B.A. Programs
The Department of Environmental Studies offers four undergraduate majors and several concentrations within the Environmental Studies B.A. Across these degree offerings, our students gain interdisciplinary perspective on issues ranging from national policy advocacy to the conservation of birds and pumas to the impact of agriculture and food systems on local populations.
Curriculum in our programs also provides many opportunities for students to engage in field courses, research, study abroad, and other experiential learning opportunities. We have a strong internship program that allows students to earn course credit while gaining valuable hands-on experience in a variety of environmental work, on and off campus.
Environmental Studies B.A.
The environmental studies major includes coursework in several focus areas: agroecology & sustainable agriculture, conservation science and natural history, global change ecology, environmental justice, environmental policy, and political economy.
Students choose all of their upper-division electives, which means they can opt to either explore many different focus areas within the major or take a deeper dive within just one or two focus areas. The major may be completed with or without a concentration. The program offers concentrations in conservation science and policy, global environmental justice, and geographic information systems.
Learning outcomes
- Social science competency: Identify the societal (social, political, economic, cultural, and ethical) agents and structures that contribute to environmental change.
- Natural science competency: Describe the structure and functioning of major physical and ecological components of the Earth’s systems.
- Analytic thinking: Access and analyze complex literature addressing specific topics in environmental studies and evaluate the usefulness and limitations of individual sources of information.
- Communication skills: Demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills.
Agroecology B.A.
The agroecology major provides students with interdisciplinary knowledge, skills, and expertise related to agroecology and sustainable food systems.
Students learn about ecological concepts—including soil and water processes, microbial ecology, plant physiological ecology, aquaculture, ecological interactions, and ecosystem services—that can be applied to the development of sustainable agricultural systems. These concepts are contextualized in the social, political, and economic aspects of agriculture, including traditional agriculture, agricultural policy and development, social theory, history, sustainable farm management, markets, food justice, local food system experiences, and harvested food systems.
Learning outcomes
- Social science competency: Analyze the problems faced in agriculture and food systems by identifying the societal (historical, social, political, economic, cultural, and ethical) agents and structures that contribute to environmental change.
- Natural science competency: Describe the structure and functioning of major physical and ecological components of Earth’s systems, including agricultural systems.
- Analytical thinking: Access and assess complex literature, and review specific topics in agroecology and sustainable food systems, and evaluate the usefulness and limitations of individual methods.
- Communication skills: Demonstrate effective oral and written communication skills.
- Production skills: Demonstrate an introductory level of competence in horticulture, agronomy, or aquaculture.
Combined Majors
Environmental Studies/Biology Combined B.A.
The combined major in Environmental Studies and Biology prepares students for graduate school or a career in conservation biology, restoration ecology, environmental sustainability, and other allied interdisciplinary life science fields. Students have the flexibility to customize their curriculum to prepare them for graduate programs or career certifications following completion of the program.
Environmental Studies/Economics Combined B.A.
The combined major in Environmental Studies and Economics is intended to provide students with the basic tools of economic analysis and an understanding of the principles of resource production, conservation, and use in both ecological and economic terms.
What can you do with a degree in environmental studies or agroecology?
Alumni of our programs go on to become leaders in solving our planet’s toughest environmental problems and building a more just and sustainable food system. Your degree can prepare you for careers in natural resource management, public policy, corporate sustainability, environmental monitoring, biodiversity research, non-profit program leadership, conservation organizations, government, environmental education, sustainable agriculture and aquaculture, environmental consulting, habitat restoration, environmental mediation, and many other areas.
It’s also important to note that a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree can provide students with strong math, science, and technical skills, similar to a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree. In fact, some faculty in our department have B.A. degrees in physics and biology. Most employers and graduate schools have little preference for degree type and will instead focus on other types of specific information about your educational experience.
Learn more about how employers and graduate schools evaluate students
When prospective employers or graduate school programs evaluate an applicant’s education, they tend to use the following types of information.
- What courses a student has taken and how they performed: Take courses that provide you with training in the environmental field that most interests you and excel in them.
- Hands-on experience: Complete internships and seek out research experiences throughout your major. Consider a senior thesis if you are interested in going to graduate school.
- Strong references who can speak to a student’s work ethic, interpersonal and problem-solving skills: Get to know faculty and build your professional network beyond the university.
Meet our students and alumni
Garima Desai: Rhodes Scholar
Garima Desai, a double-major in environmental studies and economics, earned a prestigious scholarship to attend graduate school at Oxford University after graduation. Her courses at UC Santa Cruz opened her eyes to a wide variety of strategies for creating change on environmental issues, and her professors helped her have faith in her own abilities.
Cole Seither: Research on agroforestry
Agroecology major Cole Seither received research funding through the Earth Futures Institute’s Frontier Fellows program to support his senior thesis project on the carbon sequestration and community benefits that come from agroforestry. Seither’s research allowed him to work with Environmental Studies Professors Karen Holl and Madeleine Fairbairn and co-author a peer-reviewed journal article.
Brandon Sanchez: taking advantage of experiential learning opportunities
Brandon Sanchez chose UCSC for its prestigious reputation in environmental science and internship and research opportunities available through the Environmental Studies Department. He went on to graduate school at Yale University and is now a GIS analyst for environmental investigations, environmental health and safety compliance, and renewable energy solutions.
Admissions requirements
First-year students
No specific courses are required for UC admission in environmental studies. High school students interested in our programs should obtain a background in English, biology, chemistry, social sciences, and quantitative and writing skills. Advanced Placement (AP) scores for calculus may apply to the prerequisites.
Find all information about getting started in our majors in the catalog entries for the Environmental Studies B.A., Environmental Studies/Biology B.A., Environmental Studies/Economics B.A., and the Agroecology B.A.
Transfer students
Our majors are considered screening majors. Students transferring to UC Santa Cruz must fulfill the lower-division requirements for the major by completing equivalent courses at another recognized institution before transferring to UC Santa Cruz.
Find all transfer requirements and policies in the catalog entries for the Environmental Studies B.A., Environmental Studies/Biology B.A., Environmental Studies/Economics B.A., and the Agroecology B.A.
Completing lower division requirements and transferring courses
UCSC summer session is a great time to take missing screening requirements. Most of the required courses for our majors are offered. Some General Education courses taken for admission to UCSC may cover some ENVS lower-division prerequisites as well.
To get the complete list of major requirements that can be transferred, consult assist.org or talk to an undergraduate advisor from our department. Two courses that must be taken at UCSC are STAT 7/L: Statistical Methods for the Biological, Environmental, and Health Sciences, which is required for all of our majors, and ENVS 80F: Introduction to Agroecology, which is only required for Agroecology majors.
If transfer coursework is completed at a 4-year institution or out-of-state institution, syllabi for each specific course must be submitted to the department or admissions office for review to see if it can be applied to the major.