Our B.S. in Environmental Science degree is highly flexible. Review the curriculum guide below and meet with an advisor to find the emphasis and course schedule that matches your goals.
Degree Overview
You will take at least 120 units total:
- General Education Courses (32-40 units)
- Supporting Coursework (21 units)
- Environmental Science Core Courses (40-43 units)
- Subplan (27-29)
B.S. in Environmental Science Curriculum
| General Education | Course | Units 32-40 |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction to General Education | UNIV 101 | 1 |
| Foundation Mathematics: Moderate Strand | MATH 112 (Consult with advisor) | 3 |
| First Year Composition 1 | ENGL 101 | 3 |
| First Year Composition 2 | ENGL 102, OR 109H | 3 |
| Foundation Second Language | Various (2nd semester proficiency) | 0-8 |
| General Education, Exploring Perspectives | Artist | 3 |
| General Education, Exploring Perspectives | Humanist | 3 |
| General Education, Exploring Perspectives | Natural Scientist | 3 |
| General Education, Exploring Perspectives | Social Scientist | 3 |
| General Education, Building Connections | Building Connections | 3 |
| General Education, Building Connections | Building Connections | 3 |
| General Education, Building Connections | Building Connections | 3 |
| General Education Capstone Course | UNIV 301 | 1 |
| Supporting Coursework | Course | Units (21) |
|---|---|---|
| General Chemistry I (Quantitative) OR Chemical Thinking I OR Honors Chemical Thinking I | CHEM 141* & 145* OR 151 OR 161 & 163 | 4 |
| General Chemistry II (Quantitative) OR Chemical Thinking II OR Honors Chemical Thinking II | CHEM 142* & 146* OR 152 OR 162 & 164 | 4 |
| Introductory Biology I (Lecture) | MCB 181R | 3 |
| Biology of Environmental Systems OR Introductory Microbiology (Lecture) | ENVS 225 OR MIC 205A | 3 |
| Introductory Biology II (Lecture) | ECOL 182R | 3 |
| Introductory Physics I OR Introductory Mechanics | PHYS 102/181 OR 141 | 4 |
| Environmental Science Core | Course | Units (32) |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Soil Science & Soils Laboratory | ENVS 200 & 201 | 4 |
| Environmental Essentials: A Global Approach to Saving Planet Earth | ENVS 210 | 3 |
| Critical Zone Science | ENVS 270 | 3 |
| Data Analysis in the Life and Environmental Sciences | ENVS 275 | 3 |
| Pollution Science | ENVS 305 | 3 |
| Environmental Chemistry (Choose one) Environmental Chemistry OR Environmental Soil & Water Chemistry OR Environmental Organic Chemistry | ENVS 340 OR ENVS 462 OR ENVS 464 | 3 |
| Environmental Physics | ENVS 420 | 3 |
| Environmental Ecology (Choose one) Environmental Microbiology OR Limnology OR Aquatic Plants & the Environment OR Freshwater & Marine Algae OR Principles of Ecotoxicology | ENVS 425 OR 442 OR 474 OR 475 OR 477 | 3-4 |
| Environmental Assessment for Contaminated Sites | ENVS 480 | 3 |
| Career Preparation | Course | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Careers in Environmental Science | ENVS 195A | 1 |
| Science Communications (Choose one) Scientific Writing OR Translating Environmental Science | ENVS 408 OR 415 | 3 |
| Capstone (Choose one) Environmental Monitoring & Remediation OR Senior Capstone: Intro to Research I & II | ENVS 430 R/L OR 498A* & 498B* | 4 |
| Individual Student Presentation | 0 | |
| Individual Studies: Directed Research, Internship, Teaching Workshop, Independent study, Practicum, OR Thesis | ENVS 392, 393, 397A, 399, 399H, 492, 493, 499, OR 499H | 1-3 |
Emphasis Areas
In addition to general education and core courses, you will choose one of four emphasis areas for further study (about 26 units)
The Biosphere Emphasis
| Required Courses | Course | Units (10) |
|---|---|---|
| Calculus (Choose one) Elements of Calculus OR Mathematics of Biological Systems OR First Semester Calculus OR Calculus I | MATH 113 OR 119A OR 122B OR 125 | 3 |
| Organic Chemistry I (Choose one) Organic Chemistry Lecture & Lab OR Organic Chemistry Lecture & Lab for chemistry majors | CHEM 241A & 243 OR 246A & 247A | 4 |
| Ecology (Choose one) Ecology OR Natural Resources Ecology | ECOL 302 OR RNR 316 | 4 |
| Biosphere emphasis Core | Course | Units (10) |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Microbiology | ENVS 425 | 3 |
| Environmental Microbiology Lab | ENVS 426 | 2 |
| Aquatic Plants & The Environment | ENVS 474 | 4 |
| Microbial Biogeochemistry & Global Change | ENVS 410 | 3 |
| Environmental Drivers of Plant Adaptations | ENVS 435 | 3 |
| Green Infrastructure | ENVS 450 | 3 |
| Freshwater & Marine Algae | ENVS 475 | 4 |
| Principles of Ecotoxicology | ENVS 477 | 3 |
| Principles of Ecotoxicology Lab | ENVS 477L | 1 |
| Biochemistry | BIOC 462A | 4-5 |
| Metabolic Biochemistry | BIOC 385 | 3 |
| Foundations in Biochemistry | BIOC 384 | 3 |
| Lectures in Organic Chemistry (for chemistry majors) | CHEM 246B | 3 |
| Organic Chemistry Lab | CHEM 247B | 1 |
| Organic Chemistry II | CHEM 241B | 3 |
| Organic Chemistry Lab II | CHEM 243B | |
| Ecology | ECOL 302 | 4 |
| Genetics | ECOL 320 | 4 |
| Evolutionary Biology | ECOL 335 | 4 |
| Biosphere emphasis electives – complete 6 units | Course | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Soil Fertility & Plant Nutrition | ENVS 316 | 3 |
| Collaborative Environmental Problem Solving | ENVS 350 | 3 |
| Microbial Biogeochemistry & Global Change | ENVS 410 | 3 |
| Sustainable Management of Arid Lands and Salt-Affected Soils | ENVS 401 | 3 |
| Soil Genesis & Classification | ENVS 431 | 3 |
| Limnology | ENVS 442 | 3 |
| Ecotoxicology | ENVS 477 | 3 |
| Ecotoxicology Lab | ENVS 477L | 1 |
| Reclamation and Redevelopment of Impacted Lands | ENVS 482 | 3 |
| Living in Symbiosis | ECOL 310 | 3 |
| Conservation Biology in the Field | ECOL 406L | 1 |
| Conservation Biology | ECOL 406R | 3 |
| Physical Geology | GEOS 251 | 4 |
| Ocean Sciences | GEOS 412A | 4 |
| Global Change | GEOS 478 | 3 |
| Hydrology (Choose one) Watershed Hydrology OR Principles of Hydrology | WSM 460A OR HWRS 349A/B or 350 | 3-4 |
| Molecular Biology | MCB 411 | 3-4 |
| Recombinant DNA Methods & Applications | MCB 473 | 4 |
| Microbial Physiology | MIC 328R | 3 |
| Microbial Techniques | MIC 421B | 3 |
| Natural Resources Ecology | RNR 316 | 3 |
| Natural Resource Management Practices | RNR 384 | 3 |
| Applications of Geographic Information Systems | RNR 403 | 3 |
| Climate Change and Dryland Ecosystem Ecology | RNR 452 | 3 |
| Conservation Biology (Choose one) Conservation Biology: Field Studies in Developing Countries (Namibia) OR Amazon Rainforest: Conservation Biology in Ecuador | RNR 495F OR RNR 495G | 3-6 |
Leadership, Sustainability, and Communication Emphasis
| Required Courses | Course | Units (9 Units) |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Health (Choose two) Ecosystem Health and Justice OR Toxic! The Anthropology of Exposure OR Reclamation and Redevelopment of Impacted Lands OR Environment, Health, and Society | ENVS 310 ANTH 373 ENVS 482 SOC/CHS 350 | 3 |
| Communications (Choose one) Translating Environmental Science OR Scientific Writing for Environmental, Agricultural & Life Sciences OR Communicating Knowledge in Agriculture and the Life Sciences OR Applied Organization Communication OR Environmental Journalism OR Issues in Covering Science and the Environment OR Science Journalism OR Science Communication | ENVS 415 OR ENVS 408 OR ALC 422 OR COMM 312 OR JOUR 455 OR JOUR 465 OR JOUR 472 OR SCI 401 | 3 |
| Leadership, Sustainability and Communication emphasis core | Courses | Units (11 units) |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Anthropology (Choose one) Globalization, the Environment, and Indigenous Religions OR Ecological Anthropology OR Environmental Archaeology | RELI/ANTH/HUMS 428A OR ANTH 307 OR ANTH 332 | 3 |
| Teaching (Choose only one) Teaching Workshop OR Teaching Geosciences OR Undergrad Teaching Training in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology OR Environmental Learning | ENVS/BE 397A OR GEOS 397A OR ECOL 497A OR TLS 431 | 1-5 |
| Teaching & Technology (Choose only one) Teaching with New Technologies OR Integrating Technology into the Curriculum | ETCV 310 OR TLS 318 | 3 |
| Additional Selectives to choose from | ||
| Collaborative Environmental Problem Solving | ENVS 350 | 3 |
| Reclamation and Redevelopment of Impacted Lands | ENVS 482 | 3 |
| Southwest Land & Society | ANTH/AIS/LAS 418 | 3 |
| Toxic! The Anthropology of Exposure | ANTH 373 | 3 |
| Introduction to Human Health Risk Assessment | EHS/ENVS 418 | 3 |
| U.S. Environmental History | HIST 355 | 3 |
| Global Environmental History | HIST 356 | 3 |
| Natural History of Disasters | HIST 358 | 3 |
| Environmental Ethics | PHIL/PA/PPEL 323 | 3 |
| Environmental Psychology | PSY 374 | 3 |
| Environmental Sociology | SOC 307 | 3 |
| Social Movements & Activism | SOC 313 | 3 |
| Environment, Health, and Society | SOC/CHS 350 | 3 |
| Leadership, Sustainability and Communication Emphasis Elective Courses | Course | Units (9 units) |
|---|---|---|
| Conservation Biology: Field Studies in Developing Countries | ENVS 495F | 3 |
| Math (Choose only one) Mathematics of Biological Systems OR Elements of Calculus OR First Semester Calculus OR Calculus I | MATH 119A OR MATH 113 OR MATH 122B OR MATH 125 | 3 |
| Political Ecology | ANTH 424A | 3 |
| Environmental Economics | ECON/AREC 373 | 3 |
| Economics of Policy Analysis | AREC 464 | 3 |
| Environmental Law & Economics | AREC 476 | 3 |
| Economic Analysis of Water, Food and Environmental Policies | AREC/ENVS 479 | 3 |
| Weather, Climate, & Society | ATMO 336 | 3 |
| Conservation Biology | ECOL 406R | 3 |
| Environmental Studies: Ideas/Institutions | EVS 260 | 3 |
| Environment and Development | GEOG/EVS 362 | 3 |
| Environmental & Resource Geography | GEOG/EVS 461 | 3 |
| Introduction to Dendrochronology | GEOS/ANTH 439A | 3 |
| Global Change | GEOS 478 | 3 |
| Natural History of Disaster | HIST 358 | 3 |
| Environmental Law and Policy | LAW 454 | 3 |
| Public International Environmental Law | LAW 459 | 3 |
| Global Climate Change: Integrating Science, Policy, & Decision Making | PA 461 | 3 |
| Formation of Public Policy | PA 480 | 3 |
| Environmental Policy | PA 481 | 3 |
| Environmental Land Use Planning | PLG 472 | 3 |
| Psychology of Leadership | PSYV 471 | 3 |
| Adaptation to Climate Change | RNR 440 | 3 |
| Natural Resources Policy & Law | RNR 480 | 3 |
| The Economics and Social Connections to Natural Resources | RNR/PA 485 | 3 |
Physical and Chemical Dynamics Emphasis
| Required Courses | Course | Units (7 units) |
|---|---|---|
| Math (Choose only one) Mathematics of Biological Systems First Semester Calculus Calculus I | MATH 119A MATH 122B MATH 125 | 3-4 |
| Organic Chemistry I | CHEM 241A & 243A | 4 |
| Physical and Chemical Dynamics emphasis core | Course | Units (13 units) |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Chemistry | ENVS/GEOS 340 | 3 |
| Microbial Biogeochemistry and Global Change | ENVS/ECOL/PLS 410 | 3 |
| Limnology | ENVS 442 | 3 |
| Environmental Soil & Water Chemistry | ENVS 462 | 3 |
| Environmental Organic Chemistry | ENVS 464 | 3 |
| Soil Physics | ENVS 470 | 3 |
| Principles of Ecotoxicology | ENVS 477 | 3 |
| Principles of Ecotoxicology Laboratory | ENVS 477L | 1 |
| Foundations in Biochemistry | BIOC 384 | 3 |
| Metabolic Biochemistry | BIOC 385 | 3 |
| Biochemistry | BIOC 462A | 3-5 |
| Organic Chemistry II | CHEM 241B | 3 |
| Physical Chemistry | CHEM 480A | 3 |
| Physical Geology | GEOS 251 | 4 |
| Hydrology (Choose only one) Watershed Hydrology OR Principles of Hydrology | HWRS/WSM 460A OR HWRS 349A/B or 350 | 3-4 |
| Hydrogeology | HWRS 431 | 4 |
| Hydrology | HWRS/ATMO/CE 423 | 3 |
| Calculus II | MATH 129 | 3 |
| Physics (Choose only one) Introductory Physics II OR Introductory Mechanic OR Introductory Optics and Thermodynamics | PHYS 103 PHYS 141 PHYS 142 | 3-4 |
| Physical and Chemical Dynamics emphasis elective courses | Course | Units (6 units) |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Chemistry | ENVS/GEOS 340 | 3 |
| Collaborative Environmental Problem Solving | ENVS 350 | 3 |
| Sustainable Management of Arid Lands & Salt-Affected Soils | ENVS 401 | 3 |
| Microbial Biogeochemistry & Global Change | ENVS/ECOL/GEOS/PLS 410 | 3 |
| Environmental Microbiology | ENVS/MIC 425 | 3 |
| Soil Genesis, Morphology & Classification | ENVS 431 | 3 |
| Biodegradation of Pollutants | ENVS/MIC 440 | 3 |
| Green Infrastructure | ENVS/LAR/PLG/SBE 450 | 3 |
| Environmental Soil and Water Chemistry | ENVS 462 | 3 |
| Environmental Organic Chemistry | ENVS 464 | 3 |
| Reclamation and Redevelopment of Impacted Lands | ENVS 482 | 3 |
| Air Pollution I: Gases | ATMO 469A | 3 |
| Air Pollution II: Aerosols | ATMO 469B | 3 |
| Environmental & Water Engineers | CHEE/CE 370R | 3 |
| Environmental & Water Engineers Lab | CHEE/CE 370L | 1 |
| Water Chemistry for Engineers | CHEE 400R | 3 |
| Water Chemistry for Engineers Lab | CHEE 400L | 1 |
| Introduction to Hazardous Waste Management | CHEE/CE 478 | 3 |
| Inorganic Chemistry | CHEM 404A | 3 |
| Basic Laboratory Safety | CHEM 405A | 1 |
| Introduction to Geochemistry | GEOS 400 | 3 |
| Chemistry of the Solar System | PTYS 407 | 3 |
Soil, Air, and Water Emphasis
| Required Courses | Course | Units (6 units) |
|---|---|---|
| Math (Choose only one) Elements of Calculus OR Mathematics of Biological Systems OR First Semester Calculus OR Calculus I | MATH 113 OR MATH 119A OR MATH 122B OR MATH 125 | 3-4 |
| Soils (Choose one) Soil Ecology OR Soil Fertility & Plant Nutrition OR Sustainable Management of Arid Lands & Salt-Affected Soils OR Soil Genesis and Classification OR Soil Physics OR Reclamation and Redevelopment of Impacted Lands | ENVS 300 OR ENVS 316 OR ENVS 401 OR ENVS 431 OR ENVS 470 OR ENVS 482 | 3 |
| Soil, Air, and Water emphasis core | Course | Units (12 units) |
|---|---|---|
| Soil Ecology | ENVS 300 | 3 |
| Soil Fertility & Plant Nutrition | ENVS 316 | 3 |
| Collaborative Environmental Problem Solving | ENVS 350 | 3 |
| Sustainable Management of Arid Lands & Salt-Affected Soils | ENVS 401 | 3 |
| Microbial Biogeochemistry and Global Change | ENVS/ECOL/GEOS/PLS 410 | 3 |
| Soil Genesis, Morphology & Classification | ENVS 431 | 3 |
| Limnology | ENVS 442 | 3 |
| Green Infrastructure | ENVS/LAR/SBE 450 | 3 |
| Water Harvesting | ENVS 454 | 3 |
| Environmental Soil and Water Chemistry | ENVS 462 | 3 |
| Soil Physics | ENVS 470 | 3 |
| Principles of Ecotoxicology | ENVS 477 | 3 |
| Principles of Ecotoxicology Lab | ENVS 477L | 1 |
| Reclamation and Redevelopment of Impacted Lands | ENVS 482 | 3 |
| Fundamentals of Atmospheric Sciences | ATMO 436A | 3 |
| Organic Chemistry I | CHEM 241A | 3 |
| Organic Chemistry Lab I | CHEM 243A | 1 |
| Ocean Sciences | GEOS/ATMO/ENVS/ECOL 412A | 4 |
| Hydrology (Choose only one) Watershed Hydrology OR Principles of Hydrology OR Principles of Hydrology (online) | WSM/HWRS 460A OR HWRS 350 OR HWRS 349A & 349B* | 3-4 |
| Physics (chose only one) Introductory Physics II OR Introductory Mechanic OR Introductory Optics and Thermodynamics | PHYS 103 PHYS 141 PHYS 142 | 3-4 |
| GIS (Choose only one) Applications of Geographic Information Systems OR Geographic Information Systems for Natural & Social Science | GEOG/RNR 403 OR RNR/GEOG 417 | 3 |
| Dryland Ecohydrology and Vegetation Dynamics | RNR/ECOL/WSM 452 | 4 |
| Principals of Stratigraphy & Sedimentation | GEOS 302 | 4 |
| Geomorphology and Landscape Evolution | GEOS 450 | 4 |
| Global Change | GEOS 478 | 3 |
| Environmentally Acquired Illnesses | EHS 420 | 3 |
| Soil, Air, and Water emphasis elective courses | Course | Units (8 units) |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Microbiology | ENVS/MIC 425 | 3 |
| Environmental Microbiology Lab | ENVS/MIC 426 | 2 |
| Limnology | ENVS/ECOL 442 | 3 |
| Water Harvesting | ENVS/ECOL 454 | 3 |
| Aquatic Plants & the Environment | ENVS/ECOL 474 | 4 |
| Freshwater & Marine Algae | ENVS/ECOL 475 | 4 |
| Principles of Ecotoxicology | ENVS 477 | 3 |
| Principles of Ecotoxicology Lab | ENVS 477L | 1 |
| Air Pollution I: Gases | ATMO 469A | 3 |
| Air Pollution II: Aerosols | ATMO 469B | 3 |
| Synoptic Meteorology | ATMO 471 | 3 |
| Atmospheric Electricity | ATMO 489 | 3 |
| Conservation Biology | ECOL 406R | 3 |
| Environmentally Acquired Illnesses | EHS 420 | 3 |
| Soil Ecology | ENVS 300 | 3 |
| Introduction To Remote Sensing | GEOG/GIS/ENVS 330 | 3 |
| Geographical Applications of Remote Sensing | GEOG/ENVS 483 | 3 |
| Microbial Biogeochemistry and Global Change | ENVS/ECOL 410 | 3 |
| Introduction to Human Health Risk Assessment | EHS/ENVS 418 | 3 |
| Environmental Studies: Ideas and Institutions | EVS 260 | 3 |
| Water, Environment, & Society | GEOG/EVS 304 | 3 |
| Field Study in Geography Workshop | GEOG 397A | 1 |
| Environmental & Resource Geography | GEOG/EVS/HWRS/LAS 461 | 3 |
| Physical Geology | GEOS 251 | 4 |
| Glacial & Quaternary Geology | GEOS 453 | 3 |
| Natural History of Disasters | HIST 358 | 3 |
| Conservation Planning & Wildland Recreation | LAR 448 | 3 |
| Environmental Law and Policy | LAW 454 | 3 |
| Public International Environmental Law | LAW 459 | 3 |
| Calculus II | MATH 129 | 3 |
| Global Climate Change: Integrating Science, Policy and Decision Making | PA/PLG 461 | 3 |
| The Economics & Social Connections to Natural Resources | PA 485 | 3 |
| Environmental Land Use Planning | PLG 472 | 3 |
| Rangeland Plant Communities of the West | RAM 382 | 3 |
| Management & Restoration of Wildlands Vegetation | RAM 446 | 3 |
| Dryland Ecohydrology and Vegetation Dynamics | RAM/RNR/ECOL/WSM 452 | 4 |
| Rangeland Inventory & Monitoring | RAM 456A | 3 |
| Natural Resources Measurements | RNR 321 | 3 |
| Conservation Planning & Wildland Recreation | RNR 448 | 3-4 |
| Natural Resources Policy & Law | RNR 480 | 3 |
| Natural Resources Economics & Planning | RNR 485A | 3 |
| Conservation Biology: Field Studies in Developing Countries (Namibia) | RNR/ENVS 495F | 6 |
| Amazon Rainforest: Conservation Biology in Ecuador | RNR/ENVS 495G | 3 |
| Watershed Management | WSM 462 | 3 |
| Wildland Water Quality | WSM 468 | 3 |