General Questions About the Major

  • What is the difference between Environmental Science & Management (ESM) and Environmental Policy Analysis & Planning (EPAP)?
  • ESM and EPAP both emphasize the role of natural and social science in understanding human impacts of environment and natural resource management.  ESM focuses on the science of the environment but also looks at how that science is used to solve environmental problems, and EPAP focuses more on how to use that science to understand the efficiency, effectiveness, and equity of environmental policy. Hence there is an element of solving environmental problems in both, be it more through applying basic science or through environmental policy processes. EPAP is based more on social sciences like environmental economics, political science, planning and law, whereas ESM uses more natural sciences like biology, physics and chemistry and how they relate to living, land, air and water resources.
  • Can I take any of my major courses Pass/No Pass?
  • You may take one lower division (numbered 1-99) major course P/NP.
  • Do I need to take summer school to finish the degree in 4 years?
  • If you started in the major as a freshmen there is no need to take summer school to complete the degree in four years. If you change into the major after freshman year or you are a transfer student it just depends on the coursework you have already completed. Unless you change into the major in your junior or senior year it is unlikely that you will need to take summer school in order to graduate on time.
  • What classes do I need to take in order to change my major to ESM or EPAP?
  • Ideally you will want to take ESP 1 before changing into the major although that is not a requirement. ESP 1 is offered every fall and is required for both the ESM and EPAP majors. Our only requirement for changing into the major is to be in good academic standing.
  • Does AP Environmental Science count for ESP 1?
  • No, AP Environmental Science is equivalent to ESP 10, which is not a major course. AP Environmental Science is great preparation for the major but you will still need to take ESP 1.
  • What types of careers and graduate schools do students go into?
  • Graduates of either degree have gone to work in public agencies specializing in natural resources and ecological research if they have a biology background, or as city planners and environmental analysts if they have a policy background, just to name a few of the potential occupations. They are also working in conservation organizations, environmental consulting firms and as environmental lawyers. Although nearly one-third of our graduates go on to graduate or law school within a few years of completing their B.S. degree, a graduate degree isn't necessary to obtain a good job in the environmental field.
  • Can I do a double major or minor with ESM or EPAP?
  • Yes, but it will take careful planning. Both the ESM and EPAP majors have a lot of units so trying to add another high-unit major such as Music or Managerial Economics can often add on 1-3 additional quarters. If you choose a major with fewer units such as Economics or Political Science it is possible to finish both majors in four years as long as you start planning early on (sophomore year or so). It is possible to overlap 20% of upper division units between majors. This generally works out to be two upper division courses. There is no overlap limit with lower division courses. Minors are a great way to study a second subject without going for a full second major. Most minors are 18-24 units and are easy to fit into your study plan. Only one course can overlap between your major and your minor.
  • What do ESM and EPAP students double major in?
  • Lots of things! The most common second major for both ESM and EPAP is Economics. Some other second majors EPAP and ESM students have completed recently are:
    Applied Chemistry
    Cinema and Digital Media
    Community & Regional Development
    Computer Science
    English
    Marine & Coastal Science
    Philosophy
    Psychology
    Sustainable Environmental Design 
    Double majors are useful when you have a strong interest in two different areas. There is no "right" second major and a second major is not necessary to get into graduate school. The best second major is one that you have a passion for!
  • Is there a minor in EPAP or ESM?
  • The Department of Environmental Science and Policy offers two minors, Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning and Climate Science & Policy.
    There is no minor in Environmental Science & Management, but there are a lot of minors that are analogous to the different ESM tracks.
    Atmospheric Science
    Climate Science & Policy
    Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning
    Evolution, Ecology, & Biodiversity
    Hydrology
    Soil Science
    Watershed Science
    Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation Biology
    If you are an ESM student trying to decide between tracks, you may want to choose one track and select an analogous minor for the other track.
  • What do ESM and EPAP students minor in?
  • Lots of things! The most common minor for EPAP is Economics and the most common minor for ESM is Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Minors are a great way to study a subject without having to go into it as deeply as you would with a major. These are just some of the minors that EPAP and ESM students have recently completed besides Economics and GIS:
    Comparative Literature
    Education
    Environmental Horticulture
    Geology
    Human Rights Studies
    Oceanography
    Political Science
    Spanish
    Sustainability in the Built Environment
    Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology
  • Is there an Environmental Club on campus?
  • Yes! Check them out on Facebook!

Transferring to UC Davis

  • If I transfer to UC Davis as a junior, can I finish the degree in 2 years?
  • It depends on which classes you have already completed when you transfer to UC Davis.
  • Which classes do I need to take in order to transfer into the ESM or EPAP major from my community college?
  • Technically you can transfer without taking any of the major courses, but it will take you longer to complete the degree. The more courses you have completed for the major when you transfer the less time it will take to complete the degree.
    For ESM it would be useful to complete the equivalents of these UC Davis courses: BIS 2A, 2B, and 2C, CHE 2A and 2B, MAT 16, 17, or 21A and B, ECN 1A, CMN 1 or 3 or DRA 10, and GEL 1 or 50. If you begin a sequence course at your community college, such as physics, it is advisable to complete it there as well. The semester/quarter conversion can often cause problems with sequence courses such as BIS 2A, 2B, and 2C. This is not to say you can't do it, it's just generally easiest to do it all at one school.
    For EPAP it would be useful to complete the equivalents of these UC Davis courses: ECN 1A and 1B, MAT 16, 17, or 21A and B, BIS 10 or 2A, CHE 10 or 2A, POL 1, STA 13, and CMN 1 or 3 or DRA 10.

Major Writing Requirement

  • If I took AP English and/or Literature do I still need to take the UWP course for the major?
  • The ESM and EPAP majors require an upper division UWP course, AP exams give credit for only lower division courses. You will still need to take an upper division UWP course for the major.
  • If I took two writing courses at my community college, do I still have to take the UWP course for the major?
  • If you would have a problem graduating on time due to the upper division UWP course, please see your major advisor to talk about options.
  • I heard there was an exam I can take to test out of the requirement.
  • Yes, you can take the Upper Division Composition exam.

Choosing a Track

  • How do I know which track to do?
  • The simplest answer is to do the track that has the most classes you like. No matter which track you choose your degree will be in Environmental Science and Management or Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning. Your specific track will be noted on your transcript but will not show up on your diploma. If you like plants choose a track with a lot of plants courses, if you like policy choose a track with lots of policy courses, if you like water choose a track with lots of water courses. It’s really as simple as that.
  • Which track will allow me to do the largest number of careers?
  • The name of the track you choose is almost irrelevant in terms of graduate schools or careers. Graduate schools and employers will look at the type of courses you have taken rather the name of your degree or track. One thing a track does is signal to a potential graduate school or employer that you have an interest in a particular area.
  • What if I can't decide?
  • Meet with the lead faculty advisor or a track advisor! If you are in EPAP you will want to meet with the lead faculty advisor, they will be able to help you choose a track. If you are in ESM, you can meet with the lead faculty advisor or the track advisor. Please see the appointments page for information about making an appointment with the lead faculty advisor. For ESM, we have the contact info for all of the track advisors on the ESM people page. If you are in ESM and are stuck between two tracks you may want to consider choosing one track and an analogous minor in a different track. If you are in EPAP and stuck between two tracks, you may want to consider doing an Integrative Policy track, which is student-designed.

Honors Thesis

  • What is an honors thesis?
  • An honors thesis an independent research project sponsored and advised by a UC Davis professor. Usually an honors thesis happens when a student has already been working in a lab as a research assistant or intern (see this site for research opportunities), and either the student comes up with an independent project idea based on what they have been doing, or the advisor has a project that the student is excited and qualified to take the lead on. However, this isn’t the only way to do an honors thesis. Previous research isn’t a requirement, if a student has an independent research idea and can find a relevant faculty advisor that’s all they need. Previous work in a lab is the most typical way for an honors thesis to begin but it’s not the only way.
    Here are the requirements for an honors thesis:
    Have senior standing
    Maintain a cumulative 3.5 GPA
    Complete the thesis proposal form and send to your lead faculty advisor
    Enroll in the appropriate number of ESM 194H units with the thesis advisor as the instructor of record (send the thesis proposal form to your student advisor for the CRN). The number of units you will register for depends on the number of hours per week you dedicate to the thesis. The thesis requires a minimum of six hours per week (2 units) and would be a maximum of 18 hours per week (6 units).
    Complete the thesis itself, signed by the thesis advisor
    For writing up your thesis, because environmental science encompasses so many fields with different writing norms and standards and your faculty mentor is your best source of expertise for the field your thesis is in, please look to communicate with your faculty mentor for guidance and expectations on the write-up.  For example write-ups for undergraduate research in general, check out the archives of Explorations, the university undergraduate research journal, and AggieTranscript, the undergraduate life sciences journal.
    Present (poster or oral) or publish your work in some way, such as at the UCD Undergraduate Research Conference in the spring or in the UCD undergraduate research journal, Explorations. [Note: only one of presenting or publishing is required, but we encourage both, and it does not have to be at a UCD venue; presenting at a scientific meeting or publishing in a peer-reviewed journal certainly fulfills this requirement]
  • What are some resources for funding research?
  • Provost's Undergraduate Fellowship (PUF)
    Funding and Sponsored Programs

    Field Science Fellowship
    Dean Keith Simonton Prize for Creativity in Undergraduate Research