Students are gravitating to green majors, minors, courses, and internships.

Students are gravitating to green majors, minors, courses, and internships

UC San Diego supports academic excellence in a diverse and inclusive learning environment at the undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral levels. Undergraduates prepare themselves to be global citizens not only with rigorous preparation in academic disciplines, but also in multidisciplinary programs, many of which are focused on environmental sustainability.

Undergraduate courses, curricula, and faculty

Students’ interest in green courses extends to virtually all departments, schools, and programs.

Earth Sciences

For students interested in careers in earth sciences, Scripps Institution of Oceanography offers a B.S. degree and a contiguous B.S./M.S. degree in Earth Sciences. The program also offers an academic minor in Earth Sciences.

Contact Academic Coordinator Jane Teranes, jteranes@ucsd.edu, 858-822-2099.

Ecology, Behavior and Evolution

The EBE major includes the fields of biodiversity, ecology, behavior and evolution and such disciplines as population biology, conservation biology, behavioral ecology, population genetics, molecular evolution, biogeography and climate change. The program provides a solid foundation for advanced degrees and for careers in universities, government agencies, environmental organizations and the biotechnology and natural resource industries. Many students take advantage of the field studies courses offered in Costa Rica and Queensland. This is currently the university’s most popular environmental program: about 360 students take the EBE major or the EBE-track in the Environmental Systems major.

Contact Professor Joshua Kohn, jkohn@ucsd.edu, 858-534-8233.

Environmental Engineering

The environmental engineering major provides students with an understanding of the environmental implications of human and industrial activities on the Earth and its atmosphere and oceans. Students learn the fundamental knowledge and design skills needed in the competitive job market to develop technologies that enable sustainable economic growth.

Contact Professor Jan Kleissl, jkleissl@ucsd.edu, 858-534-8087.

Environmental Studies

The Environmental Studies minor offers students from every major a basic grounding in the scientific, technical, social, and cultural issues presented by the interaction of human beings with their environment and the need to build a more environmentally sustainable future.

Contact John Muir College Advising, 858-5343580, muiradvising@ucsd.edu.

Environmental Systems

The Environmental Systems or ESYS program recognizes the growing demand for environmental specialists and is designed to prepare undergraduates to enter a broad spectrum of environmental careers and graduate programs in, for example, the natural sciences, the social sciences, public policy, law, and business.

Contact Academic Coordinator Jane Teranes, jteranes@ucsd.edu, 858-822-2099.

Marine Sciences

The Marine Science minor is designed to complement the strong disciplinary training of UC San Diego basic natural science and engineering majors (chemistry, physics, biological sciences, earth sciences, engineering, mathematics, etc.) by providing a broad interdisciplinary perspective with an applied environmental focus.

Contact Academic Coordinator Jane Teranes, jteranes@ucsd.edu, 858-822-2099.

Programs Abroad

Contact Director Kim Burton, abroad@ucsd.edu, 858-534-1123.

Urban Studies and Planning

The Urban Studies and Planning program focuses upon regional planning and policy issues, particularly in the San Diego/Tijuana cross border region, and encourages students to think creatively and holistically across academic divides. Students gain a solid liberal arts background as well as the analytical and technical skills needed for successful graduate study and professional work in a number of fields.

Contact Professor Keith Pezzoli, kpezzoli@ucsd.edu, 858-534-3691.