Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 77.43
Liaison Elida Erickson
Submission Date Feb. 28, 2022

STARS v2.2

University of California, Santa Cruz
AC-3: Undergraduate Program

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Elida Erickson
Sustainability Director
Sustainability Office
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Majors, degrees and certificate programs

Does the institution offer at least one ​sustainability-focused​ major, degree, or certificate program for undergraduate students?:
Yes

Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate degree program:
Enivronmental Studies

A brief description of the undergraduate degree program:
The Environmental Studies major provides an interdisciplinary approach to learning how to move toward a more sustainable future for human and ecological systems. Courses in environmental studies provide training not only in the physical, biological, and social sciences, but also in writing, critical thinking, quantitative analysis, project and team management, and more. Most students extend their learning outside the classroom through the departmental internship program.

Website URL for the undergraduate degree program:

Additional degree programs (optional) 

Name of the sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program (2nd program):
Environmental Science

None
A brief description of the undergraduate degree program (2nd program):
The UCSC Environmental Sciences (ESCI) major is an interdepartmental, undergraduate-only degree program. The purpose of the major is to educate students interested in environmental science problems and issues, with a focus on issues within the physical sciences (versus focusing on biological sciences). The major specializes primarily on the following areas of study:

Climate and climate change: Earth's past, present and future climate
Global biogeochemical cycles: Cycles of water, carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, mercury, etc.
Fresh Water: Water resources and water quality
Pollution: Water pollution, air pollution, pollutant transport
Oceans: Physical, chemical, and biological oceanography
Atmosphere: Meteorology, air quality, and atmospheric chemistry

Website URL for the undergraduate degree program (2nd program):
Name of the sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
Agroecology

None
A brief description of the undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
The Agroecology major provides ecological concepts that can be applied to the development of sustainable agricultural systems. Students will develop their understanding of social, political, and economic aspects of agriculture. Students will also engage in hands-on experiences, and obtain skills in research, fieldwork, production, and communication in order to achieve multiple sustainability goals in complex, social-ecological food systems.

Website URL for the undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
None
The name and website URLs of all other sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program(s):
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Minors and concentrations

Does the institution offer one or more sustainability-focused minors or concentrations for undergraduate students?:
Yes

Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor or concentration:
Sustainability Studies

A brief description of the undergraduate minor or concentration:
Rachel Carson College is the home of a minor in sustainability studies designed for students who want to work in the sustainability field, pursue green entrepreneur-ships and startups, and become agents of the change needed to protect the environment equitably and effectively. The program offers a model for new college-based undergraduate curricula and pedagogies and emphasizes the central academic role of UCSC’s college system on the campus. The minor is highly interdisciplinary and open to all UCSC students.

Website URL for the undergraduate minor or concentration:

Additional minors and concentrations (optional) 

Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor or concentration (2nd program):
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A brief description of the undergraduate minor or concentration (2nd program):
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Website URL for the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
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Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor or concentration (3rd program):
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A brief description of the undergraduate minor or concentration (3rd program):
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Website URL for the undergraduate minor or concentration (3rd program):
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The name and website URLs of all other sustainability-focused undergraduate minors and concentrations:
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Optional Fields  

Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.