San Francisco State University
AC-3: Undergraduate Program

SF State offers both Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees in Environmental Studies. The program draws upon the environmental leadership of the San Francisco Bay region, the strong campus commitment to social justice, and active campus sustainability efforts.
The program provides students with the knowledge and skills required for understanding relationships between humans and the physical world. It examines how the environment is being used, abused and perceived, and what individuals and organizations are doing and can do to protect it for themselves, future generations and other living beings and ecosystems. Students participate in an internship and take a senior seminar. Both requirements emphasize community engagement and preparation for future environmental careers.

The mission of the B.A. in Urban Studies & Planning at San Francisco State University is to prepare students for professional and civic involvement to improve the quality of urban life. This is done by offering an interdisciplinary curriculum that helps students understand, analyze and address the dynamics of cities and evolving urban issues and by encouraging them to be informed and engaged citizens.

The Bachelor of Arts in Earth Sciences program builds a solid conceptual foundation of basic physical sciences, mathematics, and Earth sciences. Students integrate knowledge of these separate disciplines in ways needed to understand and help solve important interdisciplinary problems, such as slowing and adapting to climate change and managing conflicting demands that humans make on the natural environment. It also prepares students to advise and educate others about issues requiring knowledge of how the Earth works.

Beyond the basic foundation, students have great flexibility to adapt the program to satisfy many possible interests in the Earth sciences and prepare for a variety of careers, such as middle and high school teaching, technical support for private industry firms or government agencies, science writing, interpretation in parks systems or nature centers and museums, or to prepare for graduate education in fields such as resource management, or environmental policy or law.

Earth & Climate Sciences, https://earth.sfsu.edu/
School of Public Affairs & Civic Engagement, https://pace.sfsu.edu/
Ethnic Studies, http://ethnicstudies.sfsu.edu/
Recreation Parks and Tourism, http://recdept.sfsu.edu/
Department of Geography & Environment, https://geog.sfsu.edu/

SF State offers a Minor in Urban Studies and Planning designed to complement a wide range of SF State majors by offering students an opportunity to develop competence in urban planning and policy. The minor is founded upon the conviction that urban universities have unique opportunities as well as responsibilities to help shape the future of city life.

The Climate Change Certificate program gives students a foundational understanding of climate change’s causes, effects and solutions so they can take action in their communities. While some of the courses that count toward the certificate are in the sciences, the program is not exclusively for science majors. In fact, the program was designed so that students from any major can take any course — there are few to no prerequisites. It’s also open to matriculated and non-matriculated students and students who aren’t working toward a specific degree.