The Environmental Studies Program offers two degrees in environmental studies: B.A. and B.S. degree. While both majors are similar in that they stress the importance of understanding the interrelationships between the humanities, social sciences, and natural science disciplines, the ES Program offers two degree options to allow the student the opportunity to choose a major that will most appropriately fit their environmental interests and goals.

The bachelor of arts (B.A.) degree in environmental studies requires a wide breadth of introductory social science, natural science, and humanities courses necessary to establish a fundamental understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of today’s environmental problems. Its strength is in the upper-division requirements taken during the student’s junior and senior years. It is here that the major allows maximum flexibility for the student to create their unique environmental emphasis by selecting their elective and outside concentration units from a wide range of disciplines.

Although the bachelor of science (B.S.) degree requires many of the same lower-division social science and humanities courses as the B.A., the main purpose of this degree is to develop a student’s technical, quantitative, ecological, and analytical skills. Consequently, a substantial number of courses in biology, mathematics, chemistry, and physics are required. At the upper-division level students are given a number of units to pursue elective courses from social science disciplines; but the majority of their junior and senior electives are dedicated to taking natural and physical science courses to enhance their understanding of earth system sciences and the role they play in environmental problems.

For more info about the two environmental studies majors click here.

The ES Program is also home to a second bachelor of science degree (B.S.) in Hydrologic Sciences. Its purpose is to provide students with the scientific training needed to understand and solve complex hydrologic problems at local, regional, and global levels. As hydrology is a science dealing with the occurrence, circulation, distribution, and properties of the waters of the earth and its atmosphere, its curriculum is more focused than either of the environmental studies degrees listed above. It provides a rigorous framework of courses in biology, chemistry, geography, physics, and geology necessary for students to understand the hydrologic process and the impacts humans have upon it. Although the B.S. degree in Hydrologic Sciences is housed within the Environmental Studies Program, it is a cooperative effort by the departments of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, Chemistry, Geography, and Geological Sciences.

For more info about the Hydrologic Sciences Major click here.