Credit Allocations
The California Ecology and Conservation program has two components. The first, NRS BIO/ENVS 188 California Ecology and Conservation, is required of all participating students and is 19 quarter units or 12.7 semester units. The second component is NRS BIO/ENVS 189 Critical Conservation Issues in California, a 2.3 semester unit course in which students from semester campuses (UC Berkeley and UC Merced) enroll during spring or fall term.
Academic departments on each UC campus determine how credits from California Ecology and Conservation fulfill major, minor, and/or GE requirements. Below is the most current information we have about how the course credits map toward degree requirements. For departments and majors not listed, students have the option to petition for application of credits toward major requirements.
Students are encouraged to contact their academic advisor to discuss how course credits apply toward their personal course of study.
UC Berkeley
Integrative Biology Major
Fulfills Group B and Lab OR Group B and Field Lab
Environmental Sciences Major (ESPM)
4 units applied toward biological science elective units
Students may petition to have additional units count toward one additional requirement area within the major
Molecular Environmental Biology Major (ESPM)
Fulfills one lab requirement
4 units applied to the area of concentration requirement
Students may petition to have additional units count toward one additional requirement area within the major
UC Davis
Environmental Science and Management Major
Ecology, Biodiversity, and Conservation track
1 written/oral expression course
Field course
Community ecology course
Cross-cutting ecology course
Biome lab course
Natural Resource Management track
1 written/oral expression course
2 biological processes courses
1 physical processes course
Evolution, Ecology & Biodiversity Major (A.B. and B.S.)
Units approved as upper division electives toward major
4 units could be used as one course for the Advanced Evolution & Ecology requirement
4 units could be used as one course for the Biodiversity requirement
Fulfills the lab/fieldwork requirement
Marine and Coastal Sciences Major
Fulfills field requirement
Fulfills research requirement
Fulfills one focus or breadth class in Oceans and the Earth System
Wildlife, Fish, & Conservation Biology Major
WFC 100/100L or WFC 101/101L or WFC 102/102L (3-7 units)
WFC 10 or WFC 50 (3-4 units) or 1-2 courses in the Area of Specialization (3-10 units), by petition to the WFC Master Advisor
UC Irvine
Biological Science Major
Fulfills E166L Field Methods and two upper division biology electives
Earth System Science Major
Fulfills EarthSS 114 Field Methods and two upper division electives (in HTE specialization if needed)
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Major
Fulfills E166L Field Methods and two upper division biology electives
Environmental Science and Policy Major
Under section C, fulfills one upper-division ESS elective and two of the three upper-division electives for the major. Students would still need to complete one ESS course, two UPPP courses, and one additional elective under section C.
UC Los Angeles
Ecology, Behavior and Evolution Major
Field Biology Quarter (FBQ) equivalent. Fulfills the field quarter requirement.
UC Merced
Fall and Spring
Biological Sciences Major
BIO 133/ESS 133 Flora of California (5 units)
BIO 148/ESS 148 Ecology (4 units)
BIO 149 & BIO 149F Conservation Biology (5 units)
Upper division BIO elective (1 unit)
Earth Systems Science Major
ESS 133/BIO 133 Flora of California (5 units)
ESS 180 Field Methods in Earth Systems (4 units)
ESS 149/BIO 149 Conservation Biology (4 units)
Upper division Earth Systems Science elective (2 units)
Summer
Biological Sciences Major
BIO 133/ESS 133 Flora of California (5 units)
BIO 149 & BIO 149F Conservation Biology (5 units)
Upper division BIO elective (2.7 units)
Earth Systems Science Major
ESS 133/BIO 133 Flora of California (5 units)
ESS 149/BIO 149 Conservation Biology (4 units)
Upper division Earth Systems Science elective (3.7 units)
UC Riverside
Biology
15 of the 19 units count toward upper division units, either for general credit or students can petition to have them substitute for particular classes; the remaining 4 units count as lower division general electives
Entomology
8 of the 19 units count toward the major (two class equivalents decided on an individual basis); the remaining 11 units come out of the unrestricted life science credits (upper division)
Microbiology
4 units of MCBL 190 or 197
15 units of general electives
Neuroscience (CNAS)
6 units will count as CBNS 197
13 units will count as general elective credit
Plant Biology (Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics Concentration/Specialization only)
7 units of upper division course work toward the “Additional Specialization Units” in the Ecology, Evolution, & Systematics Concentration Requirements
2 units of BPSC 197 required for the PLBL major
10 units of general electives
UC San Diego
Division of Biological Sciences majors:
Credits may count toward two lab requirements and one elective. Please contact a Biology Advisor to determine the applicability of the course credits to your specific major.
Environmental Systems Major with Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution concentration (Physical Sciences):
Three upper division electives in the major, one of which could count as the upper division lab requirement
UC Santa Barbara
Biological Sciences B.A. and B.S.
(Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology)
8 units of upper division biology electives
Aquatic Biology Major
Fulfills Subject Area E (8 units elective)
Ecology and Evolution Major
Fulfills Subject Area B1 (1 course—Area of Concentration Ecology)
Fulfills Subject Area D (1 laboratory course)
Fulfills Subject Area E (8 units elective)
Physiology Major
Fulfills Subject Area E (8 units elective)
Zoology Major
Fulfills Subject Area E (1 course—Ecology and Evolution Enrichment)
Fulfills Subject Area G (1 laboratory course)
Fulfills Subject Area E (8 units elective)
Biology Major (College of Creative Studies)
Units count toward 48 upper division unit requirement
Environmental Studies Major
Satisfies the outside concentration requirement. Students must follow the petition process for official approval.
Geography Department
Geography BA
Area 1. Physical Geography (4 units)
Area A3. Additional units from Physical or Human (4 units)
Area C. Integrative and Regional Geography (4 units)
Non-major requirements upper division coursework (7 units)
Geography BS
Area 1. Physical Geography (4 units)
Area C. Specialized Physical Geography (4 units)
Area E. Integrative and Regional Geography (4 units)
Non-major requirements upper division coursework (7 units)
Geography BA-GIS
Area B. Physical Geography (4 units)Area D. Additional units from Physical or Human (4 units)
Area E Integrative and Regional Geography (4 units)
Non-major requirements upper division coursework (7 units)
UC Santa Cruz
Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Department Major
(includes Ecology & Evolution, Marine Biology, and Plant Sciences majors)
Three upper division electives, either topical or general EEB electives depending on major
Senior exit requirement
Environmental Studies Major
Three upper division courses