Climate Change and Air Quality (Pre-fall 2022)

Why study climate change and air quality?

The climate change and air quality track aims to train students in the physical and biological processes associated with global climate change and air quality, and to provide them with the necessary policy background to be able to understand the implications of global warming and climate change. Courses cover foundations of climatology and atmospheric science, air quality, hydrology, interaction between vegetation and the atmosphere, biogeography and evolution, biomes, and environmental policy making. This track would prepare students for a broad range of environmental and policy positions in the public and private sectors, such as the California Air Resource Board, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, various county Air Quality Management Districts, environmental consulting firms, and graduate school in a broad range of environmental topics.

Preparatory Subject Matter Requirements
Course IDs Course Title Quarters Offered Units Notes
Written and Oral Expression
UWP 101 or any course from the UWP 102 or 104 series Upper Division Writing I, II, III, IV 4 May test out of requirement
CMN 1, 3V, 3Y, or DRA 10 Public Speaking I, II, III, IV 4  
Biological Sciences
BIS 2A Essentials of Life on Earth I, II, III, IV 5  
BIS 2B Principles of Ecology and Evolution   I, II, III, IV 5  
BIS 2C Biodiversity and the Tree of Life I, II, III, IV 5  
Geology
choose one of the following
GEL 1 The Earth I, II, III 4  
GEL 50 Physical Geology I, II, III 3 (recommended)
Chemistry
CHE 2A or 2AH General Chemistry I, II, IV 5  
CHE 2B or 2BH General Chemistry II, III, IV 5  
CHE 2C or 2CH General Chemistry I, III, IV 5 (recommended, not required)
Physics
Complete either 1AB or 7ABC
Physics 1A General Physics I, II, IV 3  
Physics 1B General Physics II, III 3  
Physics 7A General Physics I, II, III, IV 4  
Physics 7B General Physics I, II, III, IV 4  
Physics 7C General Physics I, II, III, IV 4  
Economics
ECN 1A Principles of Microeconomics I, II, III, IV 4  
Mathematics
MAT 16A and 16B Short Calculus I, II, III, IV 3, 3 Being phased out as of 23-24
MAT 17A and 17B Calculus for Biology & Medicine I, II, III, IV 4, 4 MAT 17AB recommended
MAT 19A and 19B and 19C Calculus for Data-Driven Applications I, II, III, IV 4, 4, 4 Mast take A, B, and C
MAT 21A and 21B Calculus I, II, III, IV 4, 4  
Environmental Science and Policy
ESP 1 Environmental Analysis I, IV 4  

I = fall quarter, II = winter quarter, III = spring quarter, IV = summer session

Depth Subject Matter Requirements
NOTE: Students graduating with this major are required to attain at least a C average (2.0 GPA) in all courses taken at the university in Depth Subject Matter and pass all coursework. See requirements of the College of Agriculture & Environmental Science in the UC Davis General Catalog.
Course IDs Course Title Prerequisites Quarters Offered Units
Global Environment
ESM 120 Global Environmental Interactions One college-level chemistry and biology course II 4
Ecology
(Choose one of the following)
ESP 100 General Ecology BIS 2A-C; MAT 16A-B or 17A-B or 21A-B; STA 13 recommended I, II, IV 4
EVE 101 Introduction to Ecology BIS 2A-C; MAT 16A-B or 17A-B or 21A-B; or equivalent I, II, III, IV 4
Policy
ESP 162 Environmental Policy ECN 1A or ECN 1AV or ECN 1AY II 4
Statistics
(Choose one of the following - Statistics 100 recommended)
STA 13 Elementary Statistics Two years of high school algebra or equivalent in college I, II, III, IV 4
STA 100 Applied Statistics for Biological Sciences MAT 16B or 17B or 21B with a C- or better I, II, III, IV 4
Environmental Monitoring
(Choose one of the following)
ATM 124 Meteorological Instruments & Observations ATM 60 I 3
ESM 108 Environmental Monitoring ESP 100 or EVE 101 or SSC 100 or WFC 100 or the equivalent III 3
ESP 151L Limnology Laboratory ESP 151 (may be concurrent) III 3
ESP 179 Environmental Impact Assessment ESP 1 or the equivalent II, IV 4
Environmental Data Science
(Choose one of the following)
ABT/LDA 150 Introduction to GIS None I, III 4
ESP 106 Environmental Data Science STA 13 or 32 or 100 (can be concurrent) II 4
Internship
ESM/ESP 92 or 192 Internship Upper division standing, permission of instructor

Variable unit – must take at least 3 units of internship
May complete internship in a different area with prior approval
(e.g.: PLS, SSC, ATM)

I, II, III, IV 3
Capstone
ESM 195 Integrating Env Science & Management Senior standing in ESM III 2
Honors Thesis (Optional)
ESM 194H Senior Honors Thesis Senior standing, Overall GPA of 3.50 or higher

Consent of the lead faculty advisor

  2-6

 

I = fall quarter, II = winter quarter, III = spring quarter, IV = summer session

Track Courses
NOTE: Courses taken for the depth subject matter or track cannot be used to fulfill more than one major requirement.
Course IDs Course Title Prerequisites Quarters Offered Units
Complete
ATM 60 Introduction to Atmospheric Science MAT 16A or 21A; PHY 7A or 9A I 4
Select three climate science and meteorology courses
ATM 116 Modern Climate Change None I 4
ATM 133 Biometeorology MAT 16B; one course in a biological discipline or consent of instructor II 4
ATM 160** Intro to Atmospheric Chemistry CHE 2B II 4
ESM 131 Air as a Resource CHE 10 or CHE 2A; CHE 2B II 3
GEL 108 Paleoclimates GEL 1 or 50 or 116N; CHE 2A III 3
Select two water and soil processes courses
ESM 100 Principles of Hydrologic Science CHE 2B; MAT 16B; PHY 7A or PHY 9A I 4
ESM 121 Water Science & Management PHY 10 or GEL 1 III 3
ESP/GEL 116N Oceanography GEL 1, 2, 16, or 50 II 3
HYD 143** Hydrological Processes in Ecosystems HYD 10 or 141 or ESP 1 or ESM 100 or ESM 108 or ESM 120 or GEL 1 or 50 or SSC 100 II 3
SSC 100 Principles of Soil Science College-level course in each of CHE, PHY, BIS, and GEL recommended I 5
Select one biological processes course
ESM/PLS 144 Trees & Forests PLS 2 or BIS 2C I 4
ESP 124 Marine and Coastal Field Ecology Offered at the Bodega Marine Lab I, IV 3
ESP 150C Biological Oceanography Offered at the Bodega Marine Lab IV 4
ESP 151 Limnology Upper division standing; BIS 2A III 4
ESP 155 Wetland Ecology BIS 2A or equivalent; ESP 100 or EVE 101 recommended   4
EVE 115* Marine Ecology ESP 100 or EVE 101 or BIS 2B, or consent of instructor II 4
PLS 130* Grassland Ecology PLS 2 or BIS 2B or BIS 2C or consent of instructor, upper div standing II 3
Select one ecosystems or biogeography course
ENH 160 Restoration Ecology ESP 100 or 121 or 155 or EVE 101 or 117 or 119 or PLS 162 or 130 III 4
EVE 147 Biogeography BIS 2B   4
EVE 149 Evolution of Ecological Systems ESP 100 or EVE 101 or equivalent; EVE 100 or equivalent   4
PLS 162 Urban Ecology PLB 117 or ESP 100 or EVE 101 or EVE 120 or PLS 163 II 3
Select two environmental policy courses
ESP 163** Energy & Env Aspects of Transportation Upper division standing in environmental studies I 4
ESP 165 Climate Policy ECN 1A or 1AV or ESP 1 or consent of instructor I 3
ESP 167** Energy Policy ECN 1A, MAT 16B or 17B or 21B or consent of instructor II 4
ESP 171 Urban & Regional Planning ESP 1 or ESP 161 or ESP 179 recommended III, IV 4
ESP 172 Public Lands Management ECN 1A and POL 1 recommended I 4
ESP 174 Environmental Justice Policy & Practice ESP 1 or equivalent recommended III 4
ESP 179 Environmental Impact Assessment ESP 1 or the equivalent II, IV 4
SOC 160 Sociology of the Environment SOC 1 or 2 or 3 recommended I 4

I = fall quarter, II = winter quarter, III = spring quarter, IV = summer session
*Course is offered in odd years only (2023, 2025, etc.)
**Course is offered in even years only (2024, 2026, etc.)