Office of Sustainability
Colleges and Environmental Justice Related Courses
College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences
Department of Gender and Sexuality Studies
The Department of Gender and Sexuality Studies is home to more than 170 students, faculty, and staff dedicated to analyzing feminist theory, global cultures, and politics through a combination of academics and action. We offer courses on gender and sexuality in relationship to race, ethnicity, class, history, research, the environment, pop culture, and more. Our degree programs and internships prepare students to go forth and transform their world.
Learn more about the Sustainability Studies Major:
Bachelor of Science in Sustainability Studies
Sustainability is the pursuit of a livable world for all life at present and in the future. Our program takes a social justice approach to analyze social, environmental, and economic issues including how climate change impacts different groups in different ways.
If you choose to major in sustainability studies, you will:
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investigate the historical and contemporary ways environments change (and are changed by) human activity
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explore comparative, interdisciplinary, transnational, feminist approaches to the theories and practices of building a sustainable future with a focus on everything from climate change and energy, to pollution and environmental justice
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study coursework ranging from gender and sustainability, to health and medicine, to media and policy, and more
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train in a framework of feminist paradigms and methodologies associated with intersectionality, dialogue, and relation from a local, regional, and worldwide perspective
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participate in in-depth, engaged learning experiences
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prepare for careers in health care, public service, policy advocacy, education, and social activism relevant to sustainability
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participate in internships with local environmental organizations, health advocates, and other institutions connected to sustainability
Riverside, CA 92521 Tel: 951) 827-4843
Email: cassee.barba@ucr.edu
CHASS Lower-Division Courses
| Course | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| GSST 021 | Gender and Sustainability | 5 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour; individual study, 3 hours; extra reading, 1 hour; term paper, 2 hour; written work, 1 hour; research, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): none. Introduction to the relationship between gender and sustainability in global context. Draws on science, political ecology, and feminism as analytical lenses. Topics may include gender mainstreaming, economic development, ethics, ecology, population management, water treatment, sanitation, air quality, renewable energy, agriculture, political participation, community development, global capitalism, and environmental health. |
| HASS 096 | Environment and Society | 4 Lecture, 3 hours, discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): lower-division standing or consent of instructor. Presents major environmental issues facing society from an interdisciplinary perspective. Topics may include water, energy, climate change, and urbanization. Cross-listed with NASC 096, and ENGR 096. |
| MCS 069 | The Politics of Public Space | 4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): none. Introduces theories and history of public space in modern cities. Topics include public space during the Industrial Revolution; modern planning and urban renewal; political uses of public space including demonstrations and occupations; privatization and policing of public spaces; and changing concepts of public and private space in contemporary society. |
| PBPL 010 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | 4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Provides an introduction to the fundamental concepts of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Geographic Information Science (GIScience), and their application to public policy and social science research. Also covers the use of geographic data and software in public policy and related practice. |
CHASS Upper-Division Courses
| Course | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ANTH 132 | Cultural Ecology | 4 Lecture, 3 hours; research, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): ANTH 001 or ANTH 001H or ANTH 001W or consent of instructor. Introduces people’s relationships to their total environment. Explores strategies for managing the environment and its resources, the effects of the environment on culture and society, the impact of human management on the ecosystem, and ways in which human groups view their surroundings. |
| ANTH 160 | Political Economy of Health | 4 Lecture, 3 hours; research, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): restricted to class level standing of junior, or senior; or consent of instructor. Examines critical medical anthropology. Focuses on the linkages between political economy, health, and healthcare systems in modern societies. Considers the effects of poverty, occupation, and environmental transformation in particular social contexts. Reviews four case studies: the political economy of HIV/AIDS, poverty, famine, and nuclear regulation. |
| ANTH 277 | Seminar in Political Ecology | 4 Seminar, 3 hours; outside research, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): graduate standing or consent of instructor. An advanced course focusing on the relationship between political economy and human ecology for the analysis of the interaction between people, natural resources, and the environment |
| ANTH 166 | Anthropology of Global Health | 4 Lecture, 3 hours; research, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): restricted to class level standing of junior, or senior; or consent of instructor. Examines the overlaps, debates, and potential of medical anthropology to address contemporary issues in global health. |
| ANTH 175 | Public Health, Media, and Risk Management |
4 Seminar, 3 hours; research, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Examines media and politics in public health and risk management. Focuses on the role that effective communication, public relations, media, and crisis management can play in both informing the public and reducing and preventing serious threats to human health. |
| ANTH 187 | Anthropology of Risk |
4 Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading, 1 hour; research, 1 hour; term paper, 10 hours per quarter. Prerequisite(s): ANTH 001 or ANTH 001H or ANTH 001W; upper-division standing; or consent of instructor. Examines theoretical and ethnographic works related to the perception of risk. Focuses on a range of arguments that view risk as an objective hazard, a symbolic construction, or as historically, politically, and socially contingent. Topics include law, health, pollution, and migration. |
| ECON 143 | Environmental Economics | 4 Lecture, 3 hours; written work, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): ECON 003 or ECON 003H; or equivalent; or consent of instructor. An introduction to economic analysis of natural resources, the environment, and environmental quality. Topics include interactions between the environment and the economy, social choice theory, source control costs, damage valuation, efficient pollution control, and design of efficient and equitable environmental policy |
| GSST 145 | Intersectionality, Ecology, and Community Design |
4 Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading, 2 hours; research, 4 hours. Prerequisite(s): GSST 021. Introduces theoretical underpinnings of ecological utopias and ecotopias. Examines practical aspects of designing these intentional communities focused on sustainability. Includes discussion and critique of proposed ecotopias, analysis of egalitarian economic systems, inclusive and participatory political institutions, and social mores adopted by existing ecovillages and other sustainable intentional communities. |
| GSST 148 | Intersectionality, Ecology, and Design Science |
4 Lecture, 3 hours; practicum, 3 hours; extra reading, 2 hours; field, 2 hours; written work, 2 hours. Prerequisite(s): GSST 145 (GSST 145 may be taken concurrently). Introduces regenerative design. Emphasizes stability and resiliency of natural systems and intersectional praxis of environmental justice in agricultural and social design. Recognizes sustainable food, water, and shelter requires understanding structures of power that shape and maintain discrimination. Includes agroecology; climate; health; permaculture; intentional communities; social activism; Sustainability. |
| GSST 171 | Environmental Health and Social Justice | 4 Lecture, 3 hours; activity 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): GSST 001 or GSST 001H or GSST 001S; GSST 020 or GSST 020H or GSST 020S or GSST 021; or consent of instructor. Interdisciplinary examination of the relationship between environmental health and social justice emphasizing gender, race, class, and globalization as analytical lenses. Topics include urban pollution, workplace exposure, industrial catastrophe, invisible environmental hazards, community activism, reproductive health, global capitalism, and new health challenges imposed by climate change. |
| MCS 108 |
Electric Earth: Media Ecology Theory Culture |
4 Seminar, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): MCS 001 with a grade of “C-” or better. Introduces media ecology theory and history. Explores key topics, concepts, and issues at the upper-division level. Develops methods for thinking about contemporary media ecology, examining objects such as smart cities, animal technologies, and the media-saturated planet. Outside class assignments include readings and conducting individual research and writing projects. |
| MCS 117 | Posthuman Bodies in Science, Media, and Culture | 4 Seminar, 3 hours; workshop, 1 hour; research, 1 hour; individual study, 2 hours. Prerequisite(s): MCS 005. Introduces cultures and theories of posthuman media. Examines media technologies, representations, and representative practices in the sciences. Topics include biopolitics, posthumanism, ecosickness, and speculation. Approaches posthuman media studies with perspectives from queer theory, eco-feminist theory, and disability studies. |
| MCS 122 | Sustainability as the Future of Democracy | 5 Lecture, 3 hours; screening, 3 hours; activity, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper division standing or consent of instructor. A critical cultural analysis of the discourses underlining and validating the degradation and destruction of our natural environments, engendering vast income inequalities. |
| MCS 159 | Race, Space, and Identity |
4 Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): restricted to class level standing of junior, or senior; or consent of instructor. Examines the intersection of race, space and identity in modern and contemporary culture. Explores the critical and constitutive importance of race in the built environment. Topics include the racialization of space; colonialism and colonial cities; expositions and world’s fairs; segregation; race and the canon, decolonization; and urban renewal. |
| MCS 163 | Special Topics in Art Criticism and Theory | 4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): ART 006/MCS 006; ART 160 with grades of “C-” or better; consent of instructor. Advanced topics in contemporary art theory and criticism. Examines the reception, analysis, and theoretical underpinning of works of art in relation to contemporary and historical issues in the visual arts. |
| POSC 106 | Environmental Political Thought | 4 Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading, 2 hours; written work, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Addresses various philosophical aspects of the human relationship to the environment from social, political, and economic perspectives. Includes debates related to issues such as how should human beings interact with their environment, as well as the relationship of environmental practice to liberalism, democracy, and capitalism. Credit is awarded for only one of POSC 106 or POSC 106S. |
| POSC 127 | Global Environmental Politics | 4 Lecture, 3 hours; field, 1 hour; individual study, 1 hour; written work, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): POSC 020 or POSC 020H. Introduces the study and practice of global environmental politics. Explores major developments in the evolution of international environmental law and policy. Covers ozone depletion, acid rain, marine pollution and whaling, tropical deforestation, overpopulation, and the impact of environmental degradation. Credit is awarded for only one of POSC 127 or POSC 127S. |
| POSC 137 | Environmental Justice and Human Rights | 4 Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading, 2 hours; written work, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Examines how notions of justice and human rights have been brought to bear on environmental and sustainability debates. Also examines the theoretical and historical basis of the environmental justice and human rights movements. Topics include local concerns (including “food desserts”) and air pollution, as well as global problems. Credit is awarded for only one of POSC 137 or POSC 137S. |
| POSC 139 | Environment, Sustainability, and Society | 4 Lecture, 3 hours; individual study, 2 hours; written work, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): POSC 017 or POSC 020 (or POSC 020H) or SOC 020; or consent of instructor. Examines the relationship of human society to the natural environment from a multi-disciplinary approach. Considers ways in which values, paradigms, policies, technologies, and their interactions have determined humans’ current unsustainable relationship with the earth. Explores challenges inherent in moving society toward a more environmentally sustainable future. Credit is awarded for only one of POSC 139 or POSC 139S. |
| POSC 180 | The Politics of Public Health | 4 Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Focuses on the social, environmental, and political factors that shape population health. Utilizes public health topics to illustrate the fundamental problems of the politics of regulation and social policy. Credit is awarded for only one of POSC 180 or POSC 180S. |
| PBPL 129 | Understanding Sustainability | 4 Lecture, 2 hour; practicum, 2 hours; extra reading, 2 hours; Screening, 1 hour; term paper, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor. Survey of the concepts, principles and tools from diverse fields that contribute to understanding and responding to problems such as climate change, environmental degradation, and unequal distribution of limited resources. Leads to an appreciation of the social, gendered, political, economic, natural and social scientific principles and theories underlying sustainability. |
| PBPL 172 | Environmental Policy | 4 Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): ECON 003 or ECON 003H; restricted to class level standing of junior, or senior. Provides overview of United States and California environmental policy. Examines economic and political justification for government intervention, different policy tools available to improve environmental quality, and the political, legal, and economic forces that determine policy outcomes. Reviews current environmental issues including climate change, air quality, water quality, and energy policy. |
| SOC 127 | Sociological Determinants of Health | 4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour; extra reading, 5 hours; research, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): SOC 001 or SOC 001H. Introduces the role that social factors play in shaping the occurrence and distribution of disease and death in populations with an emphasis on socioeconomic status, racism, social relationships and social stress. A particular emphasis is placed on sociological origins of health inequalities. |
| SOC 184 | Environmental Sociology | 4 Lecture, 3 hours; research, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): SOC 001 (or SOC 001H) and SOC 004 and SOC 005 with grades of “C” or better, or consent of instructor. A sociological approach to the study of mainstream environmentalism. Addresses societal implications of environmental reform; the nature of distributive impacts (costs and benefits); environmental conflict resolution; land-use decision making; and the placement of noxious facilities in minority, working class, and poor communities. |
UCR School of Public Policy (SPP)
Established in 2012, the UCR School of Public Policy is one of only four public policy schools in the 10-campus UC system. It is home to the only Master of Public Policy (MPP) program offered by a major research university in inland Southern California, as well as the only undergraduate public policy program in the ten-campus University of California system.
At the UCR School of Public Policy, our motto is "Solutions for the Region, Solutions for the World." While our research has global implications and relevance, Southern California—particularly, the inland region in Southern California— offers us a "living laboratory" in our own backyard to explore, investigate, and learn. As such, the theories that we test, issues that we analyze, and the solutions that we identify that concern Southern California and the Inland Empire's most pressing policy challenges have relevance to the state, nation, and world. By engaging in research that identifies the drivers of policy successes, as well as policy failures, we offer decision-makers, students, and society a more complete understanding of what works, what doesn't, and why.
Learn more about the School of Public Policy degree programs:
Undergraduate Public Policy Program
SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY: DEAN'S OFFICE 4120 Interdisciplinary SouthRiverside, CA 92521 Tel: (951) 827-5564
Email: spp@ucr.edu
UCR School of Medicine (SOM)
https://medschool.ucr.edu/
The UCR School of Medicine seeks students with diverse intellectual and life experiences. We value broad academic backgrounds that include humanities, foreign language, social sciences and the arts to help prepare future physicians for interacting with increasingly diverse patient populations, health care professionals and colleagues.
Learn more about the School of Medicine degree programs:
Master’s Degree in Biomedical Sciences
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE SOM Education Building900 University Ave.
Riverside, CA, 92521 General Number: (951) 827-4568
Admissions Office: (951) 827-7353
Admissions information: medadmissions@ucr.edu
General information: medschool@ucr.edu
UCR School of Business
One of only three University of California business schools to offer both undergraduate and graduate programs, UCR School of Business is a professional school that educates and develops leaders who are as diverse as the challenges they face, the workforces they lead, and the enterprises they grow. With nearly 20,000 alumni around the world and over 70% of its alumni staying in Southern California upon graduation, the School of Business is developing the human capital that drives the region’s economic growth and vitality.
Learn more about the School of Business degree programs:
Master of Professional Accountancy
Master of Science in Business Analytics
SCHOOL OF BUSINESS Anderson Hall900 University Ave.
Riverside, CA 92521 Tel: (951) 827-6329
Email: business@ucr.edu
School of Business Upper-Division Courses
| Course | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| BUS 114 | Marketing in A Global Environment | 4 Lecture, 3 hours; research, 2 hours; term paper, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): BUS 103. Covers the theory and practice of marketing across national borders. Provides an understanding of global marketing environments | 172 and examines the development of marketing strategies to maximize growth of global companies. |
| BUS 120 | Global Strategy | 4 Lecture, 3 hours; extra reading,1 hour; term paper, 2 hours. Prerequisite(s): BUS 109 or equivalents. Introduces global strategic management and how to win the global marketplace. Covers topics including the challenges of creating the right kind of organization, motivating a global workforce, entering new markets, creating global competitive advantage, and building a global mindset. |
| BUS 179 | Business Application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) | 4 Lecture, 2 hours; laboratory, 1 hour; extra reading, 2 hours; written work, 3 hours. Prerequisite(s): BUS 101. Topics include introduction and use of geographic information system (GIS) for business applications. Provides basic understanding on how location information is used in business processes for decisions. Offers an opportunity to gain hands-on experience with basic functionality of industry standard business mapping software tools including ArcGIS and Business Analyst Online. |
UCR Graduate School of Education (GSOE)
The Graduate School of Education (GSOE) at University of California, Riverside prepares students to become administrators, educators, advocates, and scholars who promote excellence and equity in every area of education. Situated on nearly 1,200 scenic acres in Inland Southern California, UC Riverside's campus is ideally located to conduct research among the ethnically diverse K-12 student populations in the region.
Students in our education programs work alongside world-class faculty devising and conducting research that brings about positive change for students of all ages and abilities.
Learn more about the Graduate School of Education degree programs:
Education, Society, and Human Development Undergraduate Program
GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION 900 University Ave.1207 Sproul Hall
Riverside, CA 92521 Tel: 951-827-4633
College of Natural & Agricultural Sciences (CNAS)
Department of Environmental Sciences
A multidisciplinary department within the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at UC Riverside with both undergraduate and graduate programs in environmental science. We seek to expand knowledge of the physical, chemical, biological and human components of the Earth System, through cutting-edge research, rigorous student training and service to the community. Our department consists of faculty, graduate students, postdocs and research staff working within and across the fields of atmospheric sciences, environmental chemistry & ecotoxicology, hydrologic sciences, and soil & water sciences.
Environmental Sciences encompasses a wide range of disciplines merged together to understand the natural environment. The field includes interactions among the physical, chemical, and biological aspects of the world and human institutions. The Environmental Sciences program is designed to prepare individuals for careers in business, industry, or government; or to pursue graduate studies in environmentally-related science, law, public health, or business.
Learn more about the Environmental Sciences degree programs:
Undergraduate Environmental Sciences Program
M.S. and Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES 2460A Geology BuildingRiverside, CA 92521 Tel: (951) 827-5116
Fax: (951) 827-4652
Email: beesadmin@ucr.edu
CNAS Lower-Division Courses
| Course | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ENSC 001 | Introduction to Environmental Science: Natural Resources | 4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): none. An introduction to environmental science, focusing on natural resource description, management, and conservation. Covers ecosystem characteristics and function; material and energy flows; population dynamics and influence of population on the environment; energy resources and conservation; and mineral and soil resources and their management. |
| ENSC 002 | Introduction to Environmental Science: Environmental Quality |
4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): none. An introduction to environmental science, focusing on the impact of human development and technology on the quality of natural resources and living organisms. Topics include soil, water, and air pollution; water, land, and food resources; wildlife management and species endangerment; toxicology and risk management; and solid and hazardous waste management. |
| ENSC 003 | Contemporary Issues in the Environmental Sciences | 4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): none. An issue-oriented approach to understanding the scientific principles behind environmental issues. Case studies of environmental issues appearing in the mass media provide the context for assessing the status of scientific knowledge and its role in human decision making. |
| ENSC 006 | Introduction to Environmental Economics | 4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): none. An introduction to the basic principles of economics and their application to problems of environmental quality and natural resource utilization. Emphasis is on the failure of markets as a cause of environmental degradation and the role of government in resolving problems of resource scarcity. Does not satisfy the Natural Science breadth requirement for the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. Cross listed with ECON 006. |
| GEO 007 | Minerals and Human Health | 4 Lecture, 2 hours; discussion, 2 hours. Prerequisite(s): none. Overview of the role of minerals in human life and industrial activities. Topics include the impact of minerals on human health, the role of minerals in modern technologies, asbestos and silica problems, occupational diseases caused by inhalation of mineral dust, and environmental protection in California. May include a field trip. |
| GEO 010 | Earth Resources and Sustainability | 4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): none. An introduction to the occurrence, availability, marketing, and usage of metals, minerals, fossil fuels, nuclear fuels and other geologic resources, including both historic and recent trends. Addresses conflicts between modern society’s need for increasingly scarce resources and mounting environmental problems. Also covers achieving sustainability through conservation, recycling, and substitution. |
| GEO 011 | Global Climate Change and Sustainability | 4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): none. Provides an understanding of Earth’s feedback systems that regulate the climate over long- and short-term time scales. Includes oceanic and atmospheric circulation patterns, the major reservoirs and global carbon cycle, and the influence and origin of greenhouse gases. Investigates sustainability, climate change policies, adaptation, and mitigation. Credit is awarded for only one of GEO 011 or GEO 011H. |
| PHYS 018 | Energy and the Environment | 4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): none. Covers the physics of energy (thermal, kinetic, potential, chemical, nuclear), its storage and use, primary sources of energy (fossil fuel, nuclear, wind, solar) and their relative effects on the environment. Particular emphasis on determining individual carbon footprints, physical models of global climate change and identifying pathways toward a sustainable infrastructure. |
CNAS Upper-Division Courses
| Course | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ENGR 826 | Bending the Curve: Climate Change Solutions | This course will focus on scalable solutions for carbon neutrality and climate stability, drawing on knowledge and insights from climate scholars across the UC system. The class is originally based on “Ten Scalable Solutions,” that arose from discussions involving 50 faculty from the 10-campus UC system under UC’s Carbon Neutrality Initiative. This class consists of lectures from experts across the UC campuses, and features the digital textbook, “Bending the Curve: Climate Change Solutions.” |
| ENSC 103 | Environmental Pollution and Health | 4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Focuses on the history, theory, and practice of assessing, understanding, and mitigating impacts of the natural and built environment on human health. Reviews core disciplines that underpin the field of environmental health as well as case studies from industrialized, emerging, and developing countries around the world. |
| ENSC 174 | Law, Institutions, and the Environment | 4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Introduction to natural resource ownership, protection, and regulation in the institutional environment of local, state, and federal laws, implementing agencies, and competing interests. Examines decision making in the context of the rights and limits of both private parties and the broad public interest in the use and protection of resources. |
| GEO 160 | Global Climate Change | 4 Lecture, 3 hours; discussion, 1 hour. Prerequisite(s): upper-division standing or consent of instructor; PHYS 002B or PHYS 02HB or PHYS 040B or PHYS 040HB recommended. Surveys historical and paleoclimate change using basic principles on gas laws, radiant energy exchange, atmospheric circulation and oceanography, and proxy data. Topics include variability in modern climate, greenhouse gases, global warming, El Nino, Pacific decadal oscillation, ozone hole, volcanism, ice age climate, and Milankovitch cycles. Also covers stable isotope profiles, plate tectonics, greenhouse climates, paleovegetation, modern species diversity, and snowball Earth. |