UC Merced offers an undergraduate major leading to a B.S. degree in Earth Systems Sciences (ESS), Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology (EECB), or Biological Sciences (BIO) as well as a B.A degree in Biological Sciences (BIO).
Environmental Systems Science
The Environmental Systems Science major is designed to prepare students to meet the challenges of environmental and ecological research in the 21st century. Students who study Earth Systems Science will gain a quantitative understanding of the physical, chemical and biological principles that control the processes, reactions and evolution of the Earth as a support system for life. The major emphasizes a highly interdisciplinary approach, incorporating field studies, laboratory experiments and computations.
Complementary coursework in the social sciences will expose students to the political, economic, and societal implications of human interactions with the environment. A unique aspect of the major is its flexibility — students can select upper division classes in areas that reflect their individual interests within Earth Systems Science.
This educational experience provides students with knowledge of the foundations of Life and Environmental Sciences and the skills needed to apply Life and Environmental Sciences to the real-world phenomena in the social sciences, natural sciences and engineering.
Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology - Available Fall 2025
The EECB program at UC Merced teaches ecology, evolutionary biology, and conservation biology as interconnected and dynamic fields of study, emphasizing data-driven ecological analysis, hypothesis testing in evolutionary biology, and practical conservation strategies. The curriculum is underpinned by foundational concepts from various disciplines including Biology, Data Science, and Environmental Sciences. Students opting for the EECB B.S. will gain deep insight into areas such as organismal ecology, the processes giving rise to the Tree of Life, and cutting-edge conservation practices.
Biological Sciences (B.S. and B.A Offered)
There has never been a more exciting and important time to study biology. From using the human genome to understand the molecular and environmental interactions that cause human disease, to predicting the effects of global climate change on ecosystems, it is essential that we understand fundamental processes that produce and sustain life on Earth. The Ecology and Evolutionary Biology emphasis in the Biological Sciences is at the forefront of finding answers to some of society's most vexing problems. Biology students graduating from UC Merced will have a common foundation necessary for biologists in the 21st century, as well as specialized skills and knowledge to aid in their pursuit of careers in biology-related fields or graduate/professional school training.
Students majoring in Biological Sciences B.S. can choose from five emphasis tracks that provide specialized training in different areas of biology listed here. The Biological Sciences B.A. does not have associated emphasis tracks, but is constructed to be paired with minors in other degree programs.
