Environmental Science & Policy B.S. + Geology M.S.
Beach Expedited Degrees in Graduate Education (EDGE) programs merge existing baccalaureate and master's degree programs in similar disciplines into a single pathway. We will double count a specified number of units (no more than 12) in both programs so you can earn your graduate degree faster and with less cost! Learn more about Beach EDGE.
Students in the Beach EDGE Environmental Science & Policy Program will complete the requirements for both the B.S. in Environmental Science & Policy and the M.S. in Geology. Beach EDGE students must double-count 9 units of M.S. electives towards both their B.S. and M.S. degrees.
Double-Counting of Courses
Beach EDGE students must double-count 9 units of M.S. electives towards both their B.S. and M.S. degrees and may double-count a maximum of 12 units of M.S. electives.
Advisor/Staff Contacts
Graduate Advisor: Dr. Alyssa Abbey, Alyssa.Abbey@csulb.edu
Undergraduate Advisor: Dr. Monica Argandona, Monica.Argandona@csulb.edu
Lower Division Requirements
Take all the following courses:
- BIOL 211 - Introduction to Evolution and Diversity (5 units)
- BIOL 212 - Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology (4 units)
- BIOL 213 - Introduction to Ecology and Physiology (4 units)
- BIOL 260 - Biostatistics (3 units)
- CHEM 111A - General Chemistry (5 units)
- CHEM 111B - General Chemistry (5 units)
- CHEM 227 - Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry (3 units)
- ECON 101 - Principles of Microeconomics (3 units)
- ES P 200 - California Environmental Issues (3 units)
- ERTH 102 - Planet Earth (3 units)
- ERTH 104 - Planet Earth Lab (1 unit)
- ERTH 280 - Water Resources and Society (3 units)
Take one the following courses:
- MATH 122 - Calculus I (4 units)
- MATH 119A - Survey of Calculus I (3 units)
Take one the following courses:
- PHYS 151 - Mechanics and Heat (4 units)
- PHYS 100A - General Physics (4 units)
Upper Division Requirements
Take all the following courses:
- BIOL 350 - General Ecology (3 units)
- ES P 300 - Environmental Law and Policy (3 units)
- ES P 400 - Environmental Science and Policy Capstone Project (3 units)
- ERTH 300 - Earth Systems and Global Change (3 units)
Take one of the following courses:
- GEOG 481 - Geographic Information Science for Natural Sciences (4 units)
- GEOG 473 - Introduction to Earth Observation (4 units)
Take the following course:
- ECON 306 - Environmental Issues of the World Economy (3 units)
Take 3 units of social science electives, chosen from the following:
- GEOG 340 - Environmental Geography (3 units)
- GEOG 355 - International Environmental Issues (3 units)
- GEOG 440 - Land and Water Resources (3 units)
- GEOG 446 - Land Use Planning (3 units)
- GEOG 447 - Landscape Restoration (3 units)
- GEOG 448 - Environmental Assessment (3 units)
- GEOG 450 - Environmental Sustainability and Social Justice (3 units)
- GEOG 455 - People as Agents of Environmental Change (3 units)
- GEOG 458 - Hazards and Risk Management (3 units)
- GEOG 460 - Population Geography (3 units)
- GEOG 464 - Urban Geography: Sustainable Cities (3 units)
- HIST 482 - Recent American Environmental History (3 units)
- ENGL 444 - Literature and Environment (3 units)
- ASAM 350 - Environmental Justice (3 units)
- WGSS 424 - Gendering Environmental Justice (3 units)
- ECON 462 - Environmental Economics (3 units)
- ES P 450 - Environmental Sustainability and Social Justice (3 units)
Take 9 units of natural science electives, chosen from the following:
- BIOL 312 - Evolutionary Biology (3 units)
- BIOL 313 - Invertebrate Zoology (4 units)
- BIOL 316 - General Entomology (4 units)
- BIOL 324 - Vertebrate Zoology (4 units)
- BIOL 342 - Human/Mammalian Physiology (3 units)
- BIOL 345 - Comparative Animal Physiology (3 units)
- BIOL 353 - Marine Biology (3 units)
- BIOL 355 - Microbial Ecology (3 units)
- BIOL 415 - Marine Microbiology (3 units)
- BIOL 419 - Ichthyology (3 units)
- BIOL 420 - Fisheries Ecology and Conservation (3 units)
- BIOL 421 - Herpetology (3 units)
- BIOL 423 - Mammalogy (3 units)
- BIOL 424 - Ornithology (3 units)
- BIOL 427 - Vascular Plant Systematics (4 units)
- BIOL 439 - Plant Morphology (4 units)
- BIOL 450 - Plant Ecology (3 units)
- BIOL 451 - Wetlands and Mangrove Ecology (3 units)
- BIOL 452 - Behavioral Ecology (3 units)
- BIOL 454A - Research in Tropical Marine Ecology (3 units)
- BIOL 454B - Research in Tropical Terrestrial Ecology (3 units)
- BIOL 455 - Ecology of Marine Communities (3 units)
- BIOL 456 - Population Ecology (3 units)
- BIOL 457 - Field Methods in Ecology (3 units)
- BIOL 459 - Conservation Biology (3 units)
- BIOL 496 - Undergraduate Directed Research (1-3 units)
- ERTH 303 - Coastal Systems and Human Impacts (3 units)
- ERTH 339 - Introduction to Geomorphology (3 units)
- ERTH 341 - Paleontology and Biostratigraphy (4 units)
- ERTH 445 - Paleoclimatology (4 units)
- ERTH 461 - Introduction to Geochemistry (3 units)
- ERTH 465 - Physical and Chemical Oceanography (3 units)
- ERTH 466 - Oceanography Laboratory and Ocean Studies (1 unit)
- ERTH 474 - Physical Hydrology (3 units)
- ERTH 477 - Hydrogeology (4 units)
Take an additional 3 units selected from the social science or natural science electives listed above if necessary to meet the university requirement for upper division units.
For official requirements, please see: Environmental Science & Policy, B.S. - CSULB Catalog 2024-2025
Electives that Double Count Towards the B.S. and M.S.
- ERTH 445 - Paleoclimatology
- ERTH 465 - Physical and Chemical Oceanography
- ERTH 410/510 - Biogeochemical Cycles
- ERTH 537 - California Geology
- ERTH 541 - Seminar on Mass Extinctions
- ERTH 543 - Seminar on Integrated Stratigraphy
- ERTH 554 - Environmental Geochemistry
- ERTH 555 - Stable Isotopes
- ERTH 574 - Physical Hydrology
- ERTH 577 - Hydrogeology
- GEOG 448 - Environmental Assessment
- GEOG 458 - Hazards and Risk Management
- GEOG 475/575 - Geographical Applications in Remote Sensing
- GEOG 481 - Geographic Information Science for Natural Sciences
- GEOG 500 - Multivariate Geographical Analysis
Note other 400-level electives may be double counted with approval from research advisor and graduate advisor.
Required "Major" Courses
- ERTH 500 - Intro Grad Seminar
- ERTH 537 - California Geology
Required Research and Thesis Courses
- ERTH 695 - Directed Reading (2-4 units)
- ERTH 697 - Directed Research (2-3 units)
- ERTH 698 - Thesis (6 units)
70% Must Be 500-600 Level
70% of the units (e.g., 21/30) must be 500-600 level courses.
- ERTH 510 - Biogeochemical Cycles
- ERTH 524 - Sedimentary Petrology
- ERTH 530 - Seminar in Structural Geology and Tectonics
- ERTH 531 - Tectonic Geomorphology
- ERTH 537 - California Geology
- ERTH 541 - Seminar on Mass Extinctions
- ERTH 543 - Seminar on Integrated Stratigraphy
- ERTH 554 - Environmental Geochemistry
- ERTH 555 - Stable Isotopes
- ERTH 574 - Physical Hydrology
- ERTH 577 - Hydrogeology
- Some GEOG courses with advisor approval
30% May Be 300-400 Level
30% of the units may be 300, 400 (advisor approval required).
- ERTH 410 - Biogeochemical Cycles
- ERTH 445 - Paleoclimatology
- ERTH 462 - Physics and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior
- ERTH 465 - Physical and Chemical Oceanography
- GEOL 460 - Introduction to Geophysics
- GEOL 461 - Introduction to Geochemistry
- GEOL 474 - Physical Hydrology
Eligibility & Admissions
- Be a matriculated undergraduate student at CSULB in one of the following degree options: Geology B.S., Earth System B.S. program, Environmental Science and Policy B.S.
- Have completed 60 units.
- Be enrolled in or completed 9 discipline-specific upper-division units in residence.
- Have a minimum GPA of 3.0.
- Have consent of faculty M.S. advisor.
- Follow the student application review and admissions procedures.
- Students must double-count at least 9 units
- Students must begin directed research (ERTH 496) on a clearly defined project with a faculty mentor in their junior year (or one year before completion of B.S. degree).
- Students will advance to candidacy at the end of their undergraduate program (either May or December) depending on semester of course completion for the B.S. degree.
- Students will need to conduct research during the summer or winter break after B.S. graduation to collect remaining data started in ERTH 496
- A contract between the Student and Thesis Advisor will be created at the start of the program that states expectations of each party and provides a timeline for thesis completion.
- Weekly meetings with Thesis Advisor will be required so progress can be monitored.
- Semester meeting with Graduate Advisor will be required so that key metrics are met.
Deadline to apply is October 15 or April 15.
