Environmental Policy, Science, and Sustainability

Students with interests in the environment may choose to pursue UCSC majors in agroecology, Earth sciences (the standard major or with a concentration in geology, environmental geology, ocean sciences, or planetary sciences), ecology and evolution, environmental science, environmental studies, marine biology, plant sciences, or in combined majors between environmental studies and biology, earth sciences, or economics. In addition to the college core course, first quarter frosh enroll in two or more lower-division courses (1 - 99), for a total of 15-19 credits, their first term.

INITIAL PLACEMENT

Students in this cluster should assess their placement in the following subjects prior to enrolling for their first term:

• Mathematics:  Determine your math placement by completing an assessment in ALEKS. If you completed a college-level math course, or scored 3 or better on an AP calculus exam, or 5 or better on an IBH mathematics exam, you may be able to use that for placement instead of the ALEKS assessment. Math assessment indicates the mathematics course where you should begin.

• Chemistry Self-Assessment: The following majors in this cluster include chemistry: ecology and evolution; Earth sciences; environmental science; combined environmental studies majors with biology or Earth sciences; marine biology, and plant sciences.
  
  Students can take the Chemistry Self Assessment for assistance in determining when to begin in general chemistry.

QUALIFICATION FOR MAJORS IN THIS CLUSTER

Students must qualify for majors within this cluster by earning specific grades in foundation courses. Consult the Getting Started in the Major Guides below and/or the General Catalog for specific information about qualification requirements for majors you are considering.

GETTING STARTED IN THE MAJOR GUIDES

• Agroecology
• Earth Sciences
• Ecology and Evolution
• Environmental Science
• Environmental Studies
• Marine Biology
• Plant Sciences

CONTACT INFORMATION

Agroecology
Program Advisor, envsadvising@ucsc.edu
Environmental Studies Undergraduate Advising Office, 405 Interdisciplinary Sciences Building
https://envs.ucsc.edu

Earth Sciences
Earth and Planetary Sciences Department
epsadvising@ucsc.edu

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Advising
eebadvising@ucsc.edu

Environmental Studies
Program Advisor, envsadvising@ucsc.edu
Environmental Studies Undergraduate Advising Office, 405 Interdisciplinary Sciences Building
https://envs.ucsc.edu

Environmental Science
Earth and Planetary Sciences Department
epsadvising@ucsc.edu

Marine Biology
Ecology and Evolution Biology Advising
eebadvising@ucsc.edu

Plant Sciences
Ecology and Evolution Biology Advising
eebadvising@ucsc.edu

Last updated 8/2021