methods | 5 |
| BIOE 151B
/ENVS 109B
| Ecology and Conservation in Practice Supercourse: Ecological Field Methods Laboratory | 5 |
| BIOE 151C
/ENVS 109C
| Ecology and Conservation in Practice Supercourse: Functions and Processes of Terrestrial Ecosystems | 5 |
| BIOE 151D
/ENVS 109D
| Ecology and Conservation in Practice Supercourse: Conservation in Practice | 4 |
| ENVS 120 | Conservation Biology | 5 |
| ENVS 121 | Landscape Ecology | 5 |
| ENVS 122 | Tropical Ecology and Conservation | 5 |
| ENVS 123 | Animal Ecology and Conservation | 5 |
| BIOE 125
/ENVS 125
| Ecosystems of California | 5 |
| ENVS 129 | Integrated Pest Management | 5 |
| ENVS 129L | Integrated Pest Management Laboratory | 2 |
| ENVS 130A | Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture | 5 |
| ENVS 130L | Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture Laboratory | 2 |
| ENVS 130C | Field Experiences in Agroecology and Sustainable Food | 5 |
| ENVS 131 | Insect Ecology | 5 |
| ENVS 133 | Agroecology Practicum | 5 |
| ENVS 138 | Field Ethnobotany | 5 |
| ENVS 160 | Restoration Ecology | 5 |
| ENVS 161A | Soils and Plant Nutrition | 5 |
| ENVS 162 | Plant Physiological Ecology | 5 |
| ENVS 162L | Plant Physiological Ecology Laboratory | 2 |
| ENVS 163 | Plant Disease Ecology | 5 |
| ENVS 163L | Plant Disease Ecology Lab | 2 |
| ENVS 164 | Projects and Practices in Soil Ecology | 5 |
| ENVS 166 | Agroecosystem Analysis and Watershed Management | 5 |
| ENVS 167 | Freshwater and Wetland Ecology | 5 |
| ENVS 167L | Freshwater and Wetland Ecology Lab | 2 |
| ENVS 168 | Biogeochemistry and the Global Environment | 5 |
| ENVS 169 | Climate Change Ecology | 5 |
| ENVS 170 | Agriculture and Climate Change | 5 |
Disciplinary Communication (DC) Requirement
Students of every major must satisfy that major's upper-division Disciplinary Communication (DC) requirement. A primary goal of the environmental studies major is to train students who are able to critically analyze interdisciplinary environmental problems, justify their position on an issue, and communicate that position to a range of audiences verbally and in writing.
The DC requirement in environmental studies is satisfied by completing
Plus one of the following
Comprehensive Requirement
The senior comprehensive may be satisfied by completing one of the options listed below. All courses used to satisfy the senior comprehensive requirement must be taken for a letter grade. The topic engaged in the senior comprehensive courses must be relevant to the field of global environmental justice.
Before enrolling in the senior thesis or senior internship option, students must formally apply to work with a particular faculty mentor very early in their thesis or project preparation. The senior thesis and senior internship options require careful planning, additional independent research, and at least a two-quarter commitment. The topic must be related to global environmental justice.
ENVS 196 must be a topic related to global environmental justice.
Planners
The following are two sample academic plans for students pursuing the environmental studies B.A. major with a concentration in global environmental justice. Plan One is for incoming frosh and Plan Two is for incoming transfer students.
Plan One for Incoming Frosh
*This course is also offered in the spring term.
Students completing this major will have satisfied SI, IN, PE-E, IS, IN, and PR-E general education requirements. In addition, they will need to fulfill all remaining university, college, and general education requirements.
Students interested in taking the senior thesis or senior internship as their comprehensive requirement must take ENVS 195A (thesis) or ENVS 183A (internship) in the quarter before completing ENVS 195B (thesis) or ENVS 183B (internship). Both the senior thesis and senior internship are two consecutive quarter commitments.
Plan Two for Incoming Transfer Students
| |
Fall |
Winter |
Spring |
| 1st (junior) |
STAT 7 & STAT 7L |
ENVS 100 & ENVS 100L* |
ENVS upper-division
(concentration elective) |
|
ENVS 147
or ENVS 172 |
|
| |
|
|
2nd (senior)
|
ENVS 158
or ENVS 173 |
ENVS upper-division
(concentration elective) |
ENVS upper-division |
ENVS upper-division
(natural science) |
ENVS upper-division |
Comprehensive
requirement |
| |
|
|
*This course is also offered in the spring term.
This planner assumes that a student has completed all required lower division courses—including UCSC or community college general education requirements—with the exception of STAT 7 & STAT 7L, which is only offered at UC Santa Cruz.
Students interested in taking the senior thesis or senior internship as their comprehensive requirement must take ENVS 195A (thesis) or ENVS 183A (internship) in the quarter before completing ENVS 195B (thesis) or ENVS 183B (internship). Both the senior thesis and senior internship are two consecutive quarter commitments.
A transfer student who has completed the requirements for the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) before matriculating at UC Santa Cruz, with at most two course requirements left to complete, is allowed to satisfy IGETC in lieu of the UCSC general education requirements.
Conservation Science and Policy Concentration
Course Requirements
Continuing students are required to complete all six lower-division courses before taking ENVS 100 & ENVS 100L. Five of the lower-division courses are preset and are listed below. See the course descriptions for more specific information.
Lower-Division Courses
One of the following
| CHEM 1A | General Chemistry | 5 |
| ENVS 23 | The Physical and Chemical Environment | 5 |
Plus one of the following courses
Plus the following
| ENVS 25 | Environmental Policy and Economics | 5 |
Plus one of the following
One of the following
| AM 3 | Precalculus for the Social Sciences | 5 |
| AM 11A
/ECON 11A
| Mathematical Methods for Economists I | 5 |
| AM 11B
/ECON 11B
| Mathematical Methods for Economists II | 5 |
| MATH 3 | Precalculus | 5 |
| MATH 11A | Calculus with Applications | 5 |
| MATH 11B | Calculus with Applications | 5 |
| MATH 19A | Calculus for Science, Engineering, and Mathematics | 5 |
| MATH 19B | Calculus for Science, Engineering, and Mathematics | 5 |
| MATH 22 | Introduction to Calculus of Several Variables | 5 |
| MATH 23A | Vector Calculus | 5 |
Or take a placement exam
Take the Math Placement Exam (MPE) with a score of 300 or higher or take the AP Calculus exam with a score of 3 or higher
Plus all of the following
| STAT 7 | Statistical Methods for the Biological, Environmental, and Health Sciences | 5 |
| STAT 7L | Statistical Methods for the Biological, Environmental, and Health Sciences Laboratory | 2 |
Plus one introductory course in sociology, cultural anthropology, or ethics
Students choose one of the following introductory courses in sociology, cultural anthropology, or ethics:
| ANTH 2 | Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | 5 |
| BME 80G
/PHIL 80G
| Bioethics in the 21st Century: Science, Business, and Society | 5 |
| PHIL 22 | Introduction to Ethical Theory | 5 |
| PHIL 24 | Introduction to Ethics: Contemporary Moral Issues | 5 |
| PHIL 28 | Environmental Ethics | 5 |
| SOCY 1 | Introduction to Sociology | 5 |
| SOCY 10 | Issues and Problems in American Society | 5 |
| SOCY 15 | World Society | 5 |
Upper-Division Courses
Students are required to complete the following upper-division courses:
All of the following
Environmental studies core course, offered twice yearly during the winter and spring quarters
Plus one of the following
Plus one of the following
Plus two of the following
No duplicate courses from lists above.
Lecture/lab combinations count as a single course.
| ENVS 110 | Institutions, the Environment, and Economic Systems | 5 |
| ENVS 115A | Geographic Information Systems and Environmental Applications | 5 |
| ENVS 115L | Exercises in Geographic Information Systems | 2 |
| ENVS 120 | Conservation Biology | 5 |
| ENVS 121 | Landscape Ecology | 5 |
| ENVS 122 | Tropical Ecology and Conservation | 5 |
| ENVS 123 | Animal Ecology and Conservation | 5 |
| ENVS 140 | National Environmental Policy | 5 |
| ENVS 141 | Ecological Economics | 5 |
| ENVS 146 | Water Quality: Policy, Regulation, and Management | 5 |
| ENVS 149
/LGST 149
| Environmental Law and Policy | 5 |
| ENVS 150 | Coastal and Marine Policy | 5 |
| ENVS 151 | Environmental Assessment | 5 |
| ENVS 160 | Restoration Ecology | 5 |
| ENVS 165 | Sustainable Water Systems | 5 |
| ENVS 167 | Freshwater and Wetland Ecology | 5 |
Field course
One of the following options:
One of the following field courses
| ENVS 104A | Introduction to Environmental Field Methods | 5 |
| ENVS 104L | Field Methods Laboratory | 2 |
| ENVS 107A | Natural History Field Quarter | 5 |
| ENVS 107B | Natural History Field Quarter | 5 |
| ENVS 107C | Natural History Field Quarter | 5 |
| BIOE 114L | Field Methods in Herpetological Research | 2 |
| BIOE 128L | Large Marine Vertebrates Field Course | 5 |
| BIOE 141L | Behavioral Ecology Field Course | 5 |
| BIOE 145L | Field Methods in Plant Ecology | 5 |
| BIOE 150L | Ecological Field Methods Laboratory | 5 |
| BIOE 151A
/ENVS 109A
| Ecology and Conservation in Practice Supercourse: Ecological Field Methods | 5 |
| BIOE 151B
/ENVS 109B
| Ecology and Conservation in Practice Supercourse: Ecological Field Methods Laboratory | 5 |
| BIOE 151C
/ENVS 109C
| Ecology and Conservation in Practice Supercourse: Functions and Processes of Terrestrial Ecosystems | 5 |
| BIOE 151D
/ENVS 109D
| Ecology and Conservation in Practice Supercourse: Conservation in Practice | 4 |
| BIOE 161L | Kelp Forest Ecology Laboratory | 5 |
Or UCNRS field course
Or a University of California Natural Reserve System (UCNRS) California Ecology and Conservation Field Course
Electives
Two upper-division electives (environmental studies courses numbered ENVS 101 – ENVS 179).
Disciplinary Communication (DC) Requirement
Students of every major must satisfy that major's upper-division Disciplinary Communication (DC) requirement. A primary goal of the environmental studies major is to train students who are able to critically analyze interdisciplinary environmental problems, justify their position on an issue, and communicate that position to a range of audiences verbally and in writing.
The DC requirement in environmental studies is satisfied by completing
Plus one of the following
| BIOE 151B
/ENVS 109B
| Ecology and Conservation in Practice Supercourse: Ecological Field Methods Laboratory | 5 |
| ENVS 183B | Senior Internship | 5 |
| ENVS 190 | Capstone Course: Environmental Problem Solving | 5 |
| ENVS 195B | Senior Thesis Group | 5 |
| ENVS 196 | Senior Seminar | 5 |
Comprehensive Requirement
The senior comprehensive may be satisfied by completing one of the options listed below. All courses used to satisfy the senior comprehensive requirement must be taken for a letter grade. The topic engaged in senior comprehensive courses must be relevant to the field of conservation science and policy. The relevance of the topic will be reviewed by the instructor of the senior comprehensive course.
Before enrolling in the senior thesis or senior internship option, students must formally apply to work with a particular faculty mentor very early in their thesis or project preparation. These courses require careful planning, additional independent research, and at least a two-quarter commitment. The topic must be related to conservation science and policy.
ENVS 196 must be a topic related to conservation science and policy
Planners
The following are two sample academic plans for students pursuing the environmental studies B.A. major with a concentration in conservation science and policy. Plan One is for incoming frosh and Plan Two is for incoming transfer students.
Plan One for Incoming Frosh
*This course is also offered in the spring term.
Students completing this major will have satisfied SI, SR, IN, PE-E, IS, and PR-E general education requirements. In addition, they will need to fulfill all remaining university, college, and general education requirements.
Students interested in taking the senior thesis or senior internship as their comprehensive requirement must take ENVS 195A (thesis) or ENVS 183A (internship) in the quarter before completing ENVS 195B (thesis) or ENVS 183B (internship). Both the senior thesis and senior internship are two consecutive quarter commitments.
Plan Two for Incoming Transfer Students
| |
Fall |
Winter |
Spring |
| 1st (junior) |
STAT 7 & STAT 7L |
ENVS 100 & ENVS 100L* |
ENVS 140 or ENVS 150 |
| |
|
ENVS upper-division
(concentration elective) |
| |
|
|
2nd (senior)
|
ENVS 120 or ENVS 160 |
ENVS upper-division
(concentration elective) |
ENVS upper-division |
ENVS upper-division
(field course) |
ENVS upper-division |
Comprehensive
requirement |
| |
|
|
*This course is also offered in the spring term.
This planner assumes that a student has completed all required lower division courses—including UCSC or community college General Education requirements—with the exception of STAT 7 & STAT 7L, which is only offered at UC Santa Cruz.
Students interested in taking the senior thesis or senior internship as their comprehensive requirement must take ENVS 195A (thesis) or ENVS 183A (internship) in the quarter before completing ENVS 195B (thesis) or ENVS 183B (internship). Both the senior thesis and senior internship are two consecutive quarter commitments.
A transfer student who has completed the requirements for the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) before matriculating at UC Santa Cruz, with at most two course requirements left to complete, is allowed to satisfy IGETC in lieu of the UCSC general education requirements.