Environmental Studies

405 Interdisciplinary Sciences Building
(831) 459-2634
http://envs.ucsc.edu

Program Description

The environmental studies major prepares students for meaningful lifetime engagement with the major environmental challenges facing society. A degree in environmental studies prepares students for increasingly diverse career opportunities in the private sector, at all levels of government, and in non-governmental organizations. UCSC environmental studies graduates hold leadership positions as legislative and policy analysts, environmental management officials, educators, restoration ecologists, conservation and field biologists, museum curators, business consultants, and political organizers. In addition, many graduates obtain professional, master’s, or doctoral degrees in the country’s top ecology programs, law schools, public policy schools, and related disciplines.

In addition to the environmental studies major, students can elect one of three combined majors: one with biology, one with Earth sciences, and one with economics.

Students pursue an interdisciplinary curriculum that combines course work in ecology and the social sciences. The fundamentals of environmental studies are offered through introductory courses on the ecological and political-economic aspects of environmental issues and through the core course, Environmental Studies 100/L, Ecology and Society. Upper-division areas of concentration have interdisciplinary curricula that draw on both ecology and the social sciences. The program emphasizes the integration of ecological knowledge with an understanding of social institutions and policies in ways that support the conservation of biodiversity, the practice of sustainable agriculture, and the careful management of other ecological and environmental systems. The faculty work on these issues at local, regional, and global levels. Current faculty research focuses on Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico, Malawi, China, India, the Middle East, California, and the Monterey Bay region.

As a complement to classroom instruction and research, many courses have field components. The Environmental Studies Field and Internship Program helps qualified students find placements with government and educational agencies, community organizations, and private firms. In addition, students are encouraged to participate in faculty-directed research on specific problems. Environmental studies courses complement most majors on campus, and students from other majors are encouraged to take courses that are relevant to their interests.

Requirements for the Major

Prerequisites for the Single Major

Continuing UCSC students are required to complete the following six prerequisite courses before taking Environmental Studies 100/L. TheFive of the prerequisites courses are preset and are listed below. See the course descriptions for more specific information.

Environmental Studies 23, The Physical and Chemical Environment . Offered in spring quarter.

Environmental Studies 24, General Ecology. Offered in fall and summer quarters.

Environmental Studies 25, Political Economy and the Environment. Environmental Policy and Economics. Offered in winter and summer quarters

Applied Mathematics and Statistics 3, Precalculus for Science and Engineering

Mathematics 3 Precalculus, a score of 3 or higher on the College Board AP calculus exam, or equivalent. Check the catalog for the quarters offered.

Applied Math and Statistics 7/L, Statistical Methods for the Biological and Environmental Studies or Economics 113, Introduction to Econometrics. Check the catalog for the quarters offered and for prerequisite courses .

One In addition, students choose one introductory course from the list that follows, covering national identities, culture, cultural diversity, social interactions, social change, or ethical issues:

Anthropology 2, Introduction to Cultural Anthropology

Sociology 1, Introduction to Sociology

Sociology 15, World Society

Philosophy 21, Wilderness Studies

Philosophy 22, Introduction to Ethical Theory

Philosophy 24, Introduction to Ethics: Contemporary Moral Issues

Philosophy 28, Environmental Ethics

Philosophy 80G, Bioethics in the 21st Century:Science, Business, and Society

Transfer Students

Students transferring to UCSC should fulfill the lower-division prerequisites for the major by completing equivalent courses, with a grade of C or better, at another recognized institution before transferring to UCSC. The prerequisite in the physical and chemical environment (course 23) may be satisfied by completing a college-level introductory chemistry course if no course equivalent to course 23 is available. Two courses-one in politics, one in economics-are required to satisfy the political economy and the environment (course 25) prerequisite. Courses 24 and 25 are offered during Summer Session at UCSC, and transfer students are encouraged to take them. If you are transferring, compare catalog descriptions, consult your current institution's adviser, and refer to the ASSIST web site, www.assist.org , to determine equivalency.

Upper-Division Requirements

Students are required to complete nine upper-division courses:

Environmental Studies 100/L, Ecology and Society
seven upper-division electives
senior comprehensive requirement (see below)

Comprehensive Requirement

The senior comprehensive may be satisfied by completing one of the courses listed below. Before enrolling in a senior thesis or senior internship option, students must formally apply to a faculty mentor by the last quarter of their junior year. These courses require careful planning and additional independent research. Students with advanced skills in one of the graduate focal areas can also take a graduate seminar (courses 210, 220, 230, or 240) by invitation from the instructor.

Environmental Studies 183B, Senior Internship

Environmental Studies 190, Capstone Course: Environment and Culture Environmental Problem Solving

Environmental Studies 195A or 195B, Senior Thesis

Environmental Studies 196 (one course from the series), Senior Seminar

Major Disqualification Policy

The Environmental Studies Department considers courses 23, 24, 25, and 100/L to be the core of the program. Students who have failed two of these courses will be disqualified from the major and barred from enrollment in all upper-division environmental studies courses. Students who have failed the same course (of these four core courses) twice will likewise be barred from enrollment in all upper-division courses. Students who have failed course 100/L may be admitted to upper-division courses by exception only; they must present their case in writing to the department chair in order to be allowed to remain enrolled in any upper-division environmental studies courses in which they have advance enrolled. The department also reserves the right to disqualify from the major students who fail three or more upper-division environmental studies elective courses.

Students who feel that there were extenuating circumstances surrounding their failure of a course for the second time may appeal their disqualification within the appeal period by submitting a letter to the chair of the Environmental Studies Department. This appeal must be filed no later than 15 days from the date the disqualification notification was mailed, or the 10th day of classes in the quarter of their disqualification, whichever is later. The department will subsequently notify the student, the college, and the Office of the Registrar of the decision no later than 15 days after the filing of the appeal.

Requirements for the Combined Majors

Environmental Studies/Biology

This course of study provides students with the basic tools of biological science and sufficient understanding of resource conservation, conservation biology, and concerns about environmental sustainability to apply these tools to environmental problems.

Prerequisites

Biology, chemistry and mathematics courses may require placement exams. See course descriptions for prerequisite information.

Biology 20A, and 20B, and 20C

Environmental Studies 24 (or Biology 20C or 150)

Environmental Studies 25

Anthropology 2 or Philosophy 21, 22, 24, 28, or 80G or

Sociology 1 or 15

Precalculus (Applied Mathematics and Statistics 3, Mathematics 3, or a score on the math placement exam or the College Board AP calculus exam sufficient to be placed into calculus)

Applied Mathematics and Statistics 7 and 7L

Chemistry 1A, 1B/M, and 1C/N and 108A/L and 108B/M

Two courses in physics or computer science, either Physics 7A/L and 7B/M or two courses from Computer Science 12A, 12B, 60G or 60N, 80B, and 80G.

Upper-Division Requirements

Students are required to complete eight nine upper-division courses and the comprehensive requirement listed below.

Environmental Studies 100/L

Biology 105

Biology 175, or Chemistry 108A/L and 108 B/M

Six upper-division courses, three in biology and three in environmental studies. One of the six must be a laboratory course, and one of the three environmental studies courses should be based in the social sciences.

These upper-division courses should be selected in pursuit of a coherent plan of study, such as agroecology-botany, conservation biology-zoology, resource management-ecology, environmental education-animal behavior, or environmental policy-marine studies, among others.

Comprehensive Requirement

Students satisfy the senior comprehensive requirement by completing the following:

• for environmental studies, one of the options for environmental studies majors (see Comprehensive Requirement above);
• for biological sciences, one of the options for biology (see Comprehensive Requirement under Biological Sciences).

Declaration Process for the Environmental Studies/Biology Combined Major

Students must complete the following prerequisites before declaring the environmental studies/biology combined major: precalculus (Mathematics 3 or a score on the math placement exam sufficient to be placed into calculus), general chemistry (Chemistry 1A, 1B/M, and 1C/N), organic chemistry (Chemistry 108A/L and 108B/M), and introductory biology with lab (Biology 20A, 20B, and 20L 20C ). Biology 20C is not required for this combined major. See the Biological Sciences section of this catalog for more information.

Disqualification Policy for the Environmental Studies/Biology Combined Major

All environmental studies/biology combined majors are covered by the biology and environmental studies major disqualification policies, which limit the number of times a student may receive a No Pass, D, and/or F in the introductory biology sequence and the environmental studies core courses and still remain a combined major, and which also limit the number of times a student may receive a No Pass, D, and/or F in upper-division biology and environmental studies courses. Students should refer to the Biological Sciences section (page 148) and the Major Disqualification Policy section above for more information.

Environmental Studies/Earth Sciences

This course of study provides students with the basic tools of Earth sciences and environmental studies needed to address environmental problems.

Lower-Division Requirements

Applied Mathematics and Statistics 7 and 7L

Mathematics 11A-B (or 19A-B)

Chemistry 1A, 1B/M, and 1C/N

Physics 6A/L and 6B/M (or 5A/L and 5B/M)

Earth Sciences 20/L (or 5/L or 10/L)

Environmental Studies 24 and 25

Anthropology 2 or Philosophy 21, 22, 24, 28, or 80G or

Sociology 1 or 15.

Upper-Division Requirements

Earth Sciences 110A/L, 110B/M, or 110C/N

Environmental Studies 100/L

Three additional upper-division environmental studies courses, including at least one course based in the social sciences

Three additional upper-division Earth sciences courses

The upper-division courses should be selected in pursuit of a coherent plan of study, such as water policy-hydrology, restoration ecology-geochemistry, agroecology-soil physical processes, or environmental policy-climate change, among others, in consultation with faculty from both the Environmental Studies and Earth Sciences Departments.

Comprehensive Requirement

Students satisfy their senior comprehensive requirement in environmental studies or Earth sciences by completing one of the following:

Environmental Studies 190

A 196-series course

A 183B senior internship, concurrent enrollment in course 183 is required

Earth Sciences 188A-B

A senior thesis with faculty readers from both departments and enrollment in Environmental Studies 195A or 195B or Earth Sciences 195.

Environmental Studies/Economics

This major provides students with the basic tools of economic analysis and an understanding of the mechanics of resource production, conservation, and use, in both ecological and economic terms.

Lower-Division Requirements

Economics 1, 2, 11A, 11B

Environmental Studies 23, 24, 25

Anthropology 2 or Philosophy 21, 22, 24, 28, or 80G or

Sociology 1 or 15.

Upper-Division Requirements

Economics 100A

Economics 113

Environmental Studies 100/L

Six elective courses from the following, with at least three courses from each discipline:

Economics 100B, 120, 134, 140, 150, 152, 153, 160, 169, 170, 175, and 189

Environmental Studies 110, 115A, 120, 122, 123, 130A/L, 130B, 140, 141, 149, 151, 152, 156, 158, 160, 164, 165, and 172. One of the three environmental studies electives must be based in the natural sciences.

Comprehensive Requirement

Students satisfy the senior comprehensive requirement by completing the following:

• for environmental studies, one of the options for environmental studies majors (see Comprehensive Requirement above);
• for economics, pass those portions of the economics comprehensive examination administered in Economics 100A and 113.

Graduate Program

Human societies rest on an ecological foundation and are sustained by ecosystem processes, biological diversity, and genetic resources. Current threats to this foundation imperil societies' well-being, challenging us to maintain the integrity, diversity, and resilience of existing ecological and agricultural systems and of the human societies that depend on them. Environmental problems are among the most serious of current issues. As these problems become more acute, the challenge of harmonizing societies' environmental practices and choices with ecological sustainability, economic necessity, social justice, democratic participation, and human well-being will require increasing numbers of people prepared to respond to both ecological and social problems. This poses a historic challenge to graduate training and requires increasing numbers of skilled professionals able to address complex social and ecological problems from an interdisciplinary viewpoint.

The program at UCSC draws from two areas of knowledge: ecology and social science. Our interests in ecology range from conservation biology (the maintenance of biodiversity in wild ecosystems, where we seek strong limits on human impacts on other species) to agroecology (where ecological knowledge is used to inform human management of nature for the production of natural products for human use in ways that are environmentally benign). Our interests in the social sciences bridge the dimension between environmental policy analysis (which looks for the best management strategies within the frame of existing social institutions and practices) and political economy of the environment (which examines the deeper social processes through which the institutions that structure our social and ecological agendas have been constructed). These all are historically independent fields and UCSC's program is one of the first to link them.

Graduates of the program are expected to be informed in all of these fields, to have deep intellectual strength in their area of specialty, and to have made substantial contributions toward the understanding of an environmental problem. We expect our doctoral students to be as skilled and intellectually rigorous within their research emphases as are students emerging from more traditional programs-but also to possess the knowledge needed to understand, analyze, and communicate in different but highly relevant fields of study. This expectation of intellectual breadth as well as disciplinary depth is a central goal of our doctoral program.

Given the strong interdisciplinary focus of the environmental studies Ph.D. program, study in other fields is encouraged. The environmental studies faculty have a wide range of research interests, and some are affiliated with other departments on campus. Students have the option of pursuing a "Parenthetical Notation," the equivalent of a graduate minor. These provide a framework for in-depth study in specialized fields in your area, and an opportunity for recognition of particular scholarly expertise. We currently have agreements with the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Latin American and Latino Studies, and Sociology Departments, and are pursuing agreements with others.

Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree

For admission to the program, students must have completed a bachelor's degree or equivalent in a related disciplinary field. Students with degrees in interdisciplinary fields such as environmental studies should have disciplinary course work equivalent to a double major or a master's degree in an appropriate field. Superior scholarship, capacity to carry out independent research, and commitment to disciplinary integration must be demonstrated in the statement of purpose, course work, GRE General Test score, and letters of recommendation. The GRE Subject Test (in a discipline of the student's choice) is strongly recommended. Other considerations for admission include grades, evaluations, publications, professional or extramural experience, and completion of more than one degree (second bachelor's or master's). In addition to the application materials, students should submit a substantial written project (undergraduate or master's), where possible. Prospective students must also contact faculty directly to inquire about specific course requirements and sponsorship.

Doctoral training and the graduate curriculum in environmental studies are based on an integrative, problem-oriented pedagogy whose aim is to provide students with the analytical tools, research methods, and project design capabilities required to undertake interdisciplinary research. These skills are essential to all environmental studies graduate students, whether they pursue careers in the academy or other professional arenas.

The interdisciplinary nature of this core curriculum requires rigorous preparation at the undergraduate level. Students are expected to have completed at least one course in statistical analysis, an advanced upper-division course in ecology (genetics, evolutionary, biology), economics (either macro- or micro-), and a course in politics/political economy. Calculus is useful in many areas of the program and essential to independent work in some.

The graduate curriculum trains students in the methodological principles and practice of interdisciplinary research. In their first year, students are required to complete core courses 201A-B, and 201N, as well as the department's interdisciplinary research seminar 290 each quarter, 290L in fall and one other quarter, and attend lab group meetings (292). An upper-division or graduate-level course in quantitative methods is required by the time the student takes the prequalifying exam. The course should provide training in research design and the selection of appropriate quantitative tools for research and analysis. Examples of appropriate courses for fulfilling this requirement are available from the graduate program coordinator. In the fall and winter quarters of the second year, students are required to take a minimum of two area specialization courses, at least one of which must be in the natural sciences (220 or 230), one course in the social sciences (210 or 240), and attend lab group meetings (292) as well as the department's interdisciplinary research seminar 290, and two quarters of 290L. Depending on the student's preparation, interests, and intentions, his or her adviser may suggest or require additional course work. In the third year of study, the research seminar, 290, is required each quarter, and one quarter of enrollment in 290L is strongly recommended.

By the end of winter quarter of their third year, students take exams designed to measure depth in their disciplinary and interdisciplinary areas of expertise; these areas are defined by the student and the examining committee. Also during the course of their third year, students prepare and present a dissertation research proposal and take an oral candidacy exam in which they defend the proposal and are examined on subjects related to their research area. In addition, before advancing to candidacy, students are required to serve as teaching assistants in undergraduate courses for two quarters unless they can demonstrate equivalent experience. If the venue of a student's research is in a non-English-speaking country, he or she must also pass a language exam testing reading and speaking competence in the language of that area before advancement to candidacy. A dissertation in environmental studies is expected to present an original contribution to the understanding of a significant environmental problem or issue. It should demonstrate a clear understanding of the relevant literature, careful and rigorous research design, and effective communication of the results within the context of their area of emphasis.

The typical duration of the doctoral program is five to six years.

We do not offer a terminal master's degree, except in the case of students who have passed the qualifying exam but do not complete the Ph.D. dissertation.