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Course Substitutions & Exceptions

Substitutions and Exceptions

ELECTIVE SUBSTITUTIONS FOR EACH MAJOR

1. Single ENVS majors are eligible to use substitutions for two of their upper division ENVS electives. These two substitutions may include:

  • Pre-approved substitution courses; NO petition necessary. 

    • Note: Many of these courses have restricted enrollment and/or prerequisites. You must contact the appropriate department or instructor to determine your eligibility.

  • Petitioned exceptions (see below for petition process)
    • Upper-division courses from another UCSC department which are not on the pre-approved list
    • Comparable upper-division environmental studies courses from other institutions or programs, including the Education Abroad Program (EAP),Wildlands Studies, or Sierra Institute (normally only 1 course credit is given for these programs)

2. Combined ENVS majors (ENVS/ECON, ENVS/BIO, ENVS/EART) are not allowed any substitutions for upper division electives.

3. Agroecology majors can petition to substitute one of the AGEC electives. This substituted course must be petitioned and may be:

  • Another ENVS upper division course (104-179) not listed as one of the Agroecology electives
  • A relevant course in SOCY, LALS, ANTH
  • A relevant course taken in a study abroad program
  • See below for petition process

 

PETITIONS FOR SUBSTITUTION

For ENVS single majors and Agroecology majors who are petitioning to substitute a course for an upper division elective, the desired substitute must be:

  • Equivalent to an upper division course in a similar topic at UCSC (consider both lecture/instruction time, exams, papers and other workload, in most upper-division ENVS courses; exams and/or a substantial research paper/project, in addition to attendance, participation and class assignments/problem sets/journals).
  • Thematically within the field of Environmental Studies.
  • Accepted by the UCSC Registrar's office to count for units. The units must be transferred as upper division coursework. 

If the course(s) meet the above elements, students must provide a syllabus for the class, a copy of their unofficial UCSC transcript, and, if applicable, their transcript from any other institution involved in the course substitution, when submitting the petition. Petitions will be reviewed after the student has completed the class. The substitution requests are subject to approval by the Department. The approval of such requests will be considered within the scope of the student's entire study plan.  If you would like to request a course substitution or exception, please fill out this petition. **Please allow 2-4 weeks for review if you are applying during the regular academic year. Please note petitions are only reviewed during the regular academic year (Fall, Winter, and Spring). If you submit a petition during the Summer quarter, we will review your petition once Fall quarter begins.

STUDY ABROAD COURSES  -- See this list of study abroad courses that have been approved by the ENVS faculty in the past to be used towards the major. This can give students an idea of possible study abroad courses they can petition to use as upper div requirements.

 

TAKING ENVS UPPER DIVISIONS BEFORE ENVS 100/L

UCSC students may enroll in a limited number of ENVS upper division classes without having taken ENVS 100/L, which is a prerequisite for all upper division ENVS classes. 

  • ENVS Single majors and Agroecology majors may take a total of two upper division classes (either ENVS upper division classes OR  pre-approved substitutions) before ENVS 100/L. To successfully petition to take ENVS upper division courses before ENVS 100/L, students must have completed all of the ENVS 100/L prerequisite courses.
  • ENVS Combined majors may take a total of one ENVS upper division class before ENVS 100/L. To successfully petition to take an ENVS upper division course before ENVS 100/L, students must have completed all of the ENVS 100/L prerequisite courses.
  • Students declared in other majors may take a total of three ENVS upper division classes without having taken ENVS 100/L. They must be declared in their other major.

 

To petition to take an ENVS upper division class without the ENVS 100/L pre-requisite, please fill out this petition. If successful, students will receive a permission code to enroll during second pass enrollment.

 

FIELD COURSES AS UPPER DIVISION ELECTIVES

Students in the ENVS single major and the combined majors (not Agroecology majors) may take intensive field courses that count towards a number of upper division units and fulfill major requirements:

  1. ENVS 107ABC - Natural History Field Quarter.
    • Counts towards three upper division electives for ENVS and ENVS/ECON majors (electives of choice or Natural Science elective).
    • Counts towards two upper division electives of choice for ENVS/BIO and ENVS/EART majors. 
  2. ENVS 109ABCD (or BIOE 151ABCD) - Ecology And Conservation in Practice Supercourse.
    • For students in the ENVS and ENVS/ECON majors, it counts towards either three upper division electives, or two upper division ENVS electives and a senior exit.
    • Students in the ENVS/BIO major can use the supercourse towards three upper division electives, either ENVS electives or BIO electives. Or, they can use the supercourse towards two upper division electives and the senior exit. Work with advising to identify how you want to distribute these courses. 
    • ENVS/EART combined majors cannot use ENVS 109B as a senior exit requirement, but could still use the supercourse to count as two upper division ENVS electives of choice. 
  3. XENV 188 - California Ecology and Conservation course.
    • For students in the ENVS and ENVS/ECON majors, it counts towards three upper division ENVS electives of choice.
    • Students in the ENVS/BIO major can use the supercourse towards three upper division electives, either ENVS electives or BIO electives. 
    • For students in the ENVS/EART major, it counts towards two upper division ENVS electives of choice. 

Most students take only one of these competitive, intensive field courses. If a student takes two intensive field courses, the ENVS policy henceforth is that the student may count intensive field course credits towards a maximum of four upper division electives (and in the case of ENVS 109A-D, the senior exit).

  • This policy does not include ENVS 104A/L - Introduction to Environmental Field Methods/ Introduction to Field Methods Laboratory which students may take for upper division credit in addition to any intensive field class.
  • Students who participate in a non-UC field class (e.g. Wildlands Studies) that is approved for upper division credit under the ENVS Petition for Request for Substitution or Exception can only count UC and non-UC field course credits towards a maximum of four upper division electives (and in the case of ENVS 109A-D, the senior exit).