1. Home
  2. Academics
  3. Colleges & Schools
  4. College of Science
  5. Departments
  6. Applied Environmental Science
  7. Environmental Science, Technology and Policy BS

Environmental Science, Technology, and Policy

Applied Environmental Science

Environmental Science graduates use science and technology to contribute to the sustainable management of natural resources. Students learn about ecosystems, watersheds, plants, and animals. They develop technical skills in quantitative analysis and geographic information systems, and they learn how organizations work together to manage the environment in the context of environmental laws and policies.

While at CSUMB, students are involved in projects such as conducting hydrologic surveys on the Carmel River, mapping populations of rare species, studying the impacts of grazing on native plants within the Fort Ord National Monument, and monitoring ground squirrel populations on campus.

 

 

We prepare our students for successful careers in environmental science and natural resource management as well as admission to graduate schools. Recent graduates work at state and federal agencies such as the Bureau of Land Management, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the US Forest Service, and the US Geological Survey, as well as in city and county governments, non-profits, and environmental consulting.

Students learn how to plan and execute field trips that yield useful environmental data. This includes collecting biological samples and water samples, recording wildlife observations, measuring rivers and other landscape features using surveying equipment, delineating habitats, and using GIS and GPS to plan and record the spatial layout of samples and measurements.

Students go beyond mastering basic laboratory skills, learning to prepare solutions to analyze water, soil, and air samples, and using advanced technologies to analyze biological samples. Students learn to effectively manage and analyze large data sets.

Students learn to use remote sensing data and geographic information systems to combine physical, cultural, and biological data to generate maps and models.

Students apply fundamental mathematical and statistical skills and use the scientific method in the design, application, and interpretation of scientific research.

Students analyze and synthesize information from a multi-stakeholder perspective to develop alternative scenarios for environmental science problems, and communicate their recommendations in oral and written formats.

Students apply the nomenclature, concepts, and methodology of chemistry, biology, physics, earth science, and economics to understand, describe, and predict environmental science processes.