Our department offers five undergraduate majors that provide a broad and complementary set of opportunities for all students interested in the environment. Resulting career opportunities for students graduating from our programs include medicine and other professional programs, government service, NGO employment, private sector opportunities in consulting, and graduate education in a wide variety of fields.
Students surveying coastal grasslands in Mt Tamalpais State Park. Photo by Allison Kidder
The Conservation and Resource Studies (CRS) major is an interdisciplinary program designed for students interested in environmental issues and areas of interaction among natural resources, population, energy, technology, societal institutions, and cultural values. The major’s orientation is toward flexibility and an individualized educational approach to understanding the structure and dynamic functions of complex environmental systems within our society and biosphere.
Students at Forestry Field Camp.
Student working in the lab. Photo by Desert-Rae Tejada.
The Molecular Environmental Biology (MEB) major is designed to expose students to the organization and function of biological organisms. Molecular approaches are expected to play an increasing role in environmental problem-solving in the near future, and their success will depend upon a sound understanding of biological principles from molecular through ecological levels. The program trains students in the organization and function of biological organisms and their integration into the environment.
Students learning in the field. Photo by Lynn Huntsinger.
Social and environmental problems are deeply intertwined. The Society and Environment (SE) major introduces students to the main approaches and theory for environmental social sciences, including how social science tools can be applied to environmental problems, and how social science theories contribute to understanding environmental problems.
Students surveying a stream. Photo courtesy of Adina Merenlender.
Environmental Sciences
Environmental Sciences (ES) is an interdisciplinary major that deals with the impact of human activities on natural systems. In order to address these problems, students are trained to apply tools and techniques from a variety of disciplines such as biology, ecology, chemistry, toxicology, geology, hydrology, meteorology, geography, engineering, statistics, behavioral science, policy analysis, economics, and law.