BA Environmental Studies, Geography & Planning
This degree focuses on environmental policy, urban planning and sustainable development. Students examine why and how social systems impact the environment (often for economic development and gain), and they study a wide range of policy approaches, regulations and planning tools designed to advance human development and maintain the sustainability of environmental systems.
Graduates pursue careers in fields such as conservation and resource management, environmental policy, planning and law, sustainable community development, energy and transportation policy, and urban and land use planning.
Degree Plan
FOUNDATION COURSES (11 Units)
Environmental Systems
- GEP 201 Environmental Systems (GE B1)
Environmental Inquiry & Analysis (take both)
- GEP 211 GEP Forum
- GEP 280 Foundations in Environmental Data & Analysis
Society, Environment & Development (choose one)
- GEP 150b Global Societies through Film (GE A3/C1)
- GEP 203 Human Geography
- GEP 206 Society, Environment & Sustainable Development (GE E)
- GEP 305 or 306 World Regions in Global Context (GE UD D)
BREADTH COURSES (15 Units)
Society, Environment & Development (choose one)
- GEP 324 Climate Change and Society
- GEP 325 Global Food Systems
- GEP 334 Globalization and the City
- GEP 373 Energy, Technology and Society
Environmental Systems (choose one)
- GEP 340 Applied Ecology
- GEP 351 Natural Hazards (GE UD B)
- GEP 355 Weather and Climate (GE UD B)
Planning
- GEP 360 Introduction to Urban and Environmental Planning
Geospatial Analysis
- GEP 387 Introduction to Geospatial Analysis
Professional Preparation (5 units minimum)
- GEP 310 Professional Development (required)
- GEP 311 Research Colloquium (required)
- GEP 201b Global Environmental Systems Lab
- GEP 312 Professional Conferences
- GEP 313 Field Experience
- GEP 316 Research Assistant
- GEP 317 Internship
- GEP 318 Agroecology in Practice
- GEP 319 Native Plant Propagation in Practice
ELECTIVE COURSES (21 Units)
You must choose a focus and take at least 3 courses within that focus area. Take additional electives within any focus to reach 21 units. Take at least one 400-level course during junior/senior year (72+units). Breadth courses do not count as electives.
Focus 1: Society, Environment & Development
- GEP 321 Parks & Protected Areas Management
- GEP 323 Natural Resources & Development
- GEP 324 Climate Change & Society
- GEP 325 Global Food Systems
- GEP 326 Water Law, Policy & Management
- GEP 330 Environmental History
- GEP 332 Environmental Literature
- GEP 332W Environmental Literature, Writing Intensive
- GEP 334 Globalization and the City
- GEP 442 Political Ecology
Focus 2: Environmental Systems
- GEP 340 Applied Ecology
- GEP 343 Biogeography
- GEP 344 Field Methods
- GEP 345 Lab Methods
- GEP 347 Conservation Biology
- GEP 350 Geomorphology
- GEP 351 Natural Hazards
- GEP 352 Soil Science
- GEP 354 Watershed Hydrology & Mngmnt
- GEP 355 Weather and Climate
- GEP 446 Restoration Ecology
- GEP 456 Global Climate Change
Focus 3: Urban Studies & Planning
- GEP 362 Environmental Impact Assessment
- GEP 367 Transportation Policy & Tech.
- GEP 368 Urban Design
- GEP 371 Social Geog. of the US City
- GEP 461 Planning Practice & Methods
Focus 4: Energy, Management & Design
- GEP 373 Energy, Technology & Society
- GEP 374a Carbon & Energy Reduction
- GEP 374b Lab Methods for Energy
- GEP 375 Renewable & Resilient Energy
- GEP 476 Energy Services & Efficiency
Focus 5: Geospatial Analysis
- GEP 380 Environ. Remote Sensing
- GEP 385 Cartographic Visualization
- GEP 388 Environmental GIS
- GEP 486 Environmental Data Analysis
- GEP 489 Advanced GIS
SUPPORTING COURSES, outside GEP (3 units)
Substitutions possible in consultation with an advisor
- ANTH 328 New Tech Arch and Cult Heritage
- ANTH 345 Nature and Society
- ANTH 352 Global Issues
- BIOL 131 Biological Diversity and Ecology
- BIOL 312 Biological Oceanography
- CALS 432 Latinas/os and Globalization
- CALS 480 Latin American Migration to the US
- CS 115 Programming I
- GEOL 303 Adv Geology
- GEOL 306 Environmental Geology
- GEOL 310 Geophysics
- GEOL 323 Hydrology
- HIST 471 The American West
- NAMS 346 Philosophic Systems and Sacred Movements
- POLS 314 Environmental Political Theory
- POLS 452 Politics of the Developing World
- SOCI 382 Social Movements
- SOCI 384 Sociology of Consumption
- SOCI 425 Urban Sociology
- SOCI 482 Environmental Policy and Justice
NOTE: Courses required for the major must be taken for a traditional letter grade, except for courses that are offered CR/NC only. Students must earn a C- or better in any course applied to the major. Breadth courses are not double-counted in GEP electives