Overall Rating Platinum - expired
Overall Score 85.72
Liaison Marina Zdobnova
Submission Date March 4, 2021

STARS v2.2

University of California, Berkeley
AC-4: Graduate Program

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Mikayla Tran
SDG & OS Engagement Fellow
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Majors and degree programs 

Does the institution offer at least one sustainability-focused major, degree program, or the equivalent for graduate students?:
Yes

Name of the sustainability-focused graduate-level degree program:
Energy and Resources Group

A brief description of the graduate-level degree program:
With its four-decade his­tory of trans­for­ma­tive teach­ing and research, the Energy and Resources Group (ERG) has reframed eco­log­i­cal and social prob­lems in terms that bor­row from, and yet can be under­stood across, many tra­di­tion­ally sep­a­rate dis­ci­pli­nary cul­tures. The ERG model com­bines a rig­or­ous core cur­riculum, a shared learn­ing environment, and the free­dom to access the entire Berke­ley fac­ulty. The core cur­ricu­lum pro­vides stu­dents with relevant ana­lyt­i­cal tools from ecol­ogy, eco­nom­ics, engi­neer­ing and the social sci­ences. ERG research is strongly evidence-based and hypothesis-driven; its inter­dis­ci­pli­nary culture equally encourages student‐ and faculty‐led research. The value of such a cul­ture is hard to quan­tify: it has evolved through the commitment to systemic thinking, and the vision of a just and sustainable planet, over generations of ERGies.

Graduate-level Energy and Resources Group Programs include:
- Ph.D. – Doctor of Philosophy in Energy and Resources
- Master’s Degree – Two-year program in Master of Science (M.S.) or Master of Arts (M.A.) in Energy and Resources
- Concurrent ERG/Public Policy Master’s Degree – Three-year program in Energy and Resources (M.S. or M.A.) and Master’s Degree of Public Policy (M.P.P.)
- Concurrent ERG Master’s/Law J.D. Degree – Energy and Resources (M.S. or M.A.) and Juris Doctor Law Degree (J.D.)

Website URL for the graduate-level degree program:

Additional degree programs (optional) 

Name of the sustainability-focused, graduate-level degree program (2nd program):
Environmental Science, Policy & Management

None
A brief description of the graduate degree program (2nd program):
There is simply no better place to pursue advanced training on the challenges and opportunities facing our environment than here. UC Berkeley was ranked the top university in Environment/Ecology by the U.S. News & World Report’s inaugural international rankings in 2014, and our department has ranked #1 in Environmental Sciences by the annual QS World University Rankings by Subject four years in a row. Our graduate programs offer a chance to work with award-winning faculty in climate science, biodiversity, environmental policy, land use, and community outreach – and to prepare for exciting careers addressing the complex environmental problems we face.

Graduate-level ESPM programs include:
- Ph.D. in Environmental Science, Policy & Management
- Master of Forestry
- Master of Science in Range Management

Website URL for the graduate degree program (2nd program):
Name of the sustainability-focused, graduate-level degree program (3rd program):
Environmental Health Sciences

None
A brief description of the graduate degree program (3rd program):
The Division of Environmental Health Sciences is on the forefront of research that characterizes how environmental exposures—industrialization, unplanned urbanization, effects of climate change and microbial and chemical contamination of water, air and food—affect human populations, particularly the most vulnerable members of society, such as young children, pregnant women, workers, and those lacking resources and power.

MS students in the Environmental Health Sciences division are trained to make research and technical contributions to the field of environmental health science. EHS offers an MS degree in Environmental Health Sciences and Global Health and Environment. The EHS MS educational objectives are to develop an understanding of the human health impacts of physical, biological, and chemical agents in the environment and workplace and to explore the means of their recognition and control.

Graduate-level Degrees in Environmental Health Sciences include:
- PhD in Environmental Health Sciences
- Master’s in Environmental Health Sciences (MPH)
- Master’s in Environmental Health Sciences (MS)

Graduate-level Degrees in Global Health and Environment include:
- Master’s in Global Health and Environment (MPH)
- Master’s in Global Health and Environment (MS)

Website URL for the graduate degree program (3rd program):
The name and website URLs of all other sustainability-focused graduate-level degree programs:
Agricultural & Resource Economics
https://are.berkeley.edu/graduate-program

Civil and Environmental Engineering
https://www.ce.berkeley.edu/grad/programs

Conservation and Resource Studies
https://nature.berkeley.edu/advising/majors/conservation-and-resource-studies

Development Practice
https://mdp.berkeley.edu/

Earth and Planetary Science
http://eps.berkeley.edu/graduate-students

Energy, Civil Infrastructure and Climate
http://www.ce.berkeley.edu/grad/degrees/requirements/ecic

Environmental Engineering
http://www.ce.berkeley.edu/grad/degrees/requirements/env

Environmental Law
http://www.law.berkeley.edu/148.htm

Environmental Planning
http://laep.ced.berkeley.edu/programs/mla/envplan

Forestry
http://ourenvironment.berkeley.edu/graduate-programs/degrees/master-of-forestry/

Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning
http://laep.ced.berkeley.edu/programs/phd

Range Management
http://ourenvironment.berkeley.edu/graduate-programs/degrees/ms-range-management/

Human Geography
https://geography.berkeley.edu/geography-studies/human-geography

Environmental Science, Policy & Management
https://ourenvironment.berkeley.edu/graduate-programs/degrees/the-phd-program

Urban Design
https://ced.berkeley.edu/academics/urban-design/

Minors, concentrations and certificates 

Does the institution offer one or more graduate-level sustainability-focused minors, concentrations or certificates?:
Yes

Name of the graduate-level sustainability-focused minor, concentration or certificate:
Environmental & Energy Law Program

A brief description of the graduate minor, concentration or certificate:
Berkeley Law was one of the first major law schools to enter the field of environmental law, and our program remains as strong as ever today. Our Environmental Law Program offers students opportunities to take a broad range of courses in the environmental and energy field and to engage in cutting-edge research and writing. It also offers the chance to explore interdisciplinary perspectives on the environment, to obtain vital practical experience, and to connect with the dynamic and cutting edge Bay Area environmental law community.

In addition to its curricular offerings, the Environmental Law Program offers students opportunities to engage in interdisciplinary research with faculty and staff through the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment (CLEE). CLEE works to develop smart, practical solutions to critical environmental and energy challenges including climate change, renewable energy, sustainable water, and healthy oceans.

Website URL for the graduate minor, concentration or certificate:

Additional minors, concentrations and certificate programs (optional) 

Name of the graduate-level sustainability-focused minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
Energy Institute at Haas

None
A brief description of the graduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
The Energy Institute at Haas brings together research and curricular programs on energy business, policy, and technology commercialization. Our goal is to bridge the gap between the frontiers of economic and scientific energy research and the marketplace.

Specifically, the institute:

- Trains the business and policy leaders of tomorrow to understand the market, policy, and technological challenges of the energy industries.
- Strives to ensure that energy and environmental policy is based on sound economic and business principles, backed by rigorous empirical evidence and the frontiers of economic research.
- Works with scientists to commercialize promising energy technologies, being mindful of the unique scientific and policy issues they will confront.

Website URL for the graduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
Name of the graduate-level sustainability-focused minor, concentration or certificate (3rd program):
Graduate Certificate in Geospatial Information Science and Technology

None
A brief description of the graduate minor, concentration or certificate (3rd program):
Geographic information science and technology, along with geostatistics and analysis of satellite imagery, have emerged as major cross-disciplinary tools used in academic research, industrial applications, and public policy analysis. This is especially true on the Berkeley campus. Students, faculty and staff across campus are using these technologies to understand how plants and animals might respond to climate change, how the built environment might influence public health, and how land use is changing in the tropics. Adding these skills to your undergraduate or graduate program can help you get a job, or can help you delve into new areas of research. We built this website to provide access to the many distributed GIS opportunities on the Berkeley campus.

A great place for GIS on campus is the Geospatial Innovation Facility (GIF) at UC Berkeley‘sCollege of Natural Resources. The GIF provides leadership and training across a broad array of integrated mapping technologies. These technologies include Remote Sensing, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Global Positioning Systems (GPS), and modeling. The GIF offers innovative geospatial approaches to environmental research projects and grant opportunities. You can take short workshops on a range of topics, rent GPS equipment, get GIS consulting, and go to Geolunch events.

Website URL for the graduate minor, concentration or certificate (3rd program):
None
The name and website URLs of all other graduate-level, sustainability-focused minors, concentrations and certificates:
Agriculture and Resource Policy
https://are.berkeley.edu/about/research-areas/agricultural-and-resource-policy

Designated Emphasis in Science and Technology Studies
https://ourenvironment.berkeley.edu/graduate-programs/degrees/the-phd-program/phd-designated-emphasis-in-science-technology-studies

Development Economics
https://are.berkeley.edu/about/research-areas/development-economics

Environmental and Energy Economics
https://are.berkeley.edu/about/research-areas/environmental-and-energy-economics

Global Urban Humanities
http://globalurbanhumanities.berkeley.edu/academic-program

Sustainability Certificate Program at the Energy and Resources Group
https://erg.berkeley.edu/academics/summer-only-minor/

Optional Fields 

Additional documentation to support the submission:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Information about degree programs, certificates and designated emphases was gathered through publicly available sources provided by each of the departments and programs websites.

UC Berkeley’s Rausser College of Natural Resources is committed to sustainability with justice, in our research, teaching, and service, as well as our own community. Each of the departments has a statement and a plan on diversity, equity, and inclusion: https://nature.berkeley.edu/diversity-equity-and-inclusion

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.