UCSD Global Seminars in Environmental Studies  - Global Seminars collaborate with faculty on the main campus and at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography to organize study abroad opportunities for students in the summer months. Program or materials fees may apply. Prerequisites: upper-division standing required. Must apply and be accepted to the Global Seminar Program.

Indigenous Futures Institute  -  The Indigenous Futures Institute is a community-driven, interdisciplinary project-based in Kumeyaay Territory at the University of California, San Diego.

UCSD Natural Reserve System -  41 ecological reserves - The mission of the Natural Reserve System is to contribute to the understanding and wise management of the Earth and its natural systems by supporting university-level teaching, research, and public service at protected natural areas throughout California.

Scripps Coastal Reserve (SCR) Scripps Coastal Reserve occupies nearly one thousand acres in La Jolla, California, ranging across a complex landscape including mesa top, coastal canyon and bluff, sandy beach, rocky intertidal, submerged coastal plain and deep submarine canyon. The reserve is surrounded by developed areas, so environmental awareness is essential for protecting the rare and sensitive habitats and species. There are two distinct parts to the reserve: the shoreline and marine protected area, and the upland area, commonly referred to as the “Knoll” or “Cliffs.”

Green New Deal at UC San Diego The Green New Deal at UCSD is a grassroots collective campaigning for UC San Diego and the UC system to take concrete actions to address the climate crisis and environmental injustice through a just transition to a fossil-free University of California.

Environmental Systems Major/Minor (ESYS), Scripps Institution of Oceanography - The Environmental Systems 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 the natural sciences, social sciences, public policy, law, and business. This interdisciplinary program recognizes that local, national, regional, international, and global environmental problems do not fit neatly into traditional academic departments. Many environmental specialists possess little training in the natural sciences including both the fundamental ideas and methodologies of the earth and environmental sciences. The Environmental Systems (ESYS) major was created to address both of these shortcomings.

Environmental Chemistry Major Students interested in declaring the Environmental Chemistry major have the option of choosing B.S. degree that is ACS-Certified or not. The B.S. is recommended for students who plan to pursue graduate education. Although the Major emphasizes a strong training in chemistry, the program also requires courses from other disciplines. These courses allow students to specialize in a secondary level of interest such as economics, political science, biology, earth sciences, or additional chemistry.

Environmental Engineering Major The newly established Environmental Engineering program within the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) at UCSD is a modern interpretation of this rapidly changing field. The interdisciplinary nature of environmental problems is addressed through links with other departments such as the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO), the Departments of Chemistry and Urban Studies and Planning, and the Environmental Systems program. The major prepares students for more specialized Master’s and Doctoral programs in Environmental Engineering at other universities and for positions in industry.

Earth Sciences Major and Minor - For students interested in careers in Earth Sciences, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) offers a B.S. degree and a contiguous B.S./M.S. degree in Earth Sciences. In addition, students may follow Chemistry/Earth Sciences Major, a Physics major with a specialization in Earth Sciences, or an Environmental Systems/Earth Sciences Major. Lower-division requirements for all areas of specialization provide the foundation in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology that are essential to modern quantitative Earth Sciences.

Marine Sciences Minor - Ocean science is relevant to many contemporary environmental problems and central to understanding earth-system evolution, dynamics, climate change, and sustainability. SIO offers an undergraduate minor program in Marine Science designed to complement the strong disciplinary training of UCSD basic science majors by providing a broad interdisciplinary perspective with an environmental focus. The minor consists of courses and research opportunities offered primarily by faculty and researchers at SIO. Students choose from a course track or a research track. The course track offers a flexible curriculum that serves students with a broad range of educational and career interests including environmental management and regulation, teaching, environmental law, economics and policy, and a wide range of graduate programs. The research track is intended for students interested in an undergraduate research experience at UCSD and serves as an excellent preparation for graduate students. UC San Diego’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning is a new department committed to civic education within and beyond the university walls. 

Urban Studies and Planning Major and Minor - Urban Studies and Planning major/minor trains students to plan, design and develop diverse, healthy, sustainable and prosperous communities. The growth of cities in our century will create unprecedented challenges to our ways of providing everyone with food, water, housing, transportation, and work, but it will also create the opportunity to meet these challenges by innovating the ways that we plan, build, and live together. Come to us for theoretical instruction and hands-on courses in topics such as land use planning, real estate and community development, urban design, and transportation, taught by leading practitioners and award-winning educators and researchers.

Image: Kayaking Trip at La Jolla Cove for ENVR 102: Coastal Ecology (Spring 2022); Photo credit: Kellie Uyeda