Lower-Division Courses
Biology and mathematics courses may require placement examinations. See the course descriptions for prerequisite information.
All of the following courses
Plus one of the following
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 |
SOCY 1 | Introduction to Sociology | 5 |
SOCY 10 | Issues and Problems in American Society | 5 |
SOCY 15 | World Society | 5 |
Plus one of the following
One of the following:
AM 3 | Precalculus for the Social Sciences | 5 |
AM 6 | Precalculus for Statistics | 5 |
MATH 3 | Precalculus | 5 |
AM 11A
/ECON 11A
| Mathematical Methods for Economists I | 5 |
AM 11B
/ECON 11B
| Mathematical Methods for Economists II | 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 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 BIOE or ENVS 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:
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 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 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 |
One lab-based course
One of the six electives must be a laboratory course; laboratory courses are upper-division courses in BIOE or ENVS that carry 5 credits and have a “L” in their course number. In order to fulfill the lab-based requirement students must take the lecture and lab. Students must take the concurrent lecture and lab of one of the following:
BIOE 112L | Ornithology Field Studies | 2 |
BIOE 117L | Systematic Botany of Flowering Plants Laboratory | 2 |
BIOE 120L | Marine Botany Laboratory | 2 |
BIOE 122L | Invertebrate Zoology Laboratory | 2 |
BIOE 124L | Mammalogy Laboratory | 2 |
BIOE 127L | Ichthyology Laboratory | 2 |
BIOE 128L | Large Marine Vertebrates Field Course | 5 |
BIOE 129L | Biology of Marine Mammals Laboratory | 2 |
BIOE 131L | Animal Physiology Laboratory | 2 |
BIOE 133L | Exercise Physiology Laboratory | 2 |
BIOE 134L | Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy Laboratory | 2 |
BIOE 135L | Plant Physiology Laboratory | 2 |
BIOE 137L | Molecular Ecology Laboratory | 2 |
BIOE 141L | Behavioral Ecology Field Course | 5 |
BIOE 145L | Field Methods in Plant Ecology | 5 |
BIOE 150L | Ecological Field Methods Laboratory | 5 |
BIOE 151B
/ENVS 109B
| Ecology and Conservation in Practice Supercourse: Ecological Field Methods Laboratory | 5 |
BIOE 159D | Marine Ecology Field Quarter: Methods in Field Ecology Laboratory | 5 |
BIOE 161L | Kelp Forest Ecology Laboratory | 5 |
BIOE 163L | Ecology of Reefs, Mangroves, and Seagrasses Laboratory | 2 |
ENVS 104L | Field Methods Laboratory | 2 |
ENVS 108L | General Entomology Laboratory | 3 |
ENVS 115L | Exercises in Geographic Information Systems | 2 |
ENVS 129L | Integrated Pest Management Laboratory | 2 |
ENVS 130L | Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture Laboratory | 2 |
ENVS 162L | Plant Physiological Ecology Laboratory | 2 |
ENVS 163L | Plant Disease Ecology Lab | 2 |
ENVS 167L | Freshwater and Wetland Ecology Lab | 2 |
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 in the social sciences is available on the department website.
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/biology combined is satisfied by completing
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.
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.
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/biology combined 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.
This plan does not explicitly show the required lab course among the ENVS or BIOE electives.
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 |
|
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 |
|
PHYS 1 |
|
*This course is also offered in the spring term.
This plan does not include the required lab based course. Students must complete the lab-based requirement with the courses listed in the course requirements.
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.