Undergraduate Students
UCSC undergraduates majoring in Environmental Studies can pursue the Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture area of emphasis. Within this broad heading, students can focus on one of several topics, such as —
- Agroecology
- Sustainable Agriculture and Development
- Integrated Pest Management and Sustainable Agriculture
Students can also develop their own focus area. Several Environmental Studies courses use the Center's Farm for field and laboratory work, and the Agroecology Practicum, based at the Farm, is offered through UCSC's Summer Session.
Other departments at UCSC offering undergraduate courses related to the Center's work include Anthropology, Biology, Community Studies, Economics, Latin American and Latino Studies, Politics, and Sociology. For information on the Environmental Studies major, see their web site or call 831.459-2634. For information on other departments see the UCSC admissions web site or call 831.459-4008.
The Program in Community and Agroecology (PICA) offers undergraduates the opportunity to integrate cultural and ecological knowledge to achieve sustainability with their own relevant perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences. PICA students participate in seminars, practical training in agroecology and organic gardening, campus and community gardens, and in food programs both locally and internationally. For more information, see the PICA website.
Research, Internship and Independent Studies Opportunities
UCSC undergraduates can take part in ongoing Center research projects, or design their own research projects for course credit or as the basis for a senior thesis project. Undergraduates also play a key role in our public education efforts by training to become tour leaders in the Life Lab Science Program's Garden Classroom (based at the Center's UCSC Farm) and by developing displays, slide shows, and other outreach material. Other students choose to develop farming and gardening skills through internships at the Farm and Chadwick Garden or on local farms and gardening projects such as the Homeless Garden Project.
Credit for internships is available through the Environmental Studies Internship Program and through independent studies. For information on current research and internship opportunities, contact the Environmental Studies Internship Office or see the Campus Food and Garden Guide, which lists contacts for food systems-related internship and volunteer opportunities at a variety of campus and community locations. For more information on Education and Gardening Internships offered through the Life Lab Science Program, contact Amy Carlson at 459-4035, or see the Life Lab web site. For details on internships at the UCSC Farm and Alan Chadwick garden, see the Farm & Garden internship flyer.
Each year, a number of UCSC students take part in the Center's Apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture course, offered through UCSC Extension. It may be possible to arrange credit for the six-month, full-time apprenticeship with individual faculty members. For more information, contact the Apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture at 831.459-3240, casfs@ucsc.edu.
