Information and Policies
Introduction
The University of California, Santa Cruz environmental sciences (ESCI) major is an interdepartmental, undergraduate-only program. The purpose of the ESCI major is to educate students interested in environmental science problems and issues, with a focus on issues within the physical sciences (as opposed to focusing on biological sciences). The major specializes primarily on the following areas:
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Hydrosphere: water resources, water quality, aquatic chemistry, physical oceanography, chemical oceanography, glaciology
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Pollution and transport: environmental toxicology, environmental transport/fluid mechanics, environmental monitoring
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Global scale environment: climate, climate dynamics, global cycles of water, carbon and nutrients, remote sensing of the environment
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Atmosphere: meteorology, air quality, atmospheric chemistry
The core faculty of the major are primarily from two departments, Earth and Planetary Sciences and Ocean Sciences. Faculty from other departments such as Microbiology and Environmental Toxicology and Environmental Studies may also be involved.
In addition to providing comprehensive preparation in the basic physical sciences, and particular breadth and depth in environmental sciences, the curriculum is structured to prepare students for the competitive graduate school and career marketplace. The core of the major includes calculus, physics, chemistry, and core foundational upper-division environmental sciences courses.
Graduates of the ESCI major are expected to continue on to a variety of careers, such as:
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Business and industry
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Environmental consulting
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Governmental agencies at the federal, state, and local level
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Non-profit organizations
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Research at universities, governmental research institutions, or other scientific agencies
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Graduate/professional school in areas such as science, engineering, teaching, law, public health, business
For more information about the affiliated faculty and staff for the major, including areas of interest and facilities, contact e-mails and phone numbers, and how to declare this major, please see our website.
Program Learning Outcomes
The ESCI major has three broad program learning outcomes, each with three specific learning outcomes:
PLO 1: Disciplinary Knowledge Goals
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Reservoirs: Understand and describe the properties of the various environmental “reservoirs”, which represent different, interacting physical regimes. For example, a global model might have the atmosphere, oceans, plants and soils as four primary interacting reservoirs.
- Processes: Understand and describe the processes governing the properties and evolution of Earth’s physical environment, i.e., the properties and evolution of reservoirs and their interactions.
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Application: Apply the knowledge of reservoirs and processes to explain, analyze and predict phenomena within the environmental sciences.
PLO 2: Quantitative Reasoning Goals
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Calculation: Utilize mathematical tools (e.g. algebra, calculus) to address questions in the environmental sciences.
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Visualization: Interpret and produce visual representations of data in the environmental sciences (e.g. graphs and charts) that conform to disciplinary standards.
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Analysis: Use quantitative analysis as the basis for drawing insights and conclusions, while expressing the appropriate assumptions and qualifications.
PLO 3: Written Communication Goals
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Mechanics: Write sentences with correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
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Conventions: Accurately utilize the formatting, stylistic, citation and bibliographic conventions of environmental sciences in the written document.
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Organization: Construct paragraphs, sections and an overall document that flows logically and persuasively argues a thesis.
Academic Advising for the Program
Academic advising is available at the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences (EPS) undergraduate advising office located in the Earth and Marine Sciences Building, and via email at epsadvising@ucsc.edu. The Environmental Sciences undergraduate web pages contain information on all aspects of major advising including: academic planning, upper and lower-division course descriptions, enrichment opportunities in the major like study abroad and undergraduate research, and how to make an appointment with an adviser. Each student should become familiar with the information posted on the website; for further assistance, contact the EPS undergraduate adviser. Transfer students should consult Getting Started in the Major: Transfer Students for more detailed information about academic advising.
Getting Started in the Major: Frosh
This major is not highly sequential or course intensive. Although it is advisable to begin taking courses toward the major in the first year, it is not required. Students begin with general chemistry and mathematics, and an introductory course in physical geology.
Math placement is required for one or more of the foundational courses for this major. For more information, please review the Math Placement website.
Courses completed at a community college or four-year university and/or advanced placement (AP) course equivalencies may be used to fulfill prerequisites.
Every proposed environmental science student will receive emails about advising and first quarter enrollment during the summer. Students with further questions about what to enroll in should email the Environmental Sciences undergraduate adviser.
Transfer Information and Policy
Transfer Admission Screening Policy
The environmental sciences program welcomes applications from prospective transfer students. Students should reference assist.org to determine course equivalencies.
To be considered for admission as a proposed ESCI B.S. major, transfer students must complete the following courses or their equivalents prior to transfer, by the end of the spring term for students planning to enter in the fall.
A minimum GPA of 2.00 must be obtained in the courses listed above.
Transfer students planning on attending UC Santa Cruz to pursue an environmental sciences major should contact the undergraduate adviser for transfer preparation information and reference assist.org to determine which courses are equivalent to these required courses. Having this coursework completed prior to transferring allows students greater flexibility in scheduling and completing their major.
One of these options
| | Either these courses | |
| CHEM 3A | General Chemistry | 5 |
| CHEM 3B | General Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 3BL | General Chemistry Lab | 2 |
| CHEM 3C | General Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 3CL | General Chemistry Lab | 2 |
| | or these courses | |
| CHEM 4A | Advanced General Chemistry: Molecular Structure and Reactivity | 5 |
| CHEM 4AL | Advanced General Chemistry Lab | 2 |
| CHEM 4B | Advanced General Chemistry: Molecular Structure and Reactivity | 5 |
| CHEM 4BL | Advanced General Chemistry Lab | 2 |
Note: This requirement may also be satisfied with prior completion of CHEM 1A, CHEM 1C, and CHEM 1N or equivalent.
Previous to July 1, 2023, the General Chemistry series, offered by the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, was listed in the General Catalog as CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B and CHEM 1C, with associated laboratories CHEM 1M and CHEM 1N. As of academic year 2023-24, this series was replaced with two distinct series: CHEM 3A, CHEM 3B and CHEM 3C, with labs CHEM 3BL and CHEM 3CL; or CHEM 4A and CHEM 4B with labs CHEM 4AL and CHEM 4BL. Descriptions of these two series are given here.
Plus these courses
Recommended Courses
In addition, the following courses are recommended prior to transfer to ensure timely graduation:
| PHYS 6B | Introductory Physics II | 5 |
| PHYS 6M | Introductory Physics II Laboratory | 1 |
Students admitted to UC Santa Cruz in a major other than environmental sciences that wish to petition to declare environmental sciences must meet the major screening requirements prior to transferring to UC Santa Cruz and submit a major declaration appeal during the summer session. Within 15 days of receipt of the appeal, the department will notify the student and their affiliated college of the decision. Appeals will be considered on a case-by-case basis and decisions are final. Students may not appeal more than one time.
Getting Started in the Major: Transfer Students
Once you have submitted your intent to register at UC Santa Cruz, here is a step-by-step guide to transferring your coursework and getting enrolled:
- Confirm you are a proposed environmental sciences major.
If you are not sure of your status, log on to your MyUCSC portal to view your proposed major. If your major is proposed environmental sciences you are all set. If the proposed major listed is not environmental sciences, you will need to meet with the adviser for environmental sciences.
- Once your courses have been articulated, you will receive an email from the EPS advising office.
This email will include suggestions for summer or fall enrollment, and invite you to make an appointment to talk with the EPS major adviser.
- Make an appointment to talk to an adviser.
Your confirmation email will include instructions for scheduling an advising appointment. Appointments are available over Zoom or in person.
- Participate in Transfer Orientation and Welcome Week.
Transfer Orientation provides instructions on how to transfer your coursework to UC Santa Cruz, the advising and support available, and how to enroll. Our online transfer orientation provides all the critical information you need to transition to UC Santa Cruz and begin your major coursework. The department also hosts a transfer student welcome in the fall that provides new transfer students an opportunity to meet other transfer students, familiarize themselves with the campus and the available resources. Welcome Week includes presentations on the environmental sciences major, including an overview of the courses offered and an introduction on how to get involved in undergraduate research.
- Declaring the environmental sciences major.
In order to declare the environmental sciences major, transfer students entering at the junior level must complete the CHEM 3 series (CHEM 3A, CHEM 3B, CHEM 3BL, CHEM 3C and CHEM 3CL), or the CHEM 4 series (CHEM 4A, CHEM 4AL, CHEM 4B and CHEM 4BL), plus MATH 11A, MATH 11B, and PHYS 6A and PHYS 6L or an approved equivalent course (with a C or better) by the end of their first quarter at UC Santa Cruz and meet with the Environmental Sciences adviser by the declaration deadline.
Major Qualification Policy and Declaration Process
Petition to declare your major as soon as you have met qualification requirements and/or reach your declaration deadline quarter, whichever comes first.
Major Qualification
Transfer students should consult the Transfer and Information Policy section for information about major qualification.
Students are expected to complete the academic planning and online petition by the campus declaration deadline.
Students who satisfy the major qualification requirements and who petition to declare the major by the campus major declaration deadline (i.e., before enrolling in their third year or the equivalent) will be admitted to the major.
To qualify for the environmental sciences major, a student must have an academic planning form signed and approved by an adviser. All major qualification courses must be taken for a letter grade and passed with a grade of C or higher.
Complete one of the following options:
| | Either these courses | |
| CHEM 3A | General Chemistry | 5 |
| CHEM 3B | General Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 3BL | General Chemistry Lab | 2 |
| CHEM 3C | General Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 3CL | General Chemistry Lab | 2 |
| | or these courses | |
| CHEM 4A | Advanced General Chemistry: Molecular Structure and Reactivity | 5 |
| CHEM 4AL | Advanced General Chemistry Lab | 2 |
| CHEM 4B | Advanced General Chemistry: Molecular Structure and Reactivity | 5 |
| CHEM 4BL | Advanced General Chemistry Lab | 2 |
Note: This requirement may also be satisfied with prior completion of CHEM 1A, CHEM 1C, and CHEM 1N or equivalent.
Previous to July 1, 2023, the General Chemistry series, offered by the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, was listed in the General Catalog as CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B and CHEM 1C, with associated laboratories CHEM 1M and CHEM 1N. As of academic year 2023-24, this series was replaced with two distinct series: CHEM 3A, CHEM 3B and CHEM 3C, with labs CHEM 3BL and CHEM 3CL; or CHEM 4A and CHEM 4B with labs CHEM 4AL and CHEM 4BL. Descriptions of these two series are given here.
Plus the following courses:
Appeal Process
Students who do not satisfy the major qualification requirements by the campus major declaration deadline and are notified that they are not eligible to declare the major may submit a major declaration appeal. Students must submit their major declaration appeal within 15 days from the date the notification was sent. Within 15 days of receipt of the appeal, the department will notify the student and their affiliated college of the decision. Appeals will be considered on a case-by-case basis and decisions are final. Students may not appeal more than one time.
How to Declare a Major
Students who qualify start the declaration process by creating an academic plan and then scheduling an appointment with the department staff adviser. You must consult with the department’s undergraduate staff adviser to have your academic plan reviewed and approved prior to being able to declare the environmental sciences major. Students should petition to declare the major as soon as they have met qualification requirements and/or reached their declaration deadline quarter, whichever comes first.
Letter Grade Policy
All courses used to satisfy requirements for the environmental sciences major must be taken for a letter grade, with the exception of the following courses, which may be taken pass/no pass: ESCI 195, EART 198 and EART 199 and OCEA 199.
Course Substitution Policy
Relevant courses taken at UC Santa Cruz or other institutions may be substituted for degree requirements by approved petition. Please see the undergraduate adviser for the substitution petition form and more information about this process.
Double Majors and Major/Minor Combinations Policy
Students interested in pursuing multiple majors within the Earth and environmental sciences may NOT declare the following combination of majors:
- Environmental Sciences B.S. and Earth Sciences Minor
- Any combination of the following: Earth Sciences B.S., Environmental Sciences B.S., Earth Sciences/Anthropology Combined Major B.A.
Should a student choose to double major, they must qualify for and complete the disciplinary communication and comprehensive requirements for each of the majors.
Honors
Honors in the major are determined by a review of grades (typically 3.50 or above) at the time a student applies for graduation. A faculty committee makes the decision based on the quality of all coursework, but especially in the courses required for the major. Extra coursework or independent study as well as more intensive or rigorous coursework and the quality of a capstone project may also be taken into consideration. Highest honors may also be awarded in exceptional cases when a student’s overall grade point average (GPA) is above 3.75 and performance in the senior capstone requirement is equally outstanding. The program reserves the right to withhold honors and highest honors based on other criteria, such as an incident of academic dishonesty.
Honors in the senior thesis are determined independently of major honors, and must be approved by two faculty readers.
Requirements and Planners
Course Requirements
Lower-Division Courses
One of the following options:
| | Either these courses | |
| CHEM 3A | General Chemistry | 5 |
| CHEM 3B | General Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 3BL | General Chemistry Lab | 2 |
| CHEM 3C | General Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 3CL | General Chemistry Lab | 2 |
| | or these courses | |
| CHEM 4A | Advanced General Chemistry: Molecular Structure and Reactivity | 5 |
| CHEM 4AL | Advanced General Chemistry Lab | 2 |
| CHEM 4B | Advanced General Chemistry: Molecular Structure and Reactivity | 5 |
| CHEM 4BL | Advanced General Chemistry Lab | 2 |
Note: This requirement may also be satisfied with prior completion of CHEM 1A, CHEM 1C, and CHEM 1N or equivalent.
Previous to July 1, 2023, the General Chemistry series, offered by the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, was listed in the General Catalog as CHEM 1A, CHEM 1B and CHEM 1C, with associated laboratories CHEM 1M and CHEM 1N. As of academic year 2023-24, this series was replaced with two distinct series: CHEM 3A, CHEM 3B and CHEM 3C, with labs CHEM 3BL and CHEM 3CL; or CHEM 4A and CHEM 4B with labs CHEM 4AL and CHEM 4BL. Descriptions of these two series are given here.
Plus one of the following options:
| | Either these courses | |
| MATH 11A | Calculus with Applications | 5 |
| MATH 11B | Calculus with Applications | 5 |
| | or these courses | |
| MATH 19A | Calculus for Science, Engineering, and Mathematics | 5 |
| MATH 19B | Calculus for Science, Engineering, and Mathematics | 5 |
Plus one of the following options:
| | Either these courses | |
| EART 5 | California Geology | 5 |
| EART 5L | California Geology Laboratory | 1 |
| | or these courses | |
| EART 10 | Geologic Principles | 5 |
| EART 10L | Geologic Principles Laboratory | 1 |
| | or these courses | |
| EART 20 | Environmental Geology | 5 |
| EART 20L | Environmental Geology Laboratory | 1 |
Plus all of the following courses:
| ENVS 25 | Environmental Politics, Economics and Justice | 5 |
| ESCI 30 | Biological Principles of Environmental Sciences | 5 |
| PHYS 6A | Introductory Physics I | 5 |
| PHYS 6L | Introductory Physics I Laboratory | 1 |
| PHYS 6B | Introductory Physics II | 5 |
| PHYS 6M | Introductory Physics II Laboratory | 1 |
* ESCI 30 students who were formerly proposed or declared majors in biology, biochemistry, bioengineering, or other related majors may have other options to fulfill this requirement. Please inquire with the adviser.
Upper-Division Courses
All of the following courses:
| ESCI 100A | Fundamentals of Environmental Sciences | 5 |
| ESCI 100B | Fundamentals of Environmental Processes | 5 |
| ESCI 160 | Data Analysis in the Environmental Sciences | 5 |
At least five elective courses.
Students take five upper-division Earth sciences, ocean sciences, and/or environmental sciences courses of 5 credits or more, chosen from EART 100-199 (excluding EART 196B and 198), OCEA 100-199, and/or ESCI (100-189). No more than one quarter of EART 199 or OCEA 199 may be used as an elective. Lecture/lab combinations count as one course. If a lecture has a lab offered (required or optional), the lab must be passed to count for this requirement.
ENVS 115A and 115L, taken together, are approved as one elective. METX 150 is also allowed as an elective. Up to two courses from other departments may be considered for upper-division elective credit by permission of a faculty advisor. Please consult with an advisor for more details.
Students are encouraged to take more than the minimum number of elective courses and may craft an elective distribution from many areas of specific research and career interests.
Disciplinary Communication (DC) Requirement
Students fulfill the disciplinary communication (DC) requirement through successful completion of either (1) one of the environmental sciences senior capstone seminars (ESCI 191) or (2) a senior thesis based on original research performed by the student (completion of ESCI 195: Senior Thesis is required).
Comprehensive Requirement
All students must satisfy the senior comprehensive requirement. The intent of this requirement is to synthesize knowledge and skills from a student’s undergraduate career. Students should consult an adviser if they have any questions about the timing of their proposed comprehensive requirement activity.
Other capstones will not be considered unless they also satisfy the DC requirement.
Courses that are used to satisfy the capstone may not also count toward fulfilling the upper-division elective requirement.
Satisfactory completion of one of the following capstone course offerings:
Senior Thesis
ESCI 195 requires original research performed by the student. Approval from a faculty sponsor is required prior to embarking on a senior thesis. Completion of the senior thesis is necessary to pass ESCI 195.
ESCI 195 also satisfies the DC requirement.
Capstone Seminar
Enrollment in ESCI 191 is limited to environmental science majors with senior standing.
ESCI 191 also satisfies the DC requirement.
Planners
The tables below are for informational purposes and do not reflect all university, general education, and credit requirements. See Undergraduate Graduation Requirements for more information.
Students planning a professional career in environmental sciences should take more than the minimum number of courses required for the major, if possible. Four-year students have ample flexibility to take additional electives if they begin with the required courses in their second year. Junior transfers also have flexibility if they have taken most of their lower-division preparatory courses before entry. Further advice can be obtained from the undergraduate adviser and from faculty members.
Sample Four-Year Planner
Note: CHEM 3A is offered in fall and winter. CHEM 3B is offered in winter and spring, and CHEM 3BL is offered every quarter. CHEM 3C is offered every quarter, but CHEM 3CL is offered in fall and spring only. CHEM 4A and CHEM 4AL are offered in fall, and CHEM 4B and CHEM 4BL are offered in winter. MATH 11A and MATH 11B are offered every quarter. PHYS 6A and PHYS 6L are offered every quarter, but PHYS 6B and PHYS 6M are not offered in fall.
* EART 5, EART 10, EART 20 and corresponding labs are interchangeable.
** WRIT 2 should be taken in or before spring quarter of the second year.
***Students expecting to write a senior thesis (ESCI 195) for their comprehensive requirement should contact the department at least three quarters before graduation to identify the intended project and faculty adviser. Senior theses usually require at least three quarters for completion.
In addition to the specific courses shown in these planners, a student must complete courses satisfying the CC, ER, IM, SR, TA, PE, and PR general education requirements.
Sample Transfer (Two-Year) Planner
This planner assumes that students have completed all lower-division requirements other than ESCI 30, ENVS 25, and EART 20 and EART 20L.
*Students expecting to write a senior thesis (ESCI 195) for their comprehensive requirement should contact the department at least three quarters before graduation to identify the intended project and faculty adviser. Senior theses usually require at least three quarters for completion.