berkeley environmental economics phd

University of California, Santa Barbara

PhD Emphasis in Economics and Environmental Science

EES Emphasis Director : Christopher Costello

Environmental and resource economics is the study of the connections between economics and the environment.

At the core of environmental economics is the recognition that markets often do not provide the right amount of environmental protection, and that some intervention by government, typically through regulation, tax policy, or the establishment of property rights, is frequently needed to strike the right balance between conflicting societal needs.

UCSB PhD students in the Bren School or the Economics Department may choose to supplement their PhD program by establishing an emphasis in Economics and Environmental Science (EES). Students who pursue this option acquire a deep and expert knowledge of economics, as well as an understanding and appreciation of the research questions and methods of a natural science that complements their economics research. The EES program typically starts in the second year of the PhD program, following successful completion of a first-year core sequence in microeconomics and econometrics.

Career Preparation

In an age when economic activity stresses the environment and utilizes fisheries, forests, minerals, energy sources, and other environmental resources, it is increasingly important to use economic tools in developing environmental approaches and policies. Armed with these tools, environmental economists are able to conceptualize economic problems related to environmental issues, then apply appropriate quantitative and qualitative techniques to design and implement appropriate research methods.

This dual emphasis uniquely prepares students for a wide variety of careers, including faculty positions in disciplinary departments (e.g. economics or agricultural economics) and multidisciplinary departments (environmental studies programs and graduate schools of the environment), and for non-academic careers in government, industry, and consulting.

Academic Preparation

Prospective UCSB students who are considering the EES emphasis should have interest in economics and the problems of environmental protection and natural-resource use. Because of the multidisciplinary nature of the emphasis, a variety of student backgrounds are entirely appropriate for EES. A master's degree is not necessary, though having one is a plus.

Although students need not have majored or minored in economics prior to entering the program, they should have been successful in their economics coursework, have an understanding of basic principles, and demonstrate a strong interest in the field. Students having little formal training in economics should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the nature of an economics graduate program and a career in economics.

It is desirable that participants have some training in natural science at the university level. Students should have taken one or more of the introductory sequences in biology, chemistry, and physics offered for science majors at most universities. Students having relatively little preparation in natural science are advised to remedy this deficiency during the year and the summer immediately preceding their enrollment in the EES emphasis at UCSB. This can be achieved, for instance, by enrolling in university physics and/or chemistry during the fall when applying to graduate school and then continuing the sequence through the remainder of the academic year.

It is important that all prospective students be well prepared in mathematics and have comfort and facility with quantitative methods and problems. Most successful EES students have done well in a rigorous course sequence in single and multivariate calculus. It is helpful to have taken such additional coursework as linear algebra, differential equations, real analysis, or mathematical statistics.

How to Enroll in the EES Emphasis

• When admitted as a PhD student, please indicate that you are interested in enrolling in the emphasis. Student application materials will then be sent to the EES Emphasis Director for evaluation prior to enrolling in any courses.
• Complete the ECON Math Bootcamp the summer prior to the Fall Quarter start of the PhD program.
• Entire first-year Economics PhD sequence - ECON 210 A, B, C; ECON 241 A, B, C; Optional: ECON 204 A, B, C.
• PhD-pass on the preliminary examination in Microeconomics and Econometrics.
• Complete and submit the Change of Degree Status Petition  (add EES emphasis). 

Only currently enrolled UCSB PhD students in the Department of Economics or the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management may add the Economics and Environmental Science emphasis. Student preparation must be evaluated by the EES Emphasis Director  prior  to enrolling in the EES program.

The emphasis begins during Year 2. However, preparing for the EES emphasis begins in Year 1.

Academic Requirements

PhD students must satisfy all requirements in their home departments in addition to the emphasis requirements. Work completed in satisfaction of departmental PhD requirements may also be used to satisfy emphasis requirements. Students must complete and submit the  EES Emphasis Verification Form   after completing the requirements to formally add the emphasis to their degree . 

• Environmental and natural resource economics coursework .  16 units, including 8 units from the core courses in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics (ECON 260 D, E, F, G, H, I, J), is required.
• Establish proficiency in a second field of economics . Establish proficiency in a second field of economics (in addition to environmental and natural resource economics) as defined by the Department of Economics , or alternatively, design a custom field that is approved by the EES Emphasis Director with the following components: The existence of a significant body of economic literature, sufficient breadth to be recognized as a field for teaching or research, and availability of Ph.D.-level coursework in support of the field.
• Seminar in economics and environmental science . Students must complete four quarters of Special Topics in Economics - Environmental and Natural Resource Economics (ECON 290).
• Field seminar . Students must enroll in one quarter of Collaborative Interdisciplinary Research at the Bren School (ESM 514).
• Natural science focus. Prior to being admitted to the emphasis, students work with their advisory committee to define an area of natural science to establish competency, such as applied ecology, climate, hydrology, or marine science. The focus will involve four to six courses of lectures, seminars, lab, research, and more. Students must select a UCSB faculty member to serve as their Natural Science Faculty Advisor. The faculty advisor may or may not be on their PhD committee, but the proposed natural science focus must be approved by their PhD committee. 
• Dissertation.  Although the expectation is that a student's dissertation be a contribution to economics, the specific subject of the dissertation is a matter between the student and their PhD committee. 

Program Timeline

The EES program typically starts in the second year of the PhD program, following successful completion of a first-year core sequence in microeconomics and econometrics. In the second year, students take coursework in environmental and natural resource economics and a second field of economics of their choosing. Students also begin to acquire an understanding of an area of environmental science. This culminates in a research experience, working in the laboratory of one of the EES natural-science faculty members. A student's dissertation is typically in an area of environmental economics.

Schedule Preview: PhD with EES Emphasis

• Entire first-year Economics PhD sequence - ECON 210 A, B, C; ECON 241 A, B, C; Optional: ECON 241 A, B, C.
• A course or directed reading with an EES natural-science faculty member.
• One or more electives (natural science, macro, or other).
• During the summer after Year 1: An optional natural-science research experience or policy internship.
• Complete and submit the Change of Degree Status Petition (add EES emphasis). 
• Identify an advisor and apply for admission into the emphasis.
• 16 units, including 8 units from the core courses in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics (ECON 260 D, E, F, G, H, I, J).
• An additional field in economics (2-3 courses).
• Coursework and directed reading in chosen area of natural science.
• Problem-based cross-disciplinary seminar ( ESM 514 ).
• Environmental Economics seminar (ECON 290) - four quarters.
• Fall Quarter: students must submit PhD Committee petition to department.
• Spring Quarter: students must take written exams (Bren students only).
• During the summer after Year 2: An optional natural-science research experience or policy internship.
• Environmental Economics Seminar (ECON 290).
• Dissertation proposal and defense.
• Fall Quarter: students must take oral exams (Bren students only).

Years 4 & 5

• Dissertation research.
• Environmental Economics Seminar (ECON 290)
• Upon completion, certify your progress with the EES Emphasis Director.
• Complete and submit the EES Emphasis Verification Form . 

Are you ready to solve environmental problems?

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Research Areas

The energy, environment and resource field covers the economics of pollution, renewable and exhaustible resources with a focus on energy. The field covers both theory and empirics, with an emphasis on well identified studies of regulatory cost or benefit.

The first two courses in the field include the fundamentals of resource economics including the classic Hotelling problem, both theory and empirical; optimal control and dynamic programming in a resource context; Pigouvian prices, double dividends, and the Coase theorem; pollution control and enforcement; measuring the value of clean air and clean water; and measuring the costs of clean air and water; electricity supply and demand,the economics of energy and fuel efficiency, decision making under uncertainty and with anticipated learning; climate change policy; hyperbolic discounting; disentangling risk aversion and intertemporal substitutability, and a collection of topics in environmental policy design and implementation (with an emphasis on market-based emissions regulation). The field also includes a third course that presents a much more detailed view of the dynamic issues in resource economics including stock pollutants and climate change.

Reflecting the policy importance of the subject, the faculty is dedicated not only to academic pursuits, but also to policy and to governmental and non-governmental organizations. Similarly, some students prepare to pursue academic careers, while others prefer to work closer to policy makers and projects managers, finding employment in the private and non-profit sectors.

Michael L Anderson

Maximilian Auffhammer

Severin Borenstein

Ellen Bruno

Lucas Davis

Anthony Fisher

Meredith Fowlie

J. Keith Gilless

Michael Hanemann

Larry S. Karp

Gordon Rausser

David Roland-Holst

James Sallee

Joseph S. Shapiro

David Sunding

David Zilberman

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Berkeley Berkeley Academic Guide: Academic Guide 2023-24

Environmental economics and policy (envecon), envecon c1 introduction to environmental economics and policy 4 units.

Terms offered: Summer 2024 8 Week Session, Fall 2023, Summer 2023 8 Week Session, Fall 2022, Fall 2021 Introduction to microeconomics with emphasis on resource, agricultural, and environmental issues. Introduction to Environmental Economics and Policy: Read More [+]

Rules & Requirements

Prerequisites: Mathematics 32

Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for ECON C3 after completing ECON 1 .

Hours & Format

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week

Summer: 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture and 2 hours of discussion per week

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. Six hours of lecture and two hours of discussion per week for 8 weeks.

Additional Details

Subject/Course Level: Environmental Economics and Policy/Undergraduate

Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.

Also listed as: ECON C3

Introduction to Environmental Economics and Policy: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 7 Disaster Risk Resilience and Adaptation 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023 A multidisciplinary approach to the many natural and human-made disasters facing California and the wider world in the 21 st century, with a focus on understanding risk; risk reduction; risk governance (linking science and public policy); and preparedness and resilient recovery. Emphasis on exposure of people, property and systems to natural hazards, and adaptive capacity to risk vulnerability. Course is 10 weeks long for compatibility with the quarter system of other UC campuses. Disaster Risk Resilience and Adaptation: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 10 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week

Summer: 10 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week for 10 weeks. Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week for 10 weeks.

Instructor: Zilberman

Disaster Risk Resilience and Adaptation: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 39D Freshman/Sophomore Seminar 1.5 - 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2009, Fall 2008 Freshman and sophomore seminars offer lower division students the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member and a group of peers in a small-seminar setting. These seminars are offered in all campus departments; topics vary from department to department and from semester to semester. Freshman/Sophomore Seminar: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Priority given to freshmen and sophomores

Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1.5-4 hours of seminar per week

Additional Format: Seminar format.

Grading/Final exam status: The grading option will be decided by the instructor when the class is offered. Final exam required.

Freshman/Sophomore Seminar: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 98 Directed Group Studies (for Lower Division Students) 1 - 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2001 Group study (or seminar) of a selected topic or topics in Environmental Economics and Policy. Directed Group Studies (for Lower Division Students): Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Consent of Instructor

Credit Restrictions: Enrollment is restricted; see the Introduction to Courses and Curricula section of this catalog.

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-3 hours of directed group study per week

Additional Format: One and one-half hour of meeting per unit per week. To be arranged.

Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Final exam not required.

Directed Group Studies (for Lower Division Students): Read Less [-]

ENVECON 100 Intermediate Microeconomics with Applications to Sustainability 4 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2024 8 Week Session, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 Covers the basic microeconomic tools for further study of natural resource problems. Theory of consumption, production, theory of the firm, industrial organization, general equilibrium, public goods and externalities. Applications to agriculture and natural resources. Intermediate Microeconomics with Applications to Sustainability: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: C1 or Economics 1 or C3; and Mathematics 16A and 16B or Math 1A and 1B; or consent of instructor

Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for Environmental Economics 100 after completing Economics 100A, Economics 101A, or Undergraduate Business Administration 110.

Instructors: Perloff, Wagner

Intermediate Microeconomics with Applications to Sustainability: Read Less [-]

ENVECON C101 Environmental Economics 4 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2024 8 Week Session, Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 Theories of externalities and public goods applied to pollution and environmental policy. Trade-off between production and environmental amenities. Assessing nonmarket value of environmental amenities. Remediation and clean-up policies. Environment and development. Biodiversity management. Environmental Economics: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 100, Mathematics 16A-16B, or Economics 100A or 101A

Also listed as: ECON C125

Environmental Economics: Read Less [-]

ENVECON C102 Natural Resource Economics 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Spring 2023, Fall 2022 Introduction to the economics of natural resources. Land and the concept of economic rent. Models of optimal depletion of nonrenewable resources and optimal use of renewable resources. Application to energy, forests, fisheries, water, and climate change. Resources, growth, and sustainability. Natural Resource Economics: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 100, or Economics 100A or 100B

Additional Format: Three hours of Lecture and One hour of Discussion per week for 15 weeks.

Instructor: Sunding

Natural Resource Economics: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 103 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory with Application to Natural Resources 4 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007 Covers intermediate microeconomic theory for further study of economic behavior as it relates to agriculture and natural resource problems. Theory of consumption, production, theory of the firm, industrial organization, general equilibrium, public goods and externalities. Applications to agriculture and natural resources. Intermediate Microeconomic Theory with Application to Natural Resources: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: C1 or Economics 1 or C3 and Mathematics 16A or consent of instructor

Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for Environmental Economics 103 after completing Environmental Economics 100, Economics 100A, Economics 101A, or Undergraduate Business Administration 110.

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week.

Instructor: Ligon

Intermediate Microeconomic Theory with Application to Natural Resources: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 104 The Economics of Sustainable Business and Policy 3 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2024 Second 6 Week Session, Summer 2023 Second 6 Week Session, Summer 2022 Second 6 Week Session This course examines how private businesses operate in the context created by environmental regulation. It provides an overview of grand environmental challenges, including climate, air pollution, and water quality and scarcity. For each problem, the potential for value creation by private businesses that can help society solve these problems is explained, so that environmental problems can be understood as market opportunities. It provides a series of case studies that examine how the strategic decisions of businesses are shaped by environmental policy, and how businesses act to shape policy to their benefit. The Economics of Sustainable Business and Policy: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: ENVECON 100 , ECON 101 A & B, or the equivalent

Summer: 6 weeks - 6 hours of lecture and 1.5 hours of discussion per week

Additional Format: Six hours of lecture and one and one-half hours of discussion per week for 6 weeks.

The Economics of Sustainable Business and Policy: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 105 Data Tools for Sustainability and the Environment 3 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2024 Second 6 Week Session, Summer 2023 Second 6 Week Session, Summer 2022 Second 6 Week Session This course introduces students to data analysis for use in addressing sustainable business and policy questions. By the end of this course, students will be able to analyze real-world data within the Jupyter/Python programming environment. It will focus on real-world applications such as the White House’s environmental justice proposals; emissions monitoring; and assessing plastic waste for the Government of Indonesia. Data Tools for Sustainability and the Environment: Read More [+]

Data Tools for Sustainability and the Environment: Read Less [-]

ENVECON C115 Modeling and Management of Biological Resources 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Fall 2017, Fall 2015, Fall 2014 Models of population growth, chaos, life tables, and Leslie matrix theory. Harvesting and exploitation theory. Methods for analyzing population interactions, predation, competition. Fisheries, forest stands, and insect pest management. Genetic aspects of population management. Mathematical theory based on simple difference and ordinary differential equations. Use of simulation packages on microcomputers (previous experience with computers not required). Modeling and Management of Biological Resources: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: A course that includes differential and integral calculus

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 2 hours of laboratory per week

Summer: 6 weeks - 6.5 hours of lecture and 4 hours of laboratory per week

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture and two hours of laboratory per week. Six and one-half hours of lecture and four hours of laboratory per week for 6 weeks.

Instructor: Getz

Also listed as: ESPM C104

Modeling and Management of Biological Resources: Read Less [-]

ENVECON C118 Introductory Applied Econometrics 4 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2024 8 Week Session, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 Formulation of a research hypothesis and definition of an empirical strategy. Regression analysis with cross-sectional and time-series data; econometric methods for the analysis of qualitative information; hypothesis testing. The techniques of statistical and econometric analysis are developed through applications to a set of case studies and real data in the fields of environmental, resource, and international development economics. Students learn the use of a statistical software for economic data analysis. Introductory Applied Econometrics: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Statistics 2, 20, 21, or equivalent

Also listed as: IAS C118

Introductory Applied Econometrics: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 131 Globalization and the Natural Environment 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2013, Fall 2012, Fall 2011 An examination of the environmental effects of globalization. How has increased international trade, the integration of factor markets, and the adoption of international agreements affected the environment? Case studies include the environmental impact of GATT/WTO and NAFTA. Multi-disciplinary approach examines the actual laws and institutions and the economic theories of globalization, in addition to the empirical evidence of globalization's environmental effects. Globalization and the Natural Environment: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Intermediate micro-economic theory or consent of instructor

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Three hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.

Instructor: Karp

Globalization and the Natural Environment: Read Less [-]

ENVECON C132 International Environmental Economics 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021 This course studies the following question:How should policymakers and scholars design and analyze environmental policy in a globalized world where much economic activity and pollution crosses political borders? The course addresses issues including climate change, air and water pollution, deforestation, species extinction, and others. The course also analyzes a variety of ways that countries and regions interact, including trade, foreign direct investment, outsourcing, international agreements and treaties, and others. The course also teaches a range of tools used to analyze these issues, including life-cycle(also called environmental footprint) analysis, simple econometrics, environmental market design, non-market valuation, and the data. International Environmental Economics: Read More [+]

Objectives & Outcomes

Course Objectives: 1. Develop a strong grasp of the main debates and ideas involving international environmental economics 2. Learn to interpret, apply, and critically assess methods used to study international environmental economic issues 3. Build skills in reading basic economic writing involving these issues, including an understanding of their evidence and conclusions, and ability to critically evaluate the basis for these conclusion

Student Learning Outcomes: 1. A strong grasp of the main scholarly debates and ideas involving international environmental economics 2. The ability to interpret and critically assess methods used to study international environmental economic issues, including: life-cycle analysis and input-output tables; simple econometric estimates; the design of environmental policy; non-market valuation; and the use of remote sensing (satellite) data The ability to read basic empirical environmental economics papers, understand their evidence and conclusions, and critically evaluate the basis for these conclusions

Prerequisites: ENVECON 100 , ECON 101a, ECON 100a or or equivalent

Instructor: Shapiro

Also listed as: ECON C184

International Environmental Economics: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 140AC Economics of Race, Agriculture, and the Environment 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2012, Fall 2011, Fall 2010 This course examines whether and how economic processes explain shifting formations of race and differential experiences among racial groups in U.S. agricultural and environmental systems. It approaches economic processes as organizing dynamics of racial differentiation and integration, and uses comparative experience among different racial and ethnic groups as sources of evidence against which economic theories of differentiation and integration can be tested. Economics of Race, Agriculture, and the Environment: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 1, or one lower division course in a social science, or consent of instructor

Requirements this course satisfies: Satisfies the American Cultures requirement

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week

Additional Format: Two hours of Lecture and One hour of Discussion per week for 15 weeks.

Instructor: Romm

Economics of Race, Agriculture, and the Environment: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 141 Agricultural and Environmental Policy 4 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2024 8 Week Session, Spring 2024, Spring 2023 This course considers the formation, implementation, and impact of public policies affecting agriculture and the environment. Economic approaches to public lawmaking, including theories of legislation, interest group activity, and congressional control of bureaucracies. Case studies include water allocation, endangered species protection, water quality, food safety, drainage, wetlands, pesticides, and farmworker safety. Emphasis on examples from California. Agricultural and Environmental Policy: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 100 or Economics 100A or 101A

Agricultural and Environmental Policy: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 142 Industrial Organization with Applications to Agriculture and Natural Resources 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2015, Spring 2014, Spring 2013 Organization and performance of agricultural and resource markets. Conduct of firms within those markets, such as price competition, product differentiation, predatory pricing, vertical integration, dealer networks and advertising. The role of public policy in the markets. Case studies include oil cartel OPEC, agricultural cooperatives, vertical integration of food processors and franchising of fast-food chains. Discussion sections cover empirical applications of theory presented during lectures for current environmental and agricultural policies. Industrial Organization with Applications to Agriculture and Natural Resources: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Environmental Economics and Policy 100 or Economics 100A or 101A

Instructor: Villas-Boas

Industrial Organization with Applications to Agriculture and Natural Resources: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 143 Economics of Innovation and Intellectual Property 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2023, Spring 2022, Fall 2021 This course addresses the economics of research and incentives for innovation including intellectual property rights. Topics include the standard modern economics of invention; modern intellectual property rights; innovation examples from agriculture, energy, pharmaceuticals, software, and electronics; the roles of the public and private sectors; innovation and market structure; the needs of the poor; and global intellectual property negot iations. Economics of Innovation and Intellectual Property: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: ENVECON 100 or ECON 100A or ECON 101A with minimum grade of C+

Instructor: Wright

Economics of Innovation and Intellectual Property: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 145 Health and Environmental Economic Policy 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2021, Fall 2019, Fall 2016 This course introduces students to key issues and findings in the field of health and environmental economics. The first half of the course focuses on the theoreticl and statistical frameworks used to analyze instances of market failure in the provision of health and environmental goods. The second half focuses on policy-relevant empirical findings in the field. Health and Environmental Economic Policy: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Intermediate microeconomics, 100, Economics 100 or 101A, and some statistics

Instructor: Anderson

Health and Environmental Economic Policy: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 147 The Economics of the Clean Energy Transition 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 The most promising path to deep decarbonization involves decarbonizing the electricity sector and then electrifying as much as we can – from transportation to buildings to industrial processes. Thus, the electricity sector has a pivotal role to play in our efforts to mitigate -- and adapt to-- climate change. The clean energy transition will require not only technological innovation, but also energy market reforms, climate policy interventions , and regulatory innovation to ensure that the process is fair, equitable, and affordable. This course draws from the fields of environmental economics, energy economics, public economics, behavioral economics, and industrial organization to introduce the economic models and concepts that will help The Economics of the Clean Energy Transition: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Intermediate microeconomic theory and calculus

Instructor: Fowlie

The Economics of the Clean Energy Transition: Read Less [-]

ENVECON C151 Development Economics 4 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2024 8 Week Session, Fall 2023, Summer 2023 8 Week Session, Fall 2022, Spring 2022 This course covers theory and empirical evidence on the determinants of economic development and the global fight against poverty. The course aims to introduce students to modern empirical research methods that are being used to inform policy making in developing countries. Students also learn how to implement these tools themselves using real-world data sets and widely used statistical software for impact evaluation. Development Economics: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: EnvEcon 100 or Econ 100A or 101A; Econ 140 or 141 or EnvEcon/ IAS C118

Summer: 6 weeks - 8 hours of lecture and 2 hours of discussion per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture and 2 hours of discussion per week

Additional Format: Three hours of Lecture and One hour of Discussion per week for 15 weeks. Six hours of Lecture and Two hours of Discussion per week for 8 weeks. Eight hours of Lecture and Two hours of Discussion per week for 6 weeks.

Also listed as: ECON C171

Development Economics: Read Less [-]

ENVECON N151 Economic Development 4 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007 Problems of underdevelopment and poverty, policy issues, and development strategy. Economic Development: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Envecon 100, Economics 100A or Economics 100B

Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for ENVECON N151 after completing ECON N171 , ENVECON C151 , or ECON C171 . A deficient grade in ENVECON N151 may be removed by taking ECON N171 , ENVECON C151 , or ECON C171 .

Additional Format: Six hours of lecture and two hours of discussion per week for 8 weeks. Eight hours of lecture and two hours of discussion per week for 6 weeks.

Economic Development: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 152 Advanced Topics in Development and International Trade 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2020, Spring 2018, Fall 2016 This course discusses recent efforts to understand behavior and institutions in village economies, with particular attention paid to the importance of risk. Economic analysis of savings, consumption, insurance, production, trade, welfare distribution and institutions of villages in developing countries. Roughly equal parts of theory, evidence, and policy. Advanced Topics in Development and International Trade: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 100 or Economics 100A

Instructor: Magruder

Advanced Topics in Development and International Trade: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 153 Population, Environment, and Development 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 This course takes a quantitative, hands-on approach to understanding the challenges of feeding the human population of the planet Earth. We’ll discuss topics of nutrition, subsistence food consumption, and consumer demand for food to develop our understanding of the current situation. We’ll then develop both theories and computer models of population dynamics taking into account people’s decisions about childbearing, changes in mortality , and changes in food supply in order to learn something about the future of food. Focus throughout the course will be on developing practical tools to work with real-world data. Population, Environment, and Development: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: ENVECON 100 or ECON 100A or ECON 101A , and STAT C8 or INFO C8 or COMPSCI C8 , and MATH 54 RECOMMENDED

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture and 2 hours of laboratory per week

Additional Format: Two hours of lecture and two hours of laboratory per week.

Population, Environment, and Development: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 154 Economics of Poverty and Technology 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2014, Spring 2013, Spring 2012 Introduction to the economic framework underlying the use of technology to address rural poverty in developing countries. Analyzes the path of technology development from innovation and design to the adoption and use of technology in rural economies. Focuses on technologies related to agricultural production, processing, market access, value chains, and climate change. Economics of Poverty and Technology: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Intermediate microeconomics

Instructor: Boettiger

Economics of Poverty and Technology: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 161 Advanced Topics in Environmental and Resource Economics 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2013, Fall 2012, Fall 2011 The roots of environmental and resource economics. Theories of land and resource rent. Models of optimal use of renewable and nonrenewable resources with applications to energy and timber. Balancing environmental and extractive values. Resources, growth, and sustainability. Special topic: the problem of global climate change. Advanced Topics in Environmental and Resource Economics: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 100 or Economics 100A or Economics 101A; 101 recommended

Advanced Topics in Environmental and Resource Economics: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 162 Economics of Water Resources 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2023, Spring 2022, Spring 2021 Urban demand for water; water supply and economic growth; water utility economics; irrigation demand; large water projects; economic impacts of surface water law and institutions; economics of salinity and drainage; economics of groundwater management. Economics of Water Resources: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 100 or Economics 100A or 101A; 101 recommended

Economics of Water Resources: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 170 Energy and Climate Policy in China 1 Unit

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 The course will present scholarly review of historical and on-going energy and climate policy topics in China, with a broad goal of gaining understanding the relationship between energy, economic development, and climate change in the largest emerging economy, China. Energy and Climate Policy in China: Read More [+]

Course Objectives: One goal of the course is to give students the tools to read, write about, speak about, and in general critically evaluate empirical research on energy and climate policy in China and in developing economics in general. The lectures and interactions with guest speakers would give student the perspective on the effectiveness of various energy and climate policies in the developing world context, an understanding of the key factors in successful climate policies, so they could apply these lessons learned to develop appropriate energy and climate policies in other developing economies.

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1 hour of seminar per week

Additional Format: One hour of seminar per week.

Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.

Instructor: Lin

Energy and Climate Policy in China: Read Less [-]

ENVECON C175 The Economics of Climate Change 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2016, Fall 2015, Fall 2014, Fall 2013 The course will start with a brief introduction and evaluation of the scientific aspects behind climate change. Economic models will be developed to analyze the impacts of climate change and provide and critique existing and proposed policy tools. Specific topics studied are impacts on water resources and agriculture, economic evaluation of impacts, optimal control of greenhouse gases, benefit cost analysis, international treaty formation , discounting, uncertainty, irreversibility, and extreme events. The Economics of Climate Change: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 106, 107, Economics 1, or equivalent

Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture and 2.5 hours of discussion per week

Additional Format: Three hours of Lecture and One hour of Discussion per week for 15 weeks. Seven and one-half hours of Lecture and Two and one-half hours of Discussion per week for 6 weeks.

Instructors: Aufhammer, Fisher

Also listed as: IAS C175

The Economics of Climate Change: Read Less [-]

ENVECON C176 Climate Change Economics 4 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2024 Second 6 Week Session, Fall 2023, Summer 2023 8 Week Session This course is a self-contained introduction to the economics of climate change. Climate change is caused by a large variety of economic activities, and many of its impacts will have economic consequences. Economists have studied climate change for more than two decades, and economic arguments are often powerful in policy decisions. The course will familiarize students with these arguments and equip them with the tools to participate in discussions of climate change policy through an economic lens. Climate Change Economics: Read More [+]

Course Objectives: The course will start with a brief review of the science of climate change, discuss scenarios of economic growth and the greenhouse gas emissions caused by economic activities and investigate various emission reduction opportunities and their economic costs. A significant amount of time will be spent on studying the impacts of climate change, their economic evaluation and how adaptation can lower the costs of climate damages. We will then study various theoretical frameworks economists have developed that answer the question how estimates about the costs and benefits of climate policy can be combined to find “good” climate policies. We then study three more specialized topics that turn out to be of great importance when analyzing climate change policy: first, how do we compare costs and benefits of generations that live many centuries apart? Second, how do we design climate policy when our projections of both the costs and the benefits of climate policy are highly uncertain? And third, how can equity considerations be accounted for in an economic assessment of climate change policy? The course will close with a look at international cooperation on climate policy and why it has been so difficult to agree on effective treatises that implement climate change policy.

Student Learning Outcomes: Students will also have gained insight into the practical aspects of modeling the economics of climate change by building a simple integrated assessment model in Excel. They will be able to use that model to do simple analysis of climate change policy themselves. Students will be familiar with the tools economists use to analyze climate change policy. They will have studied empirical estimates of the costs and benefits of climate policy and have an understanding of the analytical issues that drive research on the economics of climate change.

Summer: 6 weeks - 9 hours of lecture and 6 hours of laboratory per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture and 4 hours of laboratory per week

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture and two hours of laboratory per week. Six hours of lecture and four hours of laboratory per week for 8 weeks. Nine hours of lecture and six hours of laboratory per week for 6 weeks.

Instructor: Anthoff

Also listed as: ENE,RES C176/IAS C176

Climate Change Economics: Read Less [-]

ENVECON C181 International Trade 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 The theory of international trade and its applications to tariff protection. This course is equivalent to UGBA 118 ; students will not receive credit for both courses. International Trade: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Economics100A-100B or Economics 101A-101B

Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for ECON C181 / ENVECON C181 after passing ECON 181, ECON N181 or UGBA 118 . A deficient grade in ECON 181, or ECON N181 may be removed by taking ECON C181 / ENVECON C181 .

International Trade: Read Less [-]

ENVECON C183 Forest Ecosystem Management 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2016, Spring 2015, Spring 2014 Introduces students to concepts and quantitative tools needed for the sustainable management of multi-use forest ecosystems. Topics covered include: estimation of ecological, economic, and social values: construction of dynamic forest models, methods for optimal decision-making, and development of forest management plans. Application to current issues in temperate and tropical forest management are discussed. Quantitative, analytical, and communication skills are emphasized. Oral presentation required. Forest Ecosystem Management: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 3 hours of laboratory per week

Additional Format: Three hours of Lecture and Three hours of Laboratory per week for 15 weeks.

Instructor: Potts

Also listed as: ESPM C183

Forest Ecosystem Management: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 185 The Production and Business of Beer, Wine, and Spirits 2 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2022, Fall 2021, Fall 2020 Raw materials, process flow, production methodology and quality control will be introduced in the first half of the class for the first half of the semester. Students will also be introduced to basic chemistry and microbiology of fermentation and distilling. The second half of the semester will be an introduction to finance, cost accounting, sales and marketing for the alcoholic beverage industry. The goal will be to enable the students to write a business plan by the end of the semester. The Production and Business of Beer, Wine, and Spirits: Read More [+]

Course Objectives: 1. Cite detail of raw materials and production processes for beer, wine and spirits. 2. Describe and differentiate the majority of beer styles, wine varietals and various distilled spirits. 3. Write a realistic business plan for a beverage production company.

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Two hours of lecture per week.

Instructor: Perloff

The Production and Business of Beer, Wine, and Spirits: Read Less [-]

ENVECON C188 Advanced Topics in International Economics 3 Units

Terms offered: Not yet offered Globalization and its consequences have interested economists and the public since Adam Smith and David Ricardo. However, the nature of the global economy has changed dramatically over time. Paraphrasing Ricardo’s famous example, “it’s not wine for cloth anymore.” This course will introduce a modern view on international trade focusing on firms as vehicles of trade. We will study key theoretical models of New Trade Theory and apply them to understand the consequences of a range of trade policies from the recent past, such the NAFTA agreement and China’s entry to the WTO. We will combine theoretical models, empirical econometric tools, and data to understand the impacts of trade and offshoring on trade flows,aggregate welfare,and inequality Advanced Topics in International Economics: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: • Microeconomics (Envecon100, Econ100 or Econ101A): required • Econometrics (EnveconC118, Econ140 or Econ141): required but can be taken concurrently • International TradeEnvecon/EconC181): optional. This course is complementary to C181; a few extra readings will be provided to students who have not taken that class; • Students should have a basic knowledge of calculus (roughly at the level of Mathematics 16A and 16B) and be comfortable understanding mathematical arguments

Instructor: Borusyak

Advanced Topics in International Economics: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 195 Senior Thesis 4 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2019, Fall 2017, Fall 2016 Writing of a thesis under the direction of member(s) of the faculty. Subject must be approved by faculty sponsor. Senior Thesis: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Senior standing in Environmental Economics and Policy and consent of instructor

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0 hours of independent study per week

Summer: 6 weeks - 0 hours of independent study per week 8 weeks - 0 hours of independent study per week

Additional Format: Individual meetings with faculty sponsor.

Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam not required.

Senior Thesis: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 196 Senior Research Seminar 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2011 This course is intended as a capstone experience for undergraduates in the major coordinated by one faculty member with participation by others. Following presentations by faculty on researchable topics in their areas of expertise, students will develop ideas for a research paper and discuss in subsequent seminar sessions. Approximately the last five weeks of the semester will be devoted to student presentations of papers either already completed or in progress, and discussion by seminar participants and faculty. Senior Research Seminar: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Student must be a senior with at least a 3.6 GPA in the Environmental Economics and Policy major

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of seminar per week

Additional Format: Two hours of presentation and discussion of research projects per week.

Instructor: Fisher

Senior Research Seminar: Read Less [-]

ENVECON H196 Honors Research 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2016, Spring 2016, Fall 2015 Supervised independent honors research specific to aspects of environmental economics and policy, followed by a oral presentation and a written report. Honors Research: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Upper division standing. Eligibility restrictions related to GPA and unit accumulation. Open only to Environmental Economics and Policy majors in the College of Natural Resources

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 4 hours of independent study per week

Additional Format: Individual research or meetings with faculty sponsor(s).

Honors Research: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 197 Field Study in Environmental Economics and Policy 1 - 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2016, Summer 2016 10 Week Session, Spring 2016 Supervised experience in off-campus organizations relevant to specific aspects of environmental economics and policy. Regular individual meetings with faculty sponsor and written reports required. Field Study in Environmental Economics and Policy: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Consent of instructor

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-4 hours of independent study per week

Summer: 6 weeks - 1-9 hours of independent study per week 8 weeks - 1-7 hours of independent study per week

Additional Format: One to four hours of independent study per week. One to seven hours of independent study per week for 8 weeks. One to nine hours of independent study per week for 6 weeks.

Field Study in Environmental Economics and Policy: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 198 Directed Group Studies for Advanced Undergraduates 1 - 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2016, Fall 2015, Spring 2015 Group study of selected topic or topics in Environmental Economics and Policy. Directed Group Studies for Advanced Undergraduates: Read More [+]

Summer: 8 weeks - 1.5-5.5 hours of directed group study per week

Additional Format: Meetings to be arranged.

Directed Group Studies for Advanced Undergraduates: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 199 Supervised Independent Study and Research 1 - 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2023, Fall 2021, Spring 2021 Enrollment restrictions apply. Open to qualified upper division students wishing to pursue special study and directed research under the direction of a member of the staff. Supervised Independent Study and Research: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Upper division standing and consent of instructor

Summer: 8 weeks - 1-4 hours of independent study per week

Additional Format: Independent meetings.

Supervised Independent Study and Research: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 199S Sponsored Projects for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) 1 - 4 Units

Terms offered: Not yet offered The Sponsored Projects for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) program helps students get involved in research projects with world renowned faculty and staff researchers in the Rausser College of Natural Resource Sponsored Projects for Undergraduate Research (SPUR): Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3-12 hours of independent study per week

Summer: 12 weeks - 5-18 hours of independent study per week

Additional Format: Three to twelve hours of independent study per week. Five to eightteen hours of independent study per week for 12 weeks.

Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Alternative to final exam.

Sponsored Projects for Undergraduate Research (SPUR): Read Less [-]

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The Ph.D. Program

Graduate student Lisa Marrack studies collects samples from one of over 450 groundwater fed brackish anchialine pools surveyed on the Island of Hawaii as part of her dissertation work. Photo courtesy of Lisa Marrack.

Rules and procedures of the program are outlined below, and also reviewed in the student ESPM Department Handbook.

The ESPM Ph.D. program incorporates two general approaches: 

• broadly based interdisciplinary education, and
• disciplinary education in relevant fields supplemented with exposure to cross-disciplinary communication and problem solving.

QUICK LINKS:

Program of Study

Course requirements, the guiding committee.

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Advancement to Candidacy

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In Absentia Registration

The Ph.D. program consists of four interrelated components: disciplinary emphasis , an area of specialization , research methods , and breadth requirement. The course work program is developed by the Guiding Committee in conjunction with the student’s needs and interests and approved by the Head Graduate Advisor to assure that it provides preparation for the qualifying examination and the research program.

• Disciplinary Emphasis. The disciplinary emphasis focuses on the broadest academic area from ESPM’s three divisions -- Ecosystem Sciences, Organisms & Environment, Society & Environment —that encompasses the student’s interests. A student pursuing a strongly interdisciplinary program may include in-depth study of more than one of these disciplines.
• Area of Specialization . The area of specialization is a narrower field within the disciplinary emphasis. Some examples might be: Microbial Community Ecology, Ecosystem Function, American Environmental History & Policy, International Forest Management, Biogeochemistry, Mediterranean Grassland Ecosystems, Remote Sensing, and Forest Management
• Research Methods . Candidates for the Ph.D. must demonstrate competence in research techniques appropriate for both the disciplinary emphasis and area of specialization. Preparation in this field must include experimental design, sampling design, estimation, and hypothesis testing.
• Breadth Requirement. Each student’s program must include course work addressing human and ecosystem processes and the relationship between them. All students must complete the required core courses listed below. While in residence, doctoral students in the natural sciences must also complete one additional course in the application of social science to environmental problems; doctoral students in the social sciences must complete one additional course in the biological or physical sciences. The Guiding Committee will determine the level of the additional course based on the student’s background and experience. The course must be a minimum of two graduate units or three upper division undergraduate units and taken for a letter grade unless offered on an S/U or P/F basis only.

ESPM 201 Series:

Each doctoral student in ESPM will be required to take  core courses.

• ESPM 201A: Research Approaches in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management (3 units).
• ESPM 201C: Environmental Forum (seminar, 1 unit) To be completed or in progress at the time the Ph.D. oral qualifying exam is held.

Area of Specialization Courses:

Doctoral students will also be required to complete a minimum of six units in their Area of Specialization. The Guiding Committee and the student’s Graduate Advisor will approve the selection of appropriate courses to meet this requirement.

Breadth Course:

Graduate students are required to take a breadth course. The course must be a minimum of two graduate units or three upper division undergraduate units at Berkeley, and must be taken for a letter grade unless it is offered on an S/U basis only. Final approval of a student’s choice of breadth requirement rests with the student’s Graduate Advisor, but the student should also consult with their Guiding Professor and Guiding Committee. Please seek approval by emailing the [email protected] and cc the [email protected] prior to enrolling in the course. 

A list of breadth classes may be found here.  All breadth must be approved by the HGA. 

Research Methods Course:

Each student must demonstrate competence in research techniques appropriate for both the disciplinary emphasis and area of specialization. Preparation in this field must include experimental design, sampling design, estimation, and hypothesis testing. The methods classs must be approved by the Guiding Committee and submitted to the Head Graduate Advisor.

Doctoral students are strongly encouraged to present the results of their research in an appropriate seminar setting in ESPM, the Rausser College of Natural Resources, or a closely related department on campus.  

The Graduate Advisor in consultation with the student establishes the three-member Guiding Committee in the first semester of study. The Guiding Committee is usually chaired by the student's guiding professor, whose interests closely relate to those of the student. Other committee members are faculty whose interests represent the specific fields of emphasis for the student’s program. If appropriate, a fourth faculty member may also serve on the committee. Students should obtain a Pre Qualifying Exam Form and complete it once a semester. The Guiding Committee’s role is to counsel the student throughout the period of study leading to the Oral Qualifying Examination. The specific functions of the Committee: (a) to help define the disciplinary emphasis which will best serve the student's academic interests, (b) to review the student's program proposals, (c) to recommend a specific academic program. The Guiding Committee should meet at least once a semester with each doctoral student until the Oral Qualifying Examination is held. At the time of the annual meeting, the student’s Pre Qualifying Exam Form should be filled out. This form records core requirements and the student’s proposed courses and kept in the student’s file.  

Qualifying Examination

The purpose of the qualifying exam is to ascertain the breadth of a student’s knowledge and preparation. The examination is conducted by a four-member committee appointed by the Graduate Division. A member of the ESPM faculty serves as chairperson. All committee members should be UC Academic Senate. Please contact the HGA and GSAOs with requests for exceptions to the UC Senate rule. The Guiding Professor may attend the exam but does not serve on the committee or participate in its deliberations. The student is expected to demonstrate a broad knowledge in the program of study. In-depth questions will test the student's ability to integrate the various elements of the program. During the first part of the exam (approximately 30 minutes) the student will present and discuss their intended dissertation research project. The qualifying exam is usually three hours in length.  

Ph.D. students should use CalCentral to complete a higher degree committee eform for their Application for Candidacy.  Students are expected to complete all work necessary for formal advancement to candidacy within three months after the completion of the Qualifying Examination. A dissertation title and proposed committee must be submitted for approval at the time of advancement to candidacy. In consultation with the Guiding Professor, the student will select a dissertation title and identify at least two additional dissertation committee members. One of these must be a member of the Berkeley Academic Senate from outside ESPM. Obtain the necessary signatures and submit your committee on CalCentral. The eform should be filed no later than the beginning of the semester following the one in which the student passed the qualifying examination. 

Annual Review of Doctoral Candidates

The Graduate Division requires that all doctoral students who have been advanced to candidacy meet annually with at least two members of the Dissertation Committee. The student must complete the online Academic Progress Report annual to collect data on what progress he/she has made toward the degree and what remains to be completed. An electronic copy of the Academic Progress Report is submitted to the Guiding Professor and Graduate Division and must be on file for each year the student has advanced.  

Normative Time is the calendar time, in semesters, recognized by the Graduate Division as the length of time normally needed for completion of the doctoral degree. Normative Time for the ESPM program has been set at ten semesters and is calculated for each student from the first semester of enrollment as a graduate student. Following successful completion of the Qualifying Exams, graduate students with parenting demands will be granted an extension of up to one extra year toward Normative Time completion. Extensions for parent considerations cannot exceed two years overall, no matter the number of children involved.  

The dissertation is an extensive, original work based on the student’s independent research. In developing the dissertation problem, keep in mind that each member of the Dissertation Committee is required to make an independent evaluation of the quality and adequacy of the work. Though working most closely with the chairperson, the candidate is responsible for keeping the other members of the committee fully informed as to the nature and progress of the research. The Graduate Division requires an annual online Academic Progress Report be submitted by the student and a member of the Dissertation Committee. The final draft of the dissertation must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the Graduate Division instructions. (see: Dissertation Filing Guidelines )  

An essay students might wish to review while framing their dissertation can be found:  https://dusk.geo.orst.edu/prosem/PDFs/InPursuitofPhD.pdf

Filing Fee status is used in lieu of registration for the semester in which you either file your dissertation or thesis, or take a comprehensive exam. Filing Fee is a non-registered status, which means you are not allowed to use University facilities. The amount of Filing Fee is one-half of the Student Services Fee (formerly the University Registration Fee. The deadline to apply for Filing Fee is the last day of the first week of instruction for the semester you wish to file. Filing Fee period lasts until the last day of the semester. For more information, see Graduate Division web site, Frequently Asked Questions .  

Lapsing of Candidacy

Candidacy for the doctorate is of limited duration. When students are advanced to candidacy, the Graduate Division informs them of the number of semesters that they are eligible to be candidates, based on their major’s Normative Time. Lapsing is a probationary status, usually lasting two years, for students who are not completing the final degree requirements at an adequate rate. The Head Graduate Adviser may request an extension of a student’s candidacy if the student is otherwise making adequate progress and if the delay can be attributed to factors largely beyond the student’s control.  

In absentia registration is available when you are a full-time regularly enrolled and registered student who has an academic need to conduct research outside of Califonia for a period of up to one year. The student must have advanced to candidacy by the time the inabsentia status begins. The student will pay 15% of the tuition and 100% of health insurance, non-resident tuition, and professional degree fees.

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As a Berkeley graduate student, you’re part of a diverse community of change-makers known worldwide for innovation and academic excellence. At the College of Environmental Design, we’re committed to launching our students to be agents of environmental and social change, poised to make a tangible impact on our world. We offer six professional degrees and five academic graduate degrees, as well as opportunities for earning concurrent degrees within the college and with other Berkeley departments. Whichever you choose,  your CED degree will set you the path to succeed in your chosen field.  

Professional Degrees 

Our top-ranked, rigorous MArch prepares you for the practice of architecture in an environment that fosters design excellence and encourages multidisciplinary collaboration and experimentation. The nationally accredited professional program is committed to addressing the most pressing issues of our time, including the climate crisis, housing affordability, and the integration of technology into both research and practice. As an MArch student, you’ll be part of an international cohort of motivated and talented design students from diverse backgrounds and work with faculty who are leaders in their fields.

Master of City Planning (MCP)

Berkeley’s top-tier MCP is a two-year nationally accredited STEM program that empowers you to successfully practice planning in a variety of urban, metropolitan, and regional settings. As an MCP student, you’ll develop analytical, research, and communication skills, as well as expertise in various fields and subfields of city and regional planning. Berkeley’s MCP is distinguished by its focus on the human impacts of planning decisions, with particular attention to equity, diversity, and social justice.

Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA)

Berkeley’s MLA program is known for centering ecological integrity and social equity. It offers accredited degrees in landscape architecture and environmental planning, which focuses on land use and the management of natural resources. You’ll study with faculty who have expertise in design, planning, urbanism, history, sustainability, hydrology, ecology, geographic information science, landscape modeling, and social practices. Your MLA will prepare you to serve as a leader in the field, building thriving communities in a world of rapid political, economic, and environmental change.

Master of Urban Design (MUD)

Berkeley’s MUD, the only degree program of its kind in California,  is a one-year interdisciplinary program of advanced study for architects, landscape architects, and planners who already hold professional degrees. As a MUD student, you’ll innovate design strategies for sites at the urban, suburban, and territorial scales and develop a practice supported by research and analysis that is grounded in economic, political, and social contexts.

Abbey Master of Real Estate Development + Design (MRED+D)

Integrating design with the fundamentals of real estate markets, the one-year Abbey MRED+D prepares you to build sustainable, equitable, and prosperous cities. The curriculum focuses on finance, urban economics, property and land use law, and project feasibility analysis, as well as  excellence in urban design, planning, and sustainability. As an MRED+D student, you’ll discover how  design thinking is foundational to producing the most valued — and valuable — real estate projects.

Master of Design (MDes)

A three-semester professional graduate program jointly offered with the College of Engineering, the MDes prepares you to be a thought leader in the area of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and the internet of things. You’ll develop core skills in design process, prototyping, and communication, as well as a critical lens on technology and design. You’ll leave the program as an engaged and responsive designer with an informed awareness of people, contextual needs, and societal impacts.

Academic Degrees

Master of science in architecture (ms).

Our MS in Architecture is an academic, nonprofessional degree program that offers you the opportunity to engage in advanced research in the ever-broadening and increasingly complex subfields within architecture. Two tracks are offered:  Building Science, Technology and Sustainability , focused on how the environmental conditions and processes of buildings affect occupants, and History, T h eory and Society , which situates a history of the built environment in broad social, political, and cultural frameworks.

If you already have a professional degree in architecture and wish to continue to explore current design issues in a stimulating, rigorous, and experimental studio setting, our one-year MAAD post-professional program is for you. A year-long studio is at the core of this non-accredited program, and it’s integrated with seminars and lectures in design theory, history, digital applications, and building technology.

PhD in Architecture

Berkeley’s PhD program in architecture is interdisciplinary in outlook, reaching into the various disciplines related to architecture and incorporating substantial knowledge from outside fields. You have the option to choose between two areas of focus: Two tracks are offered:  Building Science, Technology and Sustainability , focused on how environmental conditions and processes of buildings affect occupants,  and  History, Theory and Society , which situates a history of the built environment in broad social, political, and cultural frameworks.

PhD in City & Regional Planning

The PhD in City & Regional Planning provides training in urban and planning theory and the practice of planning. You’ll work with faculty who have expertise in community and economic development, transportation planning, urban design, international development, environmental planning, and global urbanism. 

PhD in Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning

Berkeley’s PhD in Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning focuses on the theories and methods that underlie the field and the processes of planning and design as they relate to the solution of problems in the natural and urban environments. 

Concurrent Master of Architecture/Master of City Planning

Concurrent Master of Architecture/Master of Landscape Architecture

Concurrent Master of Architecture/ Master of Science in Engineering

Concurrent Master of City Planning/Master of City Landscape Architecture

Concurrent Master of City Planning/Master of Public Health

Concurrent Master of City Planning/Master of Science in Transportation Engineering

Concurrent Master of City Planning/Juris Doctor (Law)

Environmental Health Sciences PhD

Our students are trained to become global leaders in research and teaching in the broad, interdisciplinary field of environmental health sciences.

Graduates can be found working throughout the world, in both the public and private sectors. Graduates hold positions at top global universities; in national and international organizations; in local, state and federal government; in health advocacy organizations; and in the corporate sector.

While completing this program, our students work to:

• Clarify critical gaps in scientific knowledge that impede the resolution of environmental health problems and plan and execute original research that will lead to solutions of such problems.
• Conceive, develop and conduct original research leading to useful applications in environmental health sciences, toxicology, environmental health policy or industrial hygiene.
• Apply advanced methodology to research projects in environmental health sciences and develop new research methods to address environmental health problems.
• Develop and demonstrate written and oral communications skills by preparing papers, summaries, briefings and presentations regarding environmental health science.

Students must complete a minimum of four semesters of academic residence at UC Berkeley. While there are no specific course requirements for doctoral students, before taking their Preliminary Exam, it is expected that all students understand the principles of exposure and risk assessment, epidemiologic methods, and toxicology. If courses in these subjects have not been taken earlier, students may find it most efficient to take the core courses below in order to acquire the needed understanding.

• PB HLTH 270A: Exposure Assessment and Control I (3 units) (fall)
• PB HLTH 250B: Epidemiological Methods II (4 units) (spring) or other 200-level epidemiology course
• PB HLTH 241: Statistical Analysis of Categorical Data (4 units) (spring) or other 200-level biostatistics course
• NUSCTX 110/ PB HLTH 270B: Toxicology (4 units) (fall)
• PH 220C: Health Risk Assessment, Regulation and Policy (3 units) (spring)
• PB HLTH 271E: Science and Policy for Environment and Health (3 units) (spring)
• PH 293: EHS Doctoral Seminar (1 unit) (every Fall)

Students must not only develop expertise in the major field but also in two minor fields (one of which must be outside of environmental health sciences), such as biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental law, environmental policy, or molecular and cell biology. These are selected in consultation with a faculty adviser and need to be appropriate for the student’s dissertation topic. Part of the student’s research effort will be devoted to the development of these two minor fields as well as a dissertation prospectus in preparation for the qualifying exam. Students are encouraged to take courses outside of Berkeley Public Health to enhance their understanding of other disciplines that may be important to their research areas. Students who are interested will have the opportunity to complete a Designated Emphasis (DE) in Computational and Genomic Biology .

In addition to standard coursework, students are required to take the doctoral seminar (PH 293) every Fall semester prior to advancement to candidacy, and should carry at least three units of independent research (PH 299) in each of their first two semesters and increased units of research in subsequent semesters. These courses, or equivalent, constitute the basis for the doctoral examinations.

This program can last from three to five years; students take courses during their first three to four semesters in preparation for their examinations. During the first year, each student works closely with their faculty adviser to ensure mastery of the material that will be covered in examinations. When students are ready, they take the preliminary exam, which requires writing an NIH-style proposal for research of interest. It is followed by an oral portion that may cover general knowledge in the environmental health field as well as details related to the submitted proposal. After successful completion of the preliminary exam, students are expected to take the qualifying exam within a few months. After students take the qualifying exam, a formal report on the results (signed by all committee members) is sent to UC Berkeley’s Graduate Division. When the student has satisfied all requirements and passed the qualifying examination, the student advances to candidacy and formally begins the dissertation process. The dissertation research should comprise sufficient original work to motivate at least three peer-reviewed first-authored publications.

This program requires a graduate group examination, qualifying examination, and formal approval and acceptance of a student’s dissertation. A committee of three UC Berkeley Academic Senate members guide students in research and judge the merits of their dissertation. A student’s principal research advisor is generally the chair of this committee and it is expected that students will be in close touch with their advisor throughout the process of formulating the dissertation project and carrying it through to completion.

Qualifications

Applicants should hold an MS or MPH in a related field, as well as display a clear research orientation and firm knowledge of research techniques.

This program is designed to prepare students for careers as independent researchers, educators or managers in the field of environmental health sciences.

Recommendations for Competitive Applicants

Submissions of GRE scores are optional but recommended for this program, especially if you have no other evidence of quantitative, verbal, or analytical abilities in your application.

Most successful applicants establish rapport with potential faculty mentors long before applying to the program. Prospective students applying directly to the program should contact faculty members whose research is of interest to them about the possibility of mentorship as soon as possible. Prospective applicants should closely read recent faculty research, recently funded grant abstracts, and be prepared to discuss with faculty how their specific skills, interests and career goals intersect with the activities in the faculty member’s research group. Most successful applicants are in communication with faculty about these issues no later than the summer before the application deadline.

Admissions Statistics

Environmental health sciences faculty, affiliated faculty, researchers, emeriti faculty.

What artificial streams can teach us about insects, algae and our changing climate

By the end of the century, drought may reshape California's mountain waterways and the ecosystems that depend on them.

By Kara Manke

In a new study, UC Berkeley researchers used a network of artificial stream channels to mimic the behavior of headwater streams under present day conditions and future climate change scenarios.  

Kyle Leathers (left) and Guillermo de Mendoza sample aquatic insects from one of the streams.

When the amount of water flowing through the artificial streams was limited (mimicking the “low-flow” conditions that are projected to be the norm by the end of the century), Brewer's blackbirds could wade in the channel to prey upon previously inaccessible aquatic insects to feed their young.

A recently metamorphosed mayfly that landed on one of the screens.

Kyle Leathers (left), Guillermo de Mendoza, Albert Ruhi (center), Gautier Magne, and Amaïa Lamarins (right) at the UC Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory.

A network of artificial streams is teaching scientists how California’s mountain waterways — and the ecosystems that depend on them — may be impacted by a warmer, drier climate.

Over the next century, climate change is projected to bring less snowfall to the Sierra Nevada. Smaller snowpacks, paired with warmer conditions, will shift the annual snowmelt earlier into the year, leaving less water to feed streams and rivers during the hot summer months. By 2100, mountain streams are predicted to reach their annual base, or “low-flow,” conditions an average of six weeks earlier in the season than now.

In a new study , University of California, Berkeley, researchers used a series of nine artificial stream channels off Convict Creek in Mammoth Lakes, California, to mimic the behavior of headwater streams under present-day conditions and future climate change scenarios.

Over the course of a summer, the researchers monitored the populations of algae, aquatic insects and other organisms growing in and around the stream channels. They found that shifting the timing of the low-flow conditions also shifted the life cycles of many of these organisms and the relative abundance of different species. It also caused pulses of midges, the dominant insect group, to nearly double in magnitude.

However, because species adjusted to the shifts in a variety of ways, the stream ecosystems were generally resilient to the changing conditions.

“We were surprised to see such a clear example of how biodiversity can stabilize ecosystems,” said study first author Kyle Leathers, a graduate student in the Ruhi Lab at UC Berkeley. “It’s similar to having a balanced financial portfolio — because different species respond in different ways to warming, the more species a river has, the more likely it is that warming will not drastically impact an ecosystem process that is key for the broader food web.”

The study was published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Courtesy of the Ruhi Lab

Changing the rhythm of the seasons

Ecosystem processes follow natural seasonal rhythms, and animals, plants and other organisms are adapted to these seasonal changes. For example, aquatic insects disperse, reproduce and grow along fixed developmental timelines — and their success depends on factors such as water temperature and nutrient availability. Their predators, likewise, are cued to expect abundant populations of insects at specific times of year.

Leathers and senior study author Albert Ruhi, an associate professor of environmental science, policy and management at UC Berkeley, wanted to understand how earlier low-flow stream conditions might impact these natural rhythms.

“When you only study annual averages, you may not get the full story because important changes are happening on a much finer scale,” Ruhi said.

The system of artificial stream channels, maintained by the UC Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory , offered an ideal location for studying these fine-scale changes. Originally built by researchers at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the channels divert fresh-flowing water from nearby Convict Creek. Each of the nine channels is 50 meters long and 1 meter wide — approximately the size of a small mountain stream — and equipped with a gate to control how much water flows through the channel.

The outdoor stream channels allow for natural colonization of insects, algae and other nutrients. They also reflect natural fluctuations in temperature, dissolved oxygen and other variables — all of which can be monitored via modern sensors.

“At this scale, this is the only system that uses natural water, not recirculated water, and the water comes from the actual snowmelt in the watershed.” Ruhi said “We could potentially run a similar study by comparing dry and wet years in natural waterways, but it's almost impossible in nature to have nine nearby, identical streams where some are under low flow and others are not.”

During the summer of 2019, the researchers set three of the nine channels to mimic low-flow conditions starting in early August, which is when streams usually reach low-flow in this region. They set an additional three channels to low-flow three weeks earlier, in early July, and set a final three to low-flow six weeks earlier, in mid-June.

As the summer progressed, Leathers and other members of the research team took periodic measurements of various stream conditions, from water temperature and dissolved oxygen levels to the number of insects in the stream channels. They found that the channels responded almost immediately to low-flow conditions with rising water temperatures, changes in algae metabolism and earlier emergence of insects.

These shifts could have significant consequences not only for the fish, but also for terrestrial predators like birds, bats and lizards that rely on pulses of aquatic insects for food. The boom in midges, for example, attracted nearby Brewer’s blackbirds, which collected the nutritious insects to feed their young.

“It is remarkable that despite the stability at the broad ecosystem level, even slight changes can be consequential,” Ruhi said. “We did not expect that early snowmelt would control the abundance of stream insects metamorphosing, leading to earlier, more abundant pulses of flying bugs that in turn attracted riparian birds. This type of cross-ecosystem linkage is something we just had not envisioned, and we would have never captured in a laboratory setting. It underlines that timing is everything.”

The Ruhi Lab is now expanding on this work to understand how climate change may lead to mismatches — or new matches — in aquatic food webs.

“Ecologists often think of climate change leading to predator-prey mismatches, because predators and their prey shift their life cycles at different rates, or even in different directions, resulting in starved predators,” Leathers said. “The notion of novel matches may be underappreciated, but important.”

Additional co-authors include David Herbst of the Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory and Guillermo de Mendoza and Gabriella Doerschlag of UC Berkeley. This research was supported the Sequoia Parks Conservancy, the UC Valentine Eastern Sierra Reserves and the Margaret C. Walker Fund.

Civil & Environmental Engineering PhD

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) at Berkeley is a place of intellectual vitality. This vitality is evident in its creative and forward-looking curricula and classroom teaching, its attentive academic mentoring, and the innovative research conducted by students and faculty.

CEE focuses on developing future leaders for the engineering profession, for academia, and for applying engineering methods in the broader societal context. CEE conducts cutting-edge research, defining what constitutes the evolving domain of civil and environmental engineering.

We offer both Master's (the Master of Science and the Master of Engineering ) and Doctoral degree programs. We support seven programs of study for the MS and the PhD, each of which has its own prerequisites for admission and degree requirements. CEE offers two programs of study for the MEng. CEE also offers three concurrent degree programs and two certificate programs.

Master of Engineering (MEng)

This professional degree emphasizes solving technical, sociological, environmental, and economic problems involved in the design, construction, and operation of engineering structures, processes, and equipment. Studies include courses in the engineering sciences necessary to the engineering interpretation of the latest scientific developments. Courses in design, operation, humanities, and economics provide a basis for the analysis and solution of problems in professional engineering.

Students in this degree program select either a concentration in Systems (Civil Systems) or Transportation Engineering (see above descriptions). There are options for either full-time or part-time enrollment.

CEEs MEng program is offered in conjunction with the Fung Institute for Engineering Leadership .

Master of Science (MS) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

These degrees emphasize the application of the natural sciences to the analysis and solution of engineering problems. Advanced courses in mathematics, chemistry, physics, and the life sciences are normally included in a program that incorporates the engineering systems approach for analysis of problems.

Students in these degree programs select one of the following seven concentrations:

1. Construction Systems: Construction is a large, vital, and exciting field now disrupted by deep technology like AI, robotics, embedded sensors and nano-materials. The industry is reshaping itself for example by increased use of modular and off-site production with radically new supply chains, virtualization and development of digital twins, and innovative management thinking such as Lean Construction.This program will educate you to lead tomorrows automation of the construction industry.

You will learn to leverage these disruptions to realize the next generation of adaptable, resilient, sustainable smart buildings and infrastructure. We teach construction systems as a computational and management science, integrating technology with applications for example to realize state-of-the-art structural and geotechnical designs, to launch you as a technologist, entrepreneur, researcher, academic, or management professional geared to drive construction industry transformation.

Our curriculum includes:

Construction viewed as a socio-technical system including its data science, optimization, and simulation aspects,

Construction viewed as a project-based production system including its organizational, financial, planning, control, legal, and contractual aspects,

Integration with structural and geotechnical design,

Technology including the use of robots, cloud computing, machine learning, sensing, scanning, and information modeling such as BIM and VDC,

Large-scale systems thinking including societal-scale mobility, energy flows, and urban forms,

The freedom to take courses in other disciplines.

Our graduates find a wide range of employment opportunities in private industry and in the public sector, for example in tech companies, consulting, design, building, transportation, and industrial construction firms, as well as in public- and private owner organizations, both domestically as well as internationally.

As we are located in the San Francisco Bay Area the center of major local, national, and international construction activity our Program is strongly interlinked with industry. Our class projects and research leverage the ability to go observe as well as study specific local and international projects. We draw on examples from residential-, commercial building-, industrial-, and heavy/civil construction throughout our curriculum. We also invite industry practitioners to present guest lectures describing industry challenges and solutions.

2. Energy, Civil Infrastructure and Climate: Energy, climate, and infrastructure systems are closely tied together, and these connections manifest in many forms. Our society cannot function without energy and infrastructure systems. Energy systems with the lowest possible greenhouse gas footprint are a key to mitigating climate change. Civil infrastructure systems are a backbone of society, and they are also major users of energy that needs to be reduced for a more sustainable development.

The objective of the Energy, Civil Infrastructure and Climate (ECIC) Program is to educate a cadre of professionals who will be able to analyze from engineering, environmental, economic, and management perspectives complex problems such as energy efficiency of buildings, environmentally informed design of transportation systems, embodied energy of construction materials, electricity from renewable sources, and biofuels, and address such overarching societal problems as mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and adaptation of infrastructure to a changing climate. ECIC also promotes research at the intersection of energy, infrastructure and climate science.

3. Engineering and Project Management: The Engineering and Project Management (E&PM) Program educates professionals to become leaders in managing projects and companies in Architecture-Engineering-Construction (AEC) and in other industries. E&PM graduates find a wide range of employment opportunities in private industry and in the public sector, for example in engneering consulting-, building-, transportation-, and industrial construction firms, as well as in public- and private owner organizations, both domestically as well as internationally.

As infrastructure systems become more complex, tomorrow's industry leaders must add innovative management thinking to a solid foundation in design and construction. The E&PM Program is uniquely specialized in teaching and researching such new management concepts as Lean Construction, Cost and Schedule Forensics, and Sustainability Engineering. Our teaching and research emphasizes new concepts, technologies, developments, and techniques applicable to both domestic and international project and corporate management. The Program emphasizes the interrelationships of all life-cycle components: planning, design, manufacturing, construction, operation, maintenance, and re-purposing/decommissioning.

As we are located in the San Francisco Bay Area-the center of major local, national, and international project management and construction activity-our Program is strongly interlinked with industry. Our class projects and research leverage the ability to go observe as well as study specific local and international projects. We draw on examples from commercial building-, industrial-, and heavy/civil construction throughout our curriculum. We also invite industry practitioners to present guest lectures describing industry challenges and solutions.

4. Environmental Engineering: Management of environmental resources to protect human health and the systems that support life is one of the biggest challenges facing modern society. In recognition of the interdisciplinary nature of these challenges, Berkeley's Environmental Engineering Program provides you with the education needed to address current and future environmental issues. Graduate coursework and research is focused in three Areas of Emphasis :

• Air Quality Engineering (AQE)
• Environmental Fluid Mechanics and Hydrology (EFMH)
• Water Quality Engineering (WQE)

You are encouraged to develop a broad set of problem-solving skills through courses and research in related fields such as:

• Berkeley Atmospheric Sciences Center
• Earth and Planetary Sciences
• Energy & Resources Group
• Environmental Science, Policy & Management
• Integrative Biology
• Mechanical Engineering
• Plant & Microbial Biology
• School of Public Health

5. GeoSystems : The GeoSystems Program encompasses a broad area of teaching and research in geotechnical and geological engineering, environmental geotechnics, and applied geophysics. The focus is on the evaluation of engineering properties of geologic materials and on providing engineering solutions for dealing with geologic environment and processes, and natural hazards.

To this end we pursue studies of the mechanical behavior of soil and rock masses, laboratory and field characterization of material properties, development and application of geophysical techniques for site and subsurface characterization, development of advanced analysis methods, and evaluation of static and dynamic (seismic) performance of soil deposits, earth structures, and underground space.

The GeoSystems graduate program has a long tradition of excellence and its graduates are leaders in the industry and academia. The strength and breadth of Berkeley's GeoSystems is enhanced by close ties with faculty in other areas of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences. Close interaction of the faculty with consulting companies and practitioners also provides opportunity for exposure to the state-of-the-art practice through invited lectures and site visits to ongoing engineering projects in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Due to the broad interdisciplinary nature of the field we welcome students with a wide range of backgrounds in Engineering and Earth Sciences.

6. Structural Engineering, Mechanics, and Materials: CEE's Structural Engineering, Mechanics, and Materials (SEMM) Program has an international reputation for excellence. Many of the fundamental developments underlying the state-of-the-art in structural engineering, mechanics, and materials were pioneered by SEMM faculty and students. This tradition of excellence continues today through vigorous programs of basic and applied research, and careful attention to instruction.

The active involvement of SEMM faculty in the forefront of research projects and in the solution of challenging real world engineering problems results in an instructional program that is up-to-date and relevant. SEMM offers excellent opportunities for study and research leading to advanced degrees in the areas of structural analysis and design, mechanics of structures and solids, and materials in structures and construction.

The curriculum provides a strong basis for advanced professional practice, research, or teaching. Programs of study can be tailored easily to fit individual needs and interests, whether broad-based and multidisciplinary, or narrowly focused and highly technical. Graduates from the SEMM Program have gone on to become world leaders in private practice, government service, education, and research.

7. Systems (Civil Systems): The focus of the Systems Engineering Program (Systems) is understanding complex large-scale systems and developing tools for their design and operation. Such systems encompass built elements in the broad sense (infrastructures transportation, structures, etc.), societal systems (social networks, populations enterprises), and natural systems (land water, air). These systems are at the core of Civil and Environmental Engineering of the 21st Century.

The understanding of how such systems work requires knowledge about the constitutive laws that govern them, such as traffic flow, fluid mechanics, structural mechanics, and smart networks. It also requires an understanding of the theoretical paradigms that are used to model, control and optimize such systems. These include the theories of computation, control theory, optimization, behavioral economics, sensor networks, statistics, and signal processing.

In response to these challenges, the Systems Program provides courses that cover both field knowledge and technical/theoretical tools. This is reflected in the curriculum. We offer masters and doctoral degree programs providing the key skills, e.g., technological, mathematical, or social scientific, as well as the knowledge for a broad range of engineering domains. Our graduates lead the next generation of research, start-ups, industrial corporations, and public-sector organizations.

8. Transportation Engineering: Graduate studyin transportation at the University of California, Berkeley prepares you for a professional, teaching, and research career. Emphasis is on the acquisition of advanced knowledge concerning planning, design, operations, maintenance, rehabilitation, performance, and evaluation of transportation systems, including their economic and public policy aspects. The program stresses development of analytic, problem-solving, design, and management skills suitable for public and private sector professional work.

Transportation Engineering faculty with diverse backgrounds and research interests, including emeriti professors, teach transportation courses. In addition, faculty from City and Regional Planning , Economics , Industrial Engineering and Operations Research , Business Administration , Political Science , and other departments offer courses related to transportation.

Students also have the opportunity to work and interact with research staff at the Institute of Transportation Studies .

Students in the PhD program have the option of pursuing a designated emphasis (DE) to supplement their study.

Concurrent Degrees

The concurrent degree program is a formal arrangement of two existing, but separate, master's degree programs, which result in the students earning two masters degrees. CEE offers the following concurrent degree programs:

• Program in Structural Engineering and Architecture (MArch/MS)
• Program in Transportation Engineering and City and Regional Planning (MCP/MS)
• Any CEE graduate program and Public Policy (MPP/MS)

For further information regarding these programs, please see the department's website .

Certificates

Certificate in Engineering and Business for Sustainability: The Engineering and Business for Sustainability (EBS) Certificate Program trains UC Berkeley graduate students to understand the complexity and urgency of their role in engineering, business, and environmental management, and to work across boundaries to achieve sustainable solutions to pressing societal problems. This program allows students to tap into multidisciplinary educational resources from the College of Engineering , Haas School of Business , Energy and Resources Group , Goldman School of Public Policy , College of Natural Resources , and the School of Public Health , to learn how to have a lasting beneficial impact on the global environment. This program is open to all Berkeley graduate students who meet the EBS Certificate course requirements. For further information regarding this program, see the department's website .

Certificate in Intelligent Transportation Systems: Jointly sponsored by CEE, the Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science and Mechanical Engineering, this program is designed to assist students in studying ITS in a systematic and focused way. Faculty advisers help students design a personalized study program to meet their goals. For more information regarding this program, see the department's website .

Designated Emphasis

Berkeley Ph.D. students are eligible to pursue a Designated Emphasis as part of their doctoral studies. Common Designated Emphases for CEE doctoral students include:

• Computational and Data Science and Engineering
• Global Metropolitan Studies
• Development Engineering

A designated emphasis is a specialization, such as a new method of inquiry or an important field of application, which is relevant to two or more existing doctoral degree programs. You are required to complete the academic work in the area of specialization and all the requirements of the doctoral program. You must be admitted to the DE before taking the qualifying examination. A complete list of Designated Emphases is here .

Contact Info

[email protected]

760 Davis Hall

Berkeley, CA 94720

At a Glance

Department(s)

Civil & Environmental Engineering

Admit Term(s)

Application Deadline

December 11, 2023

Degree Type(s)

Doctoral / PhD

Degree Awarded

GRE Requirements

Energy Institute at Haas

Announcements

Faculty affiliate spotlight: paige weber.

March 27, 2024

This edition’s faculty spotlight is on Professor Paige Weber . She came to the University of California, Berkeley in 2023 as an Assistant Professor in the Energy and Resources Group. Before coming to Berkeley, Paige was an Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Postdoctoral Researcher at UC Santa Barbara. She earned her PhD and two master’s degrees at Yale University and received her bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley. Paige shared why she became a researcher and where she is focusing her work.

What led you to become an energy and environmental economist?

As an undergrad, I was focused on wealth inequality. Then I became fascinated by how resource and pollution distribution relate to the dispersion of power—in both kilowatts and politics. I wanted to learn more about energy markets so I looked for a job with a utility. While I was there, I had a lot of questions about energy production and consumption. Someone told me an economist might have the tools to answer those questions, which led me to graduate training in environmental economics. I was worried that academia could be boring and lonely, since I had enjoyed the pace of industry. But, I was hooked by the creativity involved in the research process, which I think was an under-sold and fun part of the job. And I found a vibrant community of environmental economists actively involved in shaping policy.

What brought you to UC Berkeley and the Energy Institute?

I follow the Energy Institute and all the ground-breaking work from the prolific faculty and students here. I was thrilled to learn of the opportunity to join the Energy and Resources Group at Berkeley and am thoroughly enjoying being part of ERG and the Energy Institute. The students in my department, the Energy Institute, and at Berkeley, are a big appeal. It’s amazing to be a part of the community here and be inspired by the passion the students have for energy systems and environmental economics.

How would you describe your overall research focus?

Much of my research studies the determinants, and hopefully, the solutions to, environmental inequality. I like to look at that from different angles. Sometimes my work looks at how different policies impact environmental inequality. Or, how different industry trends impact pollution disparities, for example, the evolution of generation technologies in the U.S. electricity sector. I’m also interested in the role of location decisions on environmental outcomes, on both the people side and the firm side. What is one research project you are most proud of?

One recent work I am proud of is a literature synthesis recently published in the  Review of Environmental Economics and Policy . That synthesis covers around 100 papers published in the last decade on environmental justice and economics. I get asked a lot from colleagues about what the latest research in this area is, and it really felt like time to take stock of the surge research here. Together with my co-authors, Lucas Cain, Danae Hernández-Cortez, and Chris Timmins, I’m excited to be able to offer this synthesis to our field. Finally, what’s an ongoing project that you’re excited about?

A new project I’m working on (with Danae Hernández-Cortez, Chris Timmins, and Kyle Meng) looks at how cleaning up the local environment impacts not just environmental inequality, but  inequality in overall well-being. Following an environmental cleanup, housing costs could increase, and maybe, the populations with the worst pre-existing pollution have to leave the neighborhood because they can’t afford it anymore. But it’s not clear that migration would actually occur. This project looks at how renters experience an improvement in the environment and whether rent changes and migration costs reduce the overall benefit of a cleaner environment.

All News > 2024 Spring Development Economics Challenge

2024 Spring Development Economics Challenge

Description:

The Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA) is pleased to announce our Spring 2024 Development Economics Challenge Grants. CEGA has created three distinct applications for different eligibility groups. Please select the application that aligns with your status:

• UC Berkeley PhD candidates
• PhD candidates at CEGA-affiliated universities other than UCB
• Faculty awards at all CEGA-affiliated universities

Proposed research must involve rigorous evaluation of programs or policies designed to alleviate poverty and promote social or economic development in low- and middle- income countries. Grant funds may be used to cover travel and lodging, data collection or access, data analysis, and related activities. Grants may not be used for salary payments to the research team.

University of California, Berkeley PhD Candidates

We will offer two types of awards to support original research led by UC Berkeley PhD students. A total of approximately $80,000 will be made available through this competition:

(1) travel grants up to $5,000 for scoping and/or short-term fieldwork;

(2) seed grants up to $20,000 for extensive, longer-term projects.

Deadline : April 14, 2024 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time

Eligibility Criteria: Doctoral students at UC Berkeley can apply.

Each application must include a nomination from a CEGA faculty affiliate sponsor . The nomination should be emailed to Sam Bordia ( [email protected] ) by the submission deadline (simply stating, “I have reviewed the proposed research and agree to nominate the applicant for this award” is adequate).

Application Process: Please download and complete the Application Form .

Applications must include a proposal describing the research (no more than 2 pages) and a budget. All materials should be submitted in a single PDF file through our online portal, linked below.

Please email Sam Bordia ( [email protected] ) with any inquiries.

Submit Application Here

PhD Candidates at CEGA-Affiliated Universities NOT Berkeley

We will offer two types of awards to support original research led by PhD candidates at Universities in the CEGA network (with the exception of UCB). A total of approximately $80,000 will be made available through this competition:

Eligibility Criteria: Doctoral students at CEGA-Affiliated universities that are not UC Berkeley.

CEGA Affiliated Universities: University of California (Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, San Diego), California Institute of Technology, Claremont Graduate University, Loyola Marymount University, Oregon State University, Stanford University, University of British Columbia, University of Oregon, University of San Francisco, University of Southern California, University of Washington, Washington State University

Faculty at CEGA-Affiliated Universities

We will offer awards to support original research led by faculty at CEGA-Affiliated universities (Faculty Affiliate Status is required). A total up to $60,000 will be made available through this competition:

(1) $20,000 for early-stage research

Eligibility Criteria: Faculty at CEGA-Affiliated universities (including UCB)

Application Process: Please download and complete the Application Form . Applications must include a proposal describing the research (no more than 2 pages) and a budget. All materials must be submitted in a single PDF file through the appropriate link at our online portal,  Submittable .

CEGA Affiliated Universities: University of California (Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, San Diego), California Institute of Technology, Claremont Graduate University, Loyola Marymount University, Oregon State University, Stanford University, University of British Columbia, University of Oregon, University of San Francisco, University of Southern California, University of Washington, Washington State University

CEGA Graduate Student Research

• Samarth Bordia , Project Manager - Finance and Reporting

Assessing Bias from the (Mis)Use of Covariates: A Meta-Analysis

New collaboration invests in african scholars studying development economics.

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