About the Department

The mission of the Environmental Studies Department is to create, convey and apply knowledge to advance understanding of ecological and social systems and their interrelationships.  This goal is articulated by interdisciplinary research to aid society in balancing the needs of ecological systems with those of human society.
The Environmental Studies Department is home to some of the most creative faculty and unique research programs in the country. It is divided into four research areas:

• Agroecology
• Conservation Biology
• Environmental Policy
• Political Economy

Each area has its own theme, however all four areas examine the connections between environment and society.

In our graduate program, students work closely with faculty to develop and conduct original research. Coursework provides depth of knowledge in the student's main areas of interest, as well as breadth in other areas of environmental studies. We have excellent facilities, and conduct cutting edge academic and policy-relevant research.

Our undergraduate program offers courses in a wide range of areas of environmental studies, and provides many unique opportunities. For example, in our internship program students work in community organizations, receiving practical experience that supplements classroom learning. Undergraduates can also work as research assistants with our faculty.

We hope you enjoy learning more about our faculty, grad students, and undergraduate program from our web site.

Top left: Butterflies from the UCSC Natural History Collection. Right: Graduate Student Tim Krupnik, Senegal, Africa.