Lower-Division Courses
Biology and mathematics courses may require placement examinations. See the course descriptions for prerequisite information.
All of the following courses
BIOL20A | Cell and Molecular Biology | 5 |
BIOE20B | Development and Physiology | 5 |
BIOE20C | Ecology and Evolution | 5 |
ENVS25 | Environmental Policy and Economics | 5 |
Plus one of the following
ANTH2 | Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | 5 |
PHIL22 | Introduction to Ethical Theory | 5 |
PHIL24 | Introduction to Ethics: Contemporary Moral Issues | 5 |
PHIL28 | Environmental Ethics | 5 |
BME80G
/PHIL 80G
| Bioethics in the 21st Century: Science, Business, and Society | 5 |
SOCY1 | Introduction to Sociology | 5 |
SOCY10 | Issues and Problems in American Society | 5 |
SOCY15 | World Society | 5 |
Plus one of the following
One of the following:
AM3 | Precalculus for the Social Sciences | 5 |
AM6 | Precalculus for Statistics | 5 |
MATH3 | Precalculus | 5 |
AM11A
/ECON 11A
| Mathematical Methods for Economists I | 5 |
AM11B
/ECON 11B
| Mathematical Methods for Economists II | 5 |
MATH11A | Calculus with Applications | 5 |
MATH11B | Calculus with Applications | 5 |
MATH19A | Calculus for Science, Engineering, and Mathematics | 5 |
MATH19B | Calculus for Science, Engineering, and Mathematics | 5 |
MATH22 | Introduction to Calculus of Several Variables | 5 |
MATH23A | 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
STAT7 | Statistical Methods for the Biological, Environmental, and Health Sciences | 5 |
STAT7L | Statistical Methods for the Biological, Environmental, and Health Sciences Laboratory | 2 |
Plus all of the following
Plus one of the following options in physics
Upper-Division Courses
Students are required to complete nine upper-division courses and the senior comprehensive requirement. Three of the nine upper-division courses must be the following courses (ENVS 100 and ENVS 100L is considered a single course).
Electives
The remaining six upper-division elective courses include three in ecology and evolutionary biology (ecology and evolutionary biology courses numbered BIOE 107-BIOE 188) and three in environmental studies (environmental studies courses numbered ENVS 101-ENVS 179).
One of the six electives must be a laboratory course; laboratory courses are upper-division courses in the BIOE course code that carry 5 credits and have a “L” in their course number.
Additionally, one of the three environmental studies courses electives must be based in the social sciences selected from the following upper-division courses:
ENVS110 | Institutions, the Environment, and Economic Systems | 5 |
ENVS130B | Justice and Sustainability in Agriculture | 5 |
ENVS140 | National Environmental Policy | 5 |
ENVS141 | Ecological Economics | 5 |
ENVS143 | Sustainable Development: Economy, Policy, and Environment | 5 |
ENVS145 | Green Cities | 5 |
ENVS146 | Water Quality: Policy, Regulation, and Management | 5 |
ENVS147 | Environmental Inequality/Environmental Justice | 5 |
ENVS149
/LGST 149
| Environmental Law and Policy | 5 |
ENVS150 | Coastal and Marine Policy | 5 |
ENVS151 | Environmental Assessment | 5 |
ENVS154 | Amazonian Cultures and Conservation | 5 |
ENVS158 | Political Ecology and Social Change | 5 |
ENVS165 | Sustainable Water Systems | 5 |
ENVS172 | Environmental Risks and Public Policy | 5 |
ENVS173 | An Introduction to World Environmental History | 5 |
ENVS176 | Vulnerability, Complex Systems, and Disasters | 5 |
A list of all courses offered by the Environmental Studies Department is available here. A list of which upper-division courses offered in the current year by the Environmental Studies Department are based in the natural sciences and in the social sciences is available here.
A list of the upper-division courses offered by the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department is available here.
Students wishing to pursue an advanced degree in the pure or applied sciences are strongly encouraged to complete the organic chemistry series as well.
These upper-division elective courses should be selected in pursuit of a coherent plan of study, chosen in consultation with faculty sponsors from both the Biological Sciences and Environmental Studies Departments. None of the three environmental studies upper-division courses can be an environmental studies internship, individual study, or substitution course.
Disciplinary Communication (DC) Requirement
Students of every major must satisfy that major's upper-division Disciplinary Communication (DC) requirement. The DC requirement for the environmental studies/biology combined major is satisfied by completing:
The DC requirement in environmental studies is satisfied by completing
ENVS100 | Ecology and Society | 3 |
ENVS100L | Ecology and Society Writing Laboratory | 5 |
Plus one of the following
Where two-credit lab courses have to be taken concurrently with a 5-credit lecture course, the combination counts as one course.
BIOE151B
/ENVS 109B
| Ecology and Conservation in Practice Supercourse: Ecological Field Methods Laboratory | 5 |
ENVS183B | Senior Internship | 5 |
ENVS190 | Capstone Course: Environmental Problem Solving | 5 |
ENVS195B | Senior Thesis Group | 5 |
ENVS196 | Senior Seminar | 5 |
BIOE108 | Marine Ecology | 5 |
BIOE114 | Herpetology | 5 |
BIOE114L | Field Methods in Herpetological Research | 2 |
BIOE120 | Marine Botany | 5 |
BIOE120L | Marine Botany Laboratory | 2 |
BIOE122 | Invertebrate Zoology | 5 |
BIOE122L | Invertebrate Zoology Laboratory | 2 |
BIOE127 | Ichthyology | 5 |
BIOE127L | Ichthyology Laboratory | 2 |
BIOE128L | Large Marine Vertebrates Field Course | 5 |
BIOE129 | Biology of Marine Mammals | 5 |
BIOE129L | Biology of Marine Mammals Laboratory | 2 |
BIOE137 | Molecular Ecology | 5 |
BIOE141L | Behavioral Ecology Field Course | 5 |
BIOE145 | Plant Ecology | 5 |
BIOE145L | Field Methods in Plant Ecology | 5 |
BIOE150 | Ecological Field Methods | 5 |
BIOE150L | Ecological Field Methods Laboratory | 5 |
BIOE151B
/ENVS 109B
| Ecology and Conservation in Practice Supercourse: Ecological Field Methods Laboratory | 5 |
BIOE153C | Disciplinary Communication for Biologists | 5 |
BIOE158L | Marine Ecology Laboratory | 5 |
BIOE159A | Marine Ecology Field Quarter: Marine Ecology with Laboratory | 5 |
BIOE161L | Kelp Forest Ecology Laboratory | 5 |
BIOE172 | Population Genetics | 5 |
BIOE172L | Population Genetics Laboratory | 2 |
Comprehensive Requirement
Students satisfy the senior comprehensive requirement by completing either:
- One of the options for environmental studies B.A. majors
- One of the approved internships, independent research or field course or a thesis, as specified for the biology B.A.
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.
The following are two sample academic plans for students pursuing the environmental studies/biology combine B.A. major. 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 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.
Plan Two for Incoming Transfer Students
|
Fall |
Winter |
Spring |
3rd (junior) |
STAT 7 & STAT 7L |
ENVS 100 & ENVS 100L* |
Upper-division ENVS
|
|
BIOL 105
|
BIOE 109
|
|
|
|
4th (senior) |
Upper-division ENVS
(social sciences) |
Upper-division ENVS |
Upper-division BIOE |
Upper-division BIOE |
Upper-division BIOE |
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 and STAT 7L, which is only offered at UC Santa Cruz.
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.
Plan One for Incoming Frosh
|
Fall |
Winter |
Spring |
1st (frosh) |
MATH 3 or AM3
|
SOC/ANTH/ethics
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.