Environmental Science and Policy
B.A. Interdisciplinary Studies · UC Irvine · 2026-2027 Catalog
The Gulf oil spill. Global climate change. Drought and water supply. Fukushima. Each of these topics illustrates the continuing need for environmental professionals with training in the natural sciences and social sciences. The Environmental Science and Policy B.A. prepares students interested in environmental problem solving by linking an understanding of natural science with socioeconomic factors and public policy.
The curriculum combines a quantitative understanding of environmental science, chemistry, and biology with law, policy, and economics to provide a foundation for careers in environmental policy, resource management, education, environmental law, urban and environmental design, and related fields.
Admission
Students may be admitted to the Environmental Science and Policy major upon entering the university as freshmen, via change of major, or as transfer students from other colleges and universities. Information about change of major policies is available from the Physical Sciences student affairs office and the UCI Change of Major Criteria website.
Requirements
The Environmental Science and Policy major provides students with a solid foundation to recognize the impacts of human activities on the environment, and in turn, the impacts of environmental change on society. Students are taught the mechanisms by which key institutions, policies, and regulations impact ecosystems and the physical environment.
Once the core course work is complete, students are encouraged to focus on a particular area within Environmental Science and Policy, and to choose electives that build a coherent core of knowledge. Focus areas include, but are not limited to, urban planning, public policy, sociology, economics, climatology, water resources, water quality, agriculture, air pollution, resource management, and atmospheric sciences.
All students must meet the University Requirements.
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| A. Complete: | ||
| EARTHSS 40A | Earth System Chemistry | |
| or CHEM 1A-CHEM 1B-CHEM 1C-CHEM 1LC-CHEM 1LD | ||
| EARTHSS 40B | Earth System Biology | |
| or BIO SCI 93-BIO SCI 94 | ||
| EARTHSS 40C | Earth System Physics | |
| or PHYSICS 3A-PHYSICS 3B-PHYSICS 3C-PHYSICS 3LB-PHYSICS 3LC | ||
| or PHYSICS 7C-PHYSICS 7D-PHYSICS 7E-PHYSICS 7LC-PHYSICS 7LD | ||
| UPPP 8 | Introduction to Environmental Analysis and Design | |
| UPPP 5 | Introduction to Urban Planning and Policy | |
| STATS 7 | Basic Statistics 1 | |
| or STATS 8 | ||
| or SOCECOL 13 | ||
| or SOC SCI 10A-SOC SCI 10B-SOC SCI 10C | ||
| EARTHSS 2 | Coding for Climate (or an alternative programming course) 2 | |
| EARTHSS 70A | Sustainable Energy Systems | |
| EARTHSS 70B | Sustainable Food and Water Systems | |
| EARTHSS 192 | Careers in Earth System Science | |
| SOCECOL 10 | Research Design | |
| B. Select one of the following: | ||
| SOCECOL 195 | Field Study (4 units) 3 | |
| SOCECOL 195W | Field Study Writing Seminar 3 | |
| SOCECOL 195B | Advanced Field Study 3 | |
| SOCECOL 195CW | Advanced Field Study 3 | |
| UC Washington, D.C. (UCDC) Academic Internship Program | ||
| UC Center Sacramento Academic Internship Program | ||
| C. Select three of the following: | ||
| UPPP 42 | The Green New Deal | |
| UPPP 117 | Environmental Justice | |
| UPPP 131 | Environmental Sustainability I | |
| UPPP 132 | Energy Justice and Just Transitions | |
| UPPP 133 | Environmental Law and Policy | |
| UPPP 142 | Environmental Hazards in an Urbanizing World | |
| UPPP 145 | Environmental Governance | |
| UPPP 146 | Principles of Economics for Planning and Policy | |
| D. Select one of the following tool courses: | ||
| EARTHSS 116 | Introduction to Environmental Data Science | |
| EARTHSS 134 | Fundamentals of GIS for Environmental Science | |
| UPPP 120 | Introduction to GIS for Planning and Policy | |
| UPPP 135 | Urban Data Science | |
| E. Select six 4-unit upper-division courses from the list below, with at least two courses from UPPP and two courses from EARTHSS: | ||
| UPPP or EARTHSS courses (100-196) | ||
| EARTHSS 199 | Undergraduate Research | |
| SOCECOL 199 | Special Studies | |
| SOCECOL H190A | Honors Research | |
| orSOCECOL H190W | Honors Research | |
| EARTHSS H199A | Honors Research in Earth System Science | |
| orEARTHSS H199B | Honors Research in Earth System Science | |
| orEARTHSS H199C | Honors Research in Earth System Science | |
| Courses used to count toward degree requirements may not be used as electives. Up to two of the seven electives can be satisfied with 4-unit EARTHSS 199, EARTHSS H199A, EARTHSS H199B, EARTHSS H199C, and/or 4-unit SOCECOL 199 or SOCECOL H190W courses. For this requirement, SOCECOL 199 courses can be counted as UPPP electives. | ||
Optional Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Specialization for Environmental Science and Policy majors
The optional GIS Specialization for Environmental Science and Policy majors is met by completing one of the following options as specified below:
| Course | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Option 1: (12 units) | ||
| UPPP 120 | Introduction to GIS for Planning and Policy | |
| UPPP 125 | Advanced Geographic Information Systems (GIS) | |
| UPPP 127 | Spatial Analysis Project | |
| Option 2: (10 units) | ||
| EARTHSS 134 | Fundamentals of GIS for Environmental Science | |
| EARTHSS 135W | Advanced Geographic Information Systems for Environmental Science | |
| Courses taken for the GIS Specialization can be used toward the Environmental Science and Policy major. Courses must be taken for a letter grade in order to count for the GIS Specialization. | ||
| For students double majoring in Urban Studies and Environmental Science and Policy, the optional GIS Specialization can only be applied to one major. | ||
- Students who score a minimum of 3 on the AP Statistics exam do not have to take STATS 7 or its equivalents.
- An alternative programming course may be applied via petition with the approval of the student affairs office.
- Site must be listed within one of the following sections of the Field Study Catalog: Environment, Planning, or Public Policy. For more information, visit the Social Ecology Field Study website.
- See Field Study website for more information. Specific course work is required - 12 units minimum.
NOTE: This major is open to all students. However, courses being applied to another major cannot also be counted as upper-division electives for the B.A. in Environmental Science and Policy.
Sample Program
Freshman
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| EARTHSS 40C | EARTHSS 40B | EARTHSS 40A |
| UPPP 8 | STATS 7 | UPPP 5 |
| EARTHSS 2 | General Education/Elective | General Education/Elective |
| EARTHSS 45 | General Education/Elective |
Sophomore
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| SOCECOL 10 | EARTHSS 70A | EARTHSS 70B |
| General Education/Elective | General Education/Elective | General Education/Elective |
| Elective | Elective | General Education/Elective |
| Elective |
Junior
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| UPPP 145 | SOCECOL 195 | UPPP 133 |
| EARTHSS 192 | EARTHSS upper-division elective | UPPP upper-division elective |
| EARTHSS/UPPP coding course | Elective | Elective |
| Elective | Elective | Elective |
Senior
| Fall | Winter | Spring |
|---|---|---|
| Upper-division elective | UPPP 146 | UPPP upper-division elective |
| Upper-division elective | Upper-division elective | EARTHSS upper-division elective |
| General Education/Elective | Elective | Elective |
| Elective | Elective | Elective |
Honors Program
Environmental Science and Policy students may complete either the Earth System Science Honors Program or the Social Ecology Honors Program.
In a year-long honors course sequence, Environmental Science and Policy students admitted into the Environmental Science and Policy honors program pursue research with faculty in the Earth Systems Science or Urban Planning and Public Policy Departments, and prepare a written thesis of their work. Visit the Earth System Science honors program website and the Social Ecology Honors Program for more information.
Career Opportunities
The Environmental Science and Policy major provides a strong interdisciplinary foundation for students to pursue a range of public and private sector positions, including environmental management, resource management, environmental law, environmental consulting, work with nonprofit organizations and non-governmental agencies, and related areas. Students are poised to pursue graduate studies (professional Masters degree or Ph.D.) in the following fields: environmental science, environmental studies, public policy, public administration, urban and regional planning, geography and related fields.