Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 66.07
Liaison Breeana Sylvas
Submission Date Feb. 25, 2016
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.0

University of California, Merced
AC-3: Undergraduate Program

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Teamrat Ghezzehei
Associate Professor
School of Natural Sciences
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

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

The name of the sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program (1st program):
Environmental Engineering Major

A brief description of the undergraduate degree program (1st program):

Environmental engineers are distinguished from other environmental professionals through their focus on problem solving, design and implementation of technological or management systems. Environmental engineers search for creative and economical ways to use resources efficiently, limit the release of residuals into the environment, develop sensitive techniques to track pollutants once released and find effective methods to remediate spoiled resources. They serve as the vital link between scientific discovery, technological development and the societal need for protecting human health and ecological integrity. In the coming decades, environmental engineers will increasingly be called upon to address broader issues of environmental sustainability by minimizing the release of residuals through altered production processes and choice of materials; by capturing the resource value of wastes through recovery, recycling and reuse; and by managing natural resources to meet competing societal objectives.


The website URL for the undergraduate degree program (1st program):
The name of the sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program (2nd program):
Earth Systems Science Major

A brief description of the undergraduate degree program (2nd program):

The Earth Systems Science major prepares students to understand and solve critical challenges facing our environment, such as climate change, pollution, conservation and resource management. UC Merced operates an interdisciplinary program that integrates the study of fundamental physical, chemical and biological processes that shape our environment with practical applications to real-world problems. Our students receive a firm foundation in the fundamentals of chemistry, biology, hydrology, ecology and Earth sciences, while upper division elective courses allow students the flexibility to pursue a variety of topics related to Earth and environmental systems.


The website URL for the undergraduate degree program (2nd program):
The name of the sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
---

A brief description of the undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
---

The website URL for the undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
---

The name and website URLs of all other sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program(s):
---

Does the institution offer one or more sustainability-focused minors, concentrations or certificates for undergraduate students?:
Yes

The name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (1st program):
Environmental Science and Sustainability Minor

A brief description of the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (1st program):

Environmental science is an interdisciplinary academic field that focuses on application of concepts and methods from the physical, chemical, biological and social sciences to the study of the natural environment and seeks solutions to environmental problems. Sustainability science aims to improve the quality of human life within the carrying capacity of supporting ecosystems.

The Environmental Science and Sustainability minor at UC Merced will allow students from diverse backgrounds to pursue interests in earth and environmental sciences in some depth without requiring the breadth of coursework and extensive laboratory and field time required for the Earth System Science major.


The website URL for the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (1st program):
The name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
---

A brief description of the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
---

The website URL for the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
---

The name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (3rd program):
---

A brief description of the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (3rd program):
---

The website URL for the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (3rd program):
---

The name, brief description and URL of all other undergraduate-level sustainability-focused minors, concentrations and certificates:
---

Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
---

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.