Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies
Environmental Studies is an interdisciplinary B.A. degree program that examines interactions of human society and nature through approaches of the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Courses introduce foundation principles of ecology and environmental science in relation to issues of policy, politics, law, economics, social aspects, planning, pollution control, and natural resources management. Two degree concentrations are designed to prepare students for a broad field of environmental career pathways: Environmental Sustainability and Environmental Systems. Upon successful completion of the Environmental Studies B.A. degree program, students who want further training may go to graduate school in the natural sciences, public administration, planning, environmental law, environmental health, or education.
The Environmental Studies B.A., Environmental Sustainability Concentration, focuses on the concept of sustainability from an interdisciplinary perspective. This concentration includes instruction in sustainable development, environmental policies, ethics, ecology, landscape architecture, city and regional planning, economics, natural resource issues, sociology, and anthropology. Career pathways explored by this concentration include the work of government agencies and non-governmental organizations, natural resource planners and managers, environmental regulators, K-12 educators, and advocates. This concentration is recommended for students that want a broad and flexible liberal arts program that allows them follow diverse interests.
The Environmental Studies B.A., Environmental Systems Concentration, focuses on the application of biological, chemical, and physical principles to the study of environmental problems and solutions, including subjects such as abating or controlling environmental pollution and degradation; physical interactions between human society and the natural environment; and approaches to natural resources management. This concentration provides a science intensive background with instruction in biology, chemistry, physics, geosciences, environmental health, climatology, statistics, and mathematical modeling. Career pathways explored by this concentration include the work of environmental specialists in consulting firms, governmental agencies that monitor and protect environmental quality, as well as in multiple fields of scientific research on human impacts to the environment. This concentration is recommended for students preparing to pursue a graduate degree in the natural sciences, or preparing for an environmentally related technical career.
Requirements (45-52 units)
Total units required for graduation: 120
B.A. in Environmental Studies
| Lower-division requirements (13) | ||
| GEOG 1070 | Environmental Studies Orientation Seminar (must take in first fall semester for the major) | 2 |
| Three units chosen from: | 3 | |
| Physical Geography | ||
| Introductory Geology | ||
| Health and Society: An Ecological and Societal Approach | ||
| One unit chosen from: | 1 | |
| Physical Geography Laboratory | ||
| Introductory Geology Laboratory | ||
| Health and Society: An Ecological and Societal Approach Lab | ||
| GEOG 2000 | Environment and Society | 3 |
| GEOG 2250 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems and Cartography | 4 |
| Upper-division requirements (0) | ||
| Environmental Systems (7) | 7 | |
| Seven units chosen from: | ||
| Weather and Climate | ||
| Watershed Hydrology and Management | ||
| Biogeography | ||
| Climate Change | ||
or GEOG 4400 | Geomorphology | |
Nature-Society Relations (6) | ||
| GEOG 3500 | Conservation and Natural Resources | 3 |
| or GEOG 3501 | Environmental Sustainability | |
| Three units chosen from: | 3 | |
| Environmental Anthropology | ||
| Environmental Economics | ||
| Economics of Climate Change | ||
| Analysis of Environmental Discourse (WI) | ||
| Environmental Literature | ||
| Environmental Justice | ||
| Environmental Ethics | ||
| Experiential Learning (4) | ||
| GEOG 5000 | Senior Seminar (must take in spring semester prior to graduation) | 2 |
| Minimum of two units chosen from: | 2 | |
| National Parks and Public Lands | ||
| Professional Conferences | ||
| Professional Conferences | ||
| Laboratory Experience | ||
| Laboratory Experience | ||
| Field Experience | ||
| Field Experience | ||
| Internship in Geography | ||
| Internship in Geography | ||
| Internship in Geography | ||
| Model United Nations Practicum (Spring Semester MUN Team) | ||
| Study Abroad | ||
| Study Abroad | ||
| Study Abroad | ||
| Study Away | ||
| Study Away | ||
| Study Away | ||
| Service Learning in Geography, Global Studies and Environmental Studies | ||
| Service Learning in Geography, Global Studies and Environmental Studies | ||
| Service Learning in Geography, Global Studies and Environmental Studies | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Senior Honors Project - Environmental Studies | ||
| Concentration (15-22) | ||
| All students must satisfy the requirements of one of the concentrations listed below: | 15-22 | |
| Total Units | 45-52 | |
Concentrations (15-22 units)
Courses taken in a concentration cannot be used elsewhere to meet requirements of this major.
Environmental Sustainability Concentration (15 units)
(Program Code: ESSU)
| MATH 1201 | Introduction to Statistical Thinking | 3 |
| or GEOG 3018 | Geographic Statistics and Research Methods | |
| Minimum of six units chosen from: | 6 | |
| Weather and Climate | ||
| Environmental Inquiry and Education | ||
| Environmental Policy and Impact Assessment | ||
| Watershed Hydrology and Management | ||
| Biogeography | ||
| Water Wars | ||
| Ecosystem Assessment | ||
| Environmental GIS | ||
| May choose one of the following: | ||
| Social Geography | ||
| Cultural Geography | ||
| Global Cities and Urban Environment | ||
| Economic Geography | ||
| Political Geography | ||
| Geography of California | ||
| Six units chosen from: | 6 | |
| Environmental Anthropology | ||
| Topics in Relational and Organizational Communication (Topic: Environmental Communication) | ||
or COMM 4222 | Communication and Conflict | |
| Environmental Economics | ||
or ECON 3740 | Economics of Climate Change | |
| Environmental Justice | ||
| Politics of Oil | ||
| Nonprofit Management and Leadership | ||
or PA 5170 | Nonprofit Fundraising and Grantwriting | |
or PA 5200 | Water Law, Regulation and Policy | |
or PA 5210 | Urban Growth and Planning | |
| State and Local Politics | ||
or PSCI 3420 | The Politics of Environment | |
| Community Organization | ||
| May choose one of the following GE courses: | ||
| Art and Activism | ||
| Sustainable Agriculture | ||
| Human Ecology | ||
| Chemistry and the Environment | ||
| Natural Disasters | ||
| Energy and the Environment | ||
| Analysis of Environmental Discourse (WI) | ||
| Environmental Literature | ||
| Environmental Ethics | ||
| Total Units | 15 | |
Environmental Systems Concentration (22 units)
(Program Code: ESSY)
| BIOL 1000 | Introduction to Biology | 3 |
| or BIOL 2010 | Principles of Biology I | |
| CHEM 1000 | Introduction to Chemistry | 3 |
| or CHEM 2050 | Survey of General Chemistry | |
| or CHEM 2100 | General Chemistry I | |
| CHEM 1000L | Introduction to Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| or CHEM 2050L | Survey of General Chemistry Laboratory | |
| or CHEM 2100L | General Chemistry I Laboratory | |
| MATH 1201 | Introduction to Statistical Thinking | 3 |
| or MATH 1301 | Modeling with Functions | |
| or MATH 1601 | Modeling with Calculus | |
| or GEOG 3018 | Geographic Statistics and Research Methods | |
| PHYS 1000 | Physics in the Modern World | 3 |
| or PHYS 2000 | Introduction to Physics I | |
| or PHYS 2500 | General Physics I | |
| Minimum of nine units chosen from: | 9 | |
| Weather and Climate | ||
| Environmental Policy and Impact Assessment | ||
| Watershed Hydrology and Management | ||
| Biogeography | ||
| Climate Change | ||
| Geomorphology | ||
| Coastal Resources Management | ||
| Ecosystem Assessment | ||
| Environmental GIS | ||
| Remote Sensing of the Environment | ||
May choose one of the following: | ||
| Introduction to Geologic Mapping | ||
| Structural Geology | ||
| Engineering Geology | ||
| Groundwater Hydrology | ||
| Environmental Hydrology | ||
| Principles of Environmental Health | ||
| Air Pollution and Radiological Health | ||
| Water Quality and Pollution Control | ||
| Environmental Health Engineering | ||
| Solid and Hazardous Waste Management | ||
| Total Units | 22 | |