The domain emphasis in Ecology and Environment explores the rapidly emerging diverse data sources from gene sequencing to satellites that shed light on the behavior, abundance and distribution of living organisms and the ecosystems they inhabit.

From the lists shown below, students will select one course from the lower-division, and two courses from the upper-division. The lower division course is a required element of the Domain Emphasis.


Courses in this domain emphasis are often restricted by major to enroll, and several have extensive prerequisites. It may be difficult to complete this emphasis given these restrictions. Students are advised to make appropriate alternate plans.

Prerequisites are shown within square brackets.

Lower Division (select one)

  • ESPM 2. The Biosphere (3 units)
  • ESPM 6. Environmental Biology (3 units)
  • ESPM 15. Introduction to Environmental Sciences (3 units)
  • GEOG 40. Introduction to Earth System Science (4 units)
  • ESPM/L&S C46. Climate Change and the Future of California (4 units)
  • ESPM 88B. Data Sciences in Ecology and the Environment (2 units)
  • EPS 80. Environmental Earth Sciences (3 units)

Upper Division (select two)

  • ENE,RES 102. Quantitative Aspects of Global Environmental Problems (4 units) [Prerequisites: MATH 1A-1B, CHEM 1A, PHYSICS 8A-8B, BIO 1B]
  • ESPM 102B. Natural Resource Sampling (2 units) + ESPM 102BL. Laboratory in Natural Resource Sampling (2 units)
  • ESPM C103 / INTEGBI C156. Principles of Conservation Biology (4 units) [Prerequisites: BIO 1A, BIO 1B]
  • ESPM 111. Ecosystem Ecology (4 units) [Prerequisite: BIO 1B]
  • EPS/ESPM C129. Biometeorology (3 units)
  • ESPM 130A. Forest Hydrology (4 units) [Prerequisites: CHEM 1A, MATH 1A-1B, PHYSICS 7A or instructor consent]
  • ESPM 157. Data Science in Global Change Ecology (3 units) [Data 8 experience is helpful]
  • ESPM C170 / EPS C183. Carbon Cycle Dynamics (3 units)
  • ESPM 174A. Applied Time Series Analysis for Ecology and Environmental Sciences (3 units) 
  • CIVENG C106/EPS C180/ESPM C180. Air Pollution (3 units) [Prerequisites: CHEM 1A-1B, PHYSICS 8A]
  • INTEGBI C153 / ESPM C153. Ecology (3 units) [Prerequisite: BIO 1B]
  • INTEGBI 170LF. Methods in Population and Community Ecology (3 units) [Prerequisite: INTEGBI 153]

These courses are no longer expected to be offered, but are still accepted for the domain emphasis for those students who have previously completed them:

  • INTEGBI 152. Environmental Toxicology (4 units) [Prerequisite: BIO 1B]