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Bachelor's

Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences

University of California, Berkeley Rausser College of Natural Resources 283 courses 120 total credits

About This Program

Bachelor of Science (BS) The Environmental Sciences (ES) major is designed for students interested in studying environmental problems from a scientific perspective. The ES major prepares students to deal with issues arising from the impact of human interaction on natural systems. To address these problems, all ES students acquire strong backgrounds in math, biological sciences, and physical sciences. Students may choose to specialize further in a biological or physical science field such as ecology, conservation biology, toxicology, geology, hydrology, meteorology, engineering, or a social science field such as planning, policy analysis, economics, environmental justice, or education. Each ES student completes a year-long senior research project with the support of a mentor in a biological, physical, or interdisciplinary research area. Graduates are well-prepared for careers in fields such as environmental consulting, education, health, or law as well as community, urban, or regional planning and other related areas of environmentalism in public agencies, non-profit conservation organizations, and private companies. Graduates are well-qualified for a variety of graduate programs, including environmental policy and management, law school, medical school (and other pre-health programs), and environmental engineering. For more information, visit the Environmental Sciences webpage . Admission to the Major Advice on admission for freshmen and transfer students can be found on...

Degree Requirements

Total Units 120 credits

Lower Division Requirements: Biological Sciences Concentration: Mathematics, Part 1

Complete at least 1 of the following.

Lower Division Requirements: Biological Sciences Concentration: Mathematics Part 2

Complete at least 1 of the following.

Lower Division Requirements: Biological Sciences Concentration: Chemistry

Complete all of the following. CHEM 12A can be taken instead of CHEM 1A/CHEM 1AL CHEM 12A can be taken instead of CHEM 3A/CHEM 3AL

Lower Division Requirements: Biological Sciences Concentration: Biology

Complete all of the following.

Lower Division Requirements: Biological Sciences Concentration: Physics

Complete at least 1 of the following.

Lower Division Requirements: Physical Sciences Concentration: Mathmatics, Part 1

Complete at least 1 of the following.

Lower Division Requirements: Physical Sciences Concentration: Mathematics, Part 2

Complete at least 1 of the following.

Lower Division Requirements: Physical Sciences Concentration: Chemistry

Complete all of the following. CHEM 12A can be taken instead of CHEM 1A/CHEM 1AL CHEM 12A can be taken instead of CHEM 3A/CHEM 3AL

Lower Division Requirements: Physical Sciences Concentration: Physics

Complete all of the following.

Lower Division Requirements: Physical Sciences Concentration: Biology, Option 1

Complete all of the following.

Lower Division Requirements: Social Sciences Concentration: Mathematics, Part 1

Complete at least 1 of the following.

Lower Division Requirements: Social Sciences Concentration: Mathematics, Part 2

Complete at least 1 of the following.

Lower Division Requirements: Social Sciences Concentration: Chemistry, Part 1

Complete all of the following. CHEM 4A can be taken instead of CHEM 1A/CHEM 1AL.

Lower Division Requirements: Social Sciences Concentration: Chemistry, Part 2

Complete at least 1 of the following. CHEM1B can be taken instead of CHEM 3A/CHEM 3AL CHEM4B can be taken instead of CHEM 3A/CHEM 3AL CHEM12A can be taken instead of CHEM 3A/CHEM 3AL

Lower Division Requirements: Social Sciences Concentration: Physics

Complete at least 1 of the following.

Lower Division Requirements: Social Sciences Concentration: Biology, Option 1

Complete at least 1 of the following.

Lower Division Requirements: Environmental Science Core

Complete at least 1 of the following.

Lower Division Requirements: Social Science Core

Complete at least 1 of the following.

Lower Division Requirements: Environmental Economics

Complete at least 1 of the following.

Upper Division Electives by Concentration: Biological Sciences Concentration

Complete at least 1 of the following.

Code Course Title Credits
CHEM 103 Inorganic Chemistry in Living Systems 3
CHEM 115 Organic Chemistry--Advanced Laboratory Methods 4
CHEM C130 or MCELLBI C100A Biophysical Chemistry: Physical Principles and the Molecules of Life or Biophysical Chemistry: Physical Principles and the Molecules of Life 4
CIVENG 107 Climate Change Mitigation 3
CIVENG 113 Ecological Engineering for Water Quality Improvement 3
CIVENG 114 Environmental Microbiology 3
IAS 157AC Engineering, The Environment, and Society 4
ENERES 102 Quantitative Aspects of Global Environmental Problems 4
EPS C100 or INTEGBI C100 Communicating Ocean Science or Communicating Ocean Science 4
ESPM 102B Natural Resource Sampling 2
ESPM 102BL Laboratory in Natural Resource Sampling 2
ESPM C103 or INTEGBI C156 Principles of Conservation Biology or Principles of Conservation Biology 4
ESPM C104 or ENVECON C115 Modeling and Management of Biological Resources or Modeling and Management of Biological Resources 4
ESPM 105A Sierra Nevada Ecology 4
ESPM 106 American Wildlife: Management and Policy in the 21st Century 3
ESPM C107 Biology and Geomorphology of Tropical Islands 15
ESPM 108A Trees: Taxonomy, Growth, and Structures 3
ESPM 108B Environmental Change Genetics 3
ESPM 111 Ecosystem Ecology 4
ESPM 112 Microbial Ecology 3
ESPM 113 Insect Ecology 3
ESPM 114 Wildlife Ecology 3
ESPM 115B Coral Reef Ecology 3
ESPM C115C Fish Ecology 3
ESPM 116C Tropical Forest Ecology 3
ESPM 117 Urban Garden Ecosystems 4
ESPM 118 Agricultural Ecology 4
ESPM 120 Science of Soils 3
ESPM 121 Development and Classification of Soils 3
ESPM C126 or INTEGBI C144 Animal Behavior or Animal Behavior 4
ESPM C129 or INTEGBI C144 Biometeorology or Animal Behavior 3
ESPM 130A Forest Hydrology 4
ESPM 131 Soil Microbiology and Biogeochemistry 3
ESPM 134 Fire, Insects, and Diseases in Forest Ecosystems 3
ESPM C138 or MCELLBI C114 Introduction to Comparative Virology or Introduction to Comparative Virology 4
ESPM 139A Genetics of Amphibian Declines CURE 3
ESPM 140 General Entomology 4
ESPM 144 Insect Physiology 3
ESPM 147 Field Entomology 1
ESPM C148 or NUSCTX C114 Pesticide Chemistry and Toxicology or Pesticide Chemistry and Toxicology 3
ESPM 149 Bodies, Difference, and the Environment 4
ESPM 152 Global Change Biology 3
ESPM 157 Data Science in Global Change Ecology 4
ESPM 158 Biodiversity Conservation in Working Landscapes 4
ESPM 162 Bioethics and Society 4
ESPM C170 Carbon Cycle Dynamics 3
ESPM 172 Remote Sensing of the Environment 3
ESPM 173 Introduction to Ecological Data Analysis 3
ESPM 174 Design and Analysis of Ecological Research 4
ESPM 176A Climate Change, Ecosystems, and Solutions 2
ESPM 181A Fire Ecology 3
ESPM 184 Agroforestry Systems 3
ESPM 185 Applied Forest Ecology 4
ESPM 186 Grassland and Woodland Management and Conservation 4
ESPM 187 Restoration Ecology 4
ESPM 188 Case Histories in Wildlife Management 2
ESPM 190 Seminar in Environmental Issues 3
GEOG C146 Communicating Ocean Science 4
GEOG C148 Biogeography 4
GEOG 185 Earth System Remote Sensing 3
GEOG C188 or LDARCH C188 Geographic Information Science or Geographic Information Science 4
GLOBAL 126 Development and the Environment 4
INTEGBI C100 Communicating Ocean Science 4
INTEGBI 102LF Introduction to California Plant Life with Laboratory 4
INTEGBI 103LF Invertebrate Zoology with Laboratory 5
INTEGBI 104LF Natural History of the Vertebrates with Laboratory 6
INTEGBI 117LF Medical Ethnobotany Laboratory 2
INTEGBI 134L Practical Genomics 4
INTEGBI C144 Animal Behavior 4
INTEGBI 146LF Behavioral Ecology with Laboratory 5
INTEGBI 151 Plant Physiological Ecology 3
INTEGBI 151L Plant Physiological Ecology Laboratory 2
INTEGBI C153 Ecology 3
INTEGBI 154 Plant Ecology 3
INTEGBI 154L Plant Ecology Laboratory 2
INTEGBI 156 Principles of Conservation Biology 3
INTEGBI 157LF Ecosystems of California 5
INTEGBI 159 The Living Planet: Impact of the Biosphere on the Earth System 3
INTEGBI 162 Ecological Genetics 4
INTEGBI 173LF Mammalogy with Laboratory 5
INTEGBI 174LF Ornithology with Laboratory 5
INTEGBI 175LF Herpetology with Laboratory 5
LDARCH 110 Ecological Analysis 3
LDARCH C188 Geographic Information Science 4
MCELLBI 102 Survey of the Principles of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 4
MCELLBI C112 General Microbiology 4
MCELLBI C112L General Microbiology Laboratory 3
MCELLBI 140 General Genetics 4
PLANTBI C110L Biology of Fungi with Laboratory 3
PLANTBI C112 General Microbiology 4
PLANTBI C112L General Microbiology Laboratory 3
PLANTBI C114 Introduction to Comparative Virology 4
PLANTBI C116 or MCELLBI C116 Microbial Diversity or Microbial Diversity 3
PLANTBI 120 Biology of Algae 2
PLANTBI 120L Laboratory for Biology of Algae 2
PLANTBI 122 Bioenergy and Bioproduction 2
PLANTBI 135 Physiology and Biochemistry of Plants 3
PLANTBI 180 Environmental Plant Biology 2
PBHLTH 150A Introduction to Epidemiology and Human Disease 4
PBHLTH 150B Human Health and the Environment in a Changing World 3
PBHLTH 162A Public Health Microbiology 4

Upper Division Electives by Concentration: Physical Sciences Concentration

Complete at least 1 of the following.

Code Course Title Credits
ARCH 140 Energy and Environment 4
ARCH 149 Special Topics in Energy and Environment 1-4
CHMENG 140 Introduction to Chemical Process Analysis 4
CHMENG 141 Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics 4
CHMENG 142 Chemical Kinetics and Reaction Engineering 4
CHMENG 150A Transport Processes 4
CHMENG 150B Transport and Separation Processes 4
CHMENG 183 Climate Solutions Technologies 3
CHEM 103 Inorganic Chemistry in Living Systems 3
CHEM 104A Advanced Inorganic Chemistry 3
CHEM 104B Advanced Inorganic Chemistry 3
CHEM 105 Instrumental Methods in Analytical Chemistry 4
CHEM 120A Physical Chemistry 3
CHEM 120B Physical Chemistry 3
CHEM 125 Physical Chemistry Laboratory 3
CHEM C130 or MCELLBI C100A Biophysical Chemistry: Physical Principles and the Molecules of Life or Biophysical Chemistry: Physical Principles and the Molecules of Life 4
CHEM 130B Biophysical Chemistry 3
CHEM 135 Chemical Biology 3
CHEM C182 or EPS C182 Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Laboratory or Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Laboratory 3
CIVENG 100 Elementary Fluid Mechanics 4
CIVENG C103N Terrestrial Hydrology 4
CIVENG C106 Air Pollution 3
CIVENG 107 Climate Change Mitigation 3
CIVENG 111 Environmental Engineering 3
CIVENG 112 Water & Wastewater Systems Design and Operation 3
CIVENG 113 Ecological Engineering for Water Quality Improvement 3
CIVENG 115 Water Chemistry 3
CIVENG C116 Chemistry of Soils 3
CIVENG 171 Rock Mechanics 3
CIVENG 173 Groundwater and Seepage 3
ENGIN 157AC or IAS 157AC Engineering, The Environment, and Society or Engineering, The Environment, and Society 4
EPS C100 or INTEGBI C100 Communicating Ocean Science or Communicating Ocean Science 4
EPS 100A Minerals: Their Constitution and Origin 4
EPS 100B Genesis and Interpretation of Rocks 4
EPS 101 Field Geology and Digital Mapping 4
EPS 102 History and Evolution of Planet Earth 4
EPS 117 Geomorphology 4
EPS 119 Geologic Field Studies 2
EPS 131 Geochemistry 4
EPS C180 Air Pollution 3
EPS C181 or GEOG C139 Atmosphere, Ocean, and Climate Dynamics or Atmosphere, Ocean, and Climate Dynamics 3
EPS C182 Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Laboratory 3
ENERES C100 or PUBPOL C184 Energy and Society or Energy and Society 4
ENERES 102 Quantitative Aspects of Global Environmental Problems 4
ESPM 101A The Politics and Practice of Sustainability Transitions 4
ESPM 102B Natural Resource Sampling 2
ESPM 102BL Laboratory in Natural Resource Sampling 2
ESPM 120 Science of Soils 3
ESPM 121 Development and Classification of Soils 3
ESPM C128 or CIVENG C116 Chemistry of Soils or Chemistry of Soils 3
ESPM C129 or EPS C129 Biometeorology or Biometeorology 3
ESPM C130 Terrestrial Hydrology 4
GEOG C136 Terrestrial Hydrology 4
ESPM 131 Soil Microbiology and Biogeochemistry 3
ESPM C148 or NUSCTX C114 Pesticide Chemistry and Toxicology or Pesticide Chemistry and Toxicology 3
ESPM 157 Data Science in Global Change Ecology 4
ESPM 164 GIS and Environmental Science 3
ESPM C170 Carbon Cycle Dynamics 3
ESPM 172 Remote Sensing of the Environment 3
ESPM 173 Introduction to Ecological Data Analysis 3
ESPM 174 Design and Analysis of Ecological Research 4
ESPM 176A Climate Change, Ecosystems, and Solutions 2
ESPM C180 or EPS C180 Air Pollution or Air Pollution 3
ESPM 181A Fire Ecology 3
GEOG C139 Atmosphere, Ocean, and Climate Dynamics 3
GEOG 140A Physical Landscapes: Process and Form 4
GEOG 142 Global Climate Variability and Change 4
GEOG 143 Global Change Biogeochemistry 3
GEOG 144 Principles of Meteorology 3
GEOG 145 Platform Geographies 4
GEOG C146 Communicating Ocean Science 4
GEOG 180 Field Methods for Physical Geography 5
GEOG 183 Cartographic Representation 4
GEOG 185 Earth System Remote Sensing 3
GEOG C188 or LDARCH C188 Geographic Information Science or Geographic Information Science 4
GLOBAL 126 Development and the Environment 4
LDARCH 120 Topographic Form and Design Technology 3
MATH 121A Mathematical Tools for the Physical Sciences 4
MATH 121B Mathematical Tools for the Physical Sciences 4
MECENG 106 Fluid Mechanics 3

Upper Division Electives by Concentration: Social Sciences Concentration

Complete at least 1 of the following.

Code Course Title Credits
CIVENG 107 Climate Change Mitigation 3
CYPLAN 110 Introduction to City Planning 4
DEMOG C126 Sex, Death, and Data 4
DEMOG C175 Economic Demography 4
ECON C102 Natural Resource Economics 4
ECON C125 Environmental Economics 4
ECON C171 Development Economics 4
ECON C175 Economic Demography 4
ENERES C100 Energy and Society 4
ENERES 101 Ecology and Society 3
ENERES 102 Quantitative Aspects of Global Environmental Problems 4
ENERES C124 Gender and Environment 4
ENERES 175 Water and Development 4
ENERES 180 Ecological Economics in Historical Context 3
ENGIN 125 Ethics, Engineering, and Society 3
ENGIN 157AC Engineering, The Environment, and Society 4
ENVECON 100 Intermediate Microeconomics with Applications to Sustainability 4
ENVECON C101 Environmental Economics 4
ENVECON C102 Natural Resource Economics 4
ENVECON C115 Modeling and Management of Biological Resources 4
ENVECON 131 Globalization and the Natural Environment 3
ENVECON 147 The Economics of the Clean Energy Transition 4
ENVECON C151 Development Economics 4
ENVECON 153 Population, Environment, and Development 3
ENVECON 161 Advanced Topics in Environmental and Resource Economics 4
ENVECON 162 Economics of Water Resources 3
EPS 102 History and Evolution of Planet Earth 4
ESPM 101A The Politics and Practice of Sustainability Transitions 4
ESPM 102C Resource Management 3
ESPM 102D Climate and Energy Policy 4
ESPM C104 Modeling and Management of Biological Resources 4
ESPM 117 Urban Garden Ecosystems 4
ESPM C124 Gender and Environment 4
ESPM 151 Society, Environment, and Culture 4
ESPM 155AC Sociology and Political Ecology of Agro-Food Systems 4
ESPM 157 Data Science in Global Change Ecology 4
ESPM 160AC American Environmental and Cultural History 4
ESPM 161 Environmental Philosophy and Ethics 4
ESPM 162 Bioethics and Society 4
ESPM 163AC Environmental Justice: Race, Class, Equity, and the Environment 4
ESPM 165 International Rural Development Policy 4
ESPM C167 Environmental Health and Development 4
ESPM 168 Political Ecology 4
ESPM 169 International Environmental Politics 4
ESPM 176A Climate Change, Ecosystems, and Solutions 2
ESPM 183 Forest Ecosystem Management and Planning 4
GEOG 130 Food and the Environment 4
GEOG 167AC Decolonial Border Geographies 4
GEOG 185 Earth System Remote Sensing 3
GEOG C188 Geographic Information Science 4
INTEGBI 117 Medical Ethnobotany 2
INTEGBI 117LF Medical Ethnobotany Laboratory 2
GLOBAL 126 Development and the Environment 4
LDARCH 110 Ecological Analysis 3
LDARCH 130 Sustainable Landscapes and Cities 4
LDARCH C188 Geographic Information Science 4
SOCIOL C126 Sex, Death, and Data 4
SOCIOL 137AC Environmental Justice: Race, Class, Equity, and the Environment 4

Upper Division Requirements: All Concentrations: Human Environment Interactions

Complete at least 1 of the following.

Code Course Title Credits
ANTHRO C119A Inequality and the Body: Health, Medicine, Society and Environment 4
ANTHRO 137 Energy, Culture and Social Organization 4
CHICANO 175 Latinx and the Environment 4
ECON C125 Environmental Economics 4
ENERES C160 CLIMATE JUSTICE 4
ENERES 171 California Water 3
ENERES C180 Ecological Economics in Historical Context 3
ENERES 160 Climate Justice 4
ENERES 174W Water and Sanitation Justice 3
ENERES 175 Water and Development 4
ENVECON C101 Environmental Economics 4
ENVECON C180 Ecological Economics in Historical Context 3
ENVECON 131 Globalization and the Natural Environment 3
ENVECON 140AC Economics of Race, Agriculture, and the Environment 3
ENVECON 153 Population, Environment, and Development 3
ENVECON 162 Economics of Water Resources 3
ESPM C162A Inequality and the Body: Health, Medicine, Society and Environment 4
ESPM C167 Environmental Health and Development 4
ESPM C176 CLIMATE JUSTICE 4
ESPM W169 International Environmental Politics 4
ESPM 101A The Politics and Practice of Sustainability Transitions 4
ESPM 102D Climate and Energy Policy 4
ESPM 136 Forest Health 3
ESPM 151 Society, Environment, and Culture 4
ESPM 155AC Sociology and Political Ecology of Agro-Food Systems 4
ESPM 161 Environmental Philosophy and Ethics 4
ESPM 162 Bioethics and Society 4
ESPM 162A Health, Medicine, Society and Environment 4
ESPM 163AC Environmental Justice: Race, Class, Equity, and the Environment 4
ESPM 166 Natural Resource Policy and Indigenous Peoples 4
ESPM 168 Political Ecology 4
ESPM 169 International Environmental Politics 4
ESPM 186 Grassland and Woodland Management and Conservation 4
GEOG N130 Food and the Environment 3
GEOG 130 Food and the Environment 4
GEOG 138 Global Environmental Politics 4
HISTORY 120AC American Environmental and Cultural History 4
LEGALST 131 Forced Migration 4
PBHLTH C160 Environmental Health and Development 4
SOCIOL 137AC Environmental Justice: Race, Class, Equity, and the Environment 4

Click a course code or title to read the full course description.

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