Environmental Studies

Environmental studies involves the systematic, interdisciplinary investigation of the natural world, and the interactions of humans with the environments they encounter. At a time when environmental problems and questions of sustainability are in the news nearly every day, there is a pressing need for professionals with expertise on the wide range of challenges involved in diagnosing, remedying and overcoming a wide range of environmental problems inherent in the development and expansion of societies worldwide.

The Environmental Studies program is an interdisciplinary collaboration among multiple departments at UC that produces professionals with a broad foundation in environmentally-related disciplines. The curriculum includes introductory and upper-level courses, that focus on the biological environment (e.g., ecology), the physical environment (e.g., geology, geography, and chemistry), and the social-human environment (e.g., policy, ethics, and economics). Our affiliated faculty are dedicated not only to imparting an environmentally-relevant toolkit, but also to providing opportunities for students to gain practical experience through independent research projects, internships and the senior capstone project.

Preview of New Environmental Studies Semester-Based Curriculum.