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 is 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 | Global 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
The tables below are for informational purposes and do not reflect all university, general education, and credit requirements. See Undergraduate Graduation Requirements for more information.
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.