Environmental Economics and Policy

University of California, Berkeley

This is an archived copy of the 2014-15 guide. To access the most recent version of the guide, please visit http://guide.berkeley.edu/.

About the Program

Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS)

The College of Natural Resources and the College of Letters and Science jointly offer the undergraduate major in Environmental Economics and Policy (EEP). This major offers an opportunity to explore aspects of economic and political institutions that affect the development and management of natural resources and the environment. The program takes a problem-solving approach to issues involving renewable and fixed natural resources, and it is based on a foundation in microeconomic theory and the economics of resources and the environment. The Environmental Economics and Policy program is offered by the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics.

This major leads to a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree (for students in the College of Natural Resources) or a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree (for students in the College of Letters and Science).

Students who graduate with a degree in Environmental Economics and Policy go on to a variety of jobs or graduate programs.

Admission to the Major

Freshman students may apply directly to the major, or may select the College of Natural Resource's undeclared option, and declare the major by the end of their fourth semester. For further information regarding how to declare the major after admission, including information on a change of major of change of college, please see the College of Natural Resources Undergraduate Student Handbook .

Honors Program

Students with a GPA of 3.6 or higher may enroll in the College of Natural Resources Honors Program (H196) once they have reached upper division standing. To fulfill the program requirements, students design, conduct, and report on an individual research project working with a faculty sponsor. For further information about registration for the Honors Symposium or the Honors requirements, please see the College of Natural Resources website .

Minor Program

The minor program offers interested students an opportunity to explore aspects of economic and political institutions that affect the development and management of natural resources and the environment. For information regarding how to declare the minor, please contact the department.

Visit Department Website

Major Requirements

In addition to the University, campus, and college requirements, listed on the College Requirements tab, students must fulfill the below requirements specific to their major program.

General Guidelines

  1. All courses taken to fulfill the major requirements below must be taken for graded credit, other than courses listed which are offered on a Pass/No Pass basis only. Other exceptions to this requirement are noted as applicable.

  2. A minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 is required.

  3. A minimum GPA of 2.0 in upper-division major requirements is required.

  4. At least 15 of the 36 required upper-division units must be taken in the College of Natural Resources (except for students majoring in Environmental Economics and Policy; please see the EEP major adviser for further information).

  5. A maximum of 16 units of Independent Study (courses numbered 97, 98, 99, 197, 198, and 199) may count toward graduation, with a maximum of 4 units of Independent Study per semester.

  6. No more than 1/3 of the total units attempted at UC Berkeley may be taken Pass/No Pass. This includes units in the Education Abroad Program and UC Intercampus Visitor or Exchange Programs.

  7. A maximum of 4 units of Physical Education courses will count toward graduation.

For information regarding residence requirements and unit requirements, please see the College Requirements tab.

Lower-division Requirements

Principles of Microeconomics: Select one of the following:
Introduction to Environmental Economics and Policy
Introduction to Economics
Introduction to Economics--Lecture Format
Introduction to Environmental Economics and Policy
Calculus: Select one of the following sequences:
Calculus
   and Calculus
Analytic Geometry and Calculus
   and Analytic Geometry and Calculus
Statistics: Select one of the following:
Introduction to Probability and Statistics
Introductory Probability and Statistics for Business
STAT 25
Course Not Available

Upper-division Requirements

Intermediate Microeconomics: Select one of the following:
Microeconomic Theory with Application to Natural Resources
Economic Analysis--Micro
Economic Theory--Micro
Environmental or Natural Resource Economics
ENVECON C101Environmental Economics4
or ENVECON C102 Natural Resource Economics
Quantitative Methods: Select one of the following:
Modeling and Management of Biological Resources 1
Introductory Applied Econometrics 1
Upper-division electives
Select at least five courses to form an Area of Concentration (see the major adviser for further information)
Three courses must be upper-division ENVECON courses
A maximum of two courses may be selected from other departments; see major adviser for a list of approved courses
1

See the major adviser for a list of other pre-approved courses.

Minor Requirements

Students who have a strong interest in an area of study outside their major often decide to complete a minor program. These programs have set requirements and are noted officially on the transcript in the memoranda section, but they are not noted on diplomas.

General Guidelines

  1. All courses taken to fulfill the minor requirements below must be taken for graded credit.

  2. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 is required for courses used to fulfill the minor requirements.

  3. No more than one upper-division course may be used to simultaneously fulfill requirements for a student's major and minor programs.

At least one of the five upper-division courses below must be taken during the academic year (i.e., not all courses may be Summer Session courses).

Lower-division Prerequisite

Select one of the following sequences:
Analytic Geometry and Calculus
   and Analytic Geometry and Calculus
Calculus
   and Calculus

Minor Requirements

Principles of Micro Economics: Select one of the following:
Introduction to Environmental Economics and Policy
Introduction to Economics
Introduction to Economics--Lecture Format
Intermediate Microeconomics: Select one of the following:
Microeconomic Theory with Application to Natural Resources
Economic Analysis--Micro
Economic Theory--Micro
Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
ENVECON C101/ECON C125Environmental Economics4
ENVECON/ECON C102Natural Resource Economics4
Quantitative Methods: Select one of the following:
Modeling and Management of Biological Resources
Introductory Applied Econometrics
Forest Ecosystem Management
Game Theory in the Social Sciences
Economic Statistics and Econometrics
Econometric Analysis
Applied Econometrics and Public Policy
ENE,RES C130/EPS C120
Course Not Available
Natural Resource Sampling
Resource Management
Introduction to Risk and Demographic Statistics
Introduction to Probability and Statistics in Biology and Public Health
Introduction to Probability and Statistics for Life Scientists
Natural Resource Analysis and Policy: Select one of the following:
Globalization and the Natural Environment
Economics of Race, Agriculture, and the Environment
ENVECON 141
Course Not Available
Industrial Organization with Applications to Agriculture and Natural Resources
Economics of Innovation and Intellectual Property
Health and Environmental Economic Policy
Regulation of Energy and the Environment
Economic Development
Advanced Topics in Development and International Trade
Population, Environment, and Development
Economics of Poverty and Technology
Advanced Topics in Environmental and Resource Economics
Economics of Water Resources
The Economics of Climate Change
Ecological Economics in Historical Context
International Trade

College Requirements: College Of Letters and Science

Undergraduate students in the College of Letters and Science must fulfill the following requirements in addition to those required by their major program.

For detailed lists of courses that fulfill college requirements, please see the College of Letters and Sciences  page in this bulletin. 

Entry Level Writing

All students who will enter the University of California as freshmen must demonstrate their command of the English language by fulfilling the Entry Level Writing Requirement. Fulfillment of this requirement is also a prerequisite to enrollment in all reading and composition courses at UC Berkeley. 

American History and American Institutions

The American History and Institutions requirements are based on the principle that a U.S. resident graduated from an American university should have an understanding of the history and governmental institutions of the United States.

American Cultures

American Cultures is the one requirement that all undergraduate students at Cal need to take and pass in order to graduate. The requirement offers an exciting intellectual environment centered on the study of race, ethnicity and culture of the United States. AC courses offer students opportunities to be part of research-led, highly accomplished teaching environments, grappling with the complexity of American Culture.

Quantitative Reasoning

The Quantitative Reasoning requirement is designed to ensure that students graduate with basic understanding and competency in math, statistics, or computer science. The requirement may be satisfied by exam or by taking an approved course.

Foreign Language

The Foreign Language requirement may be satisfied by demonstrating proficiency in reading comprehension, writing, and conversation in a foreign language equivalent to the second semester college level, either by passing an exam or by completing approved course work.

Reading and Composition

In order to provide a solid foundation in reading, writing and critical thinking the College requires two semesters of lower division work in composition. Students must complete a first-level reading and composition course by the end of their second semester and a second-level course by the end of their fourth semester.

Breadth Requirements

The undergraduate breadth requirements provide Berkeley students with a rich and varied educational experience outside of their major program. As the foundation of a liberal arts education, breadth courses give students a view into the intellectual life of the University while introducing them to a multitude of perspectives and approaches to research and scholarship.  Engaging students in new disciplines and with peers from other majors, the breadth experience strengthens interdisciplinary connections and context that prepares Berkeley graduates to understand and solve the complex issues of their day.

Unit Requirements

  • 120 total units, including at least 60 L&S units

  • Of the 120 units, 36 must be upper division units

  • Of the 36 upper division units, 6 must be taken in courses offered outside your major department

Residence Requirements

For units to be considered in "residence," you must be registered in courses on the Berkeley campus as a student in the College of Letters and Science. Most students automatically fulfill the residence requirement by attending classes here for four years. In general, there is no need to be concerned about this requirement, unless you go abroad for a semester or year or want to take courses at another institution or through University Extension during your senior year. In these cases, you should make an appointment to see an adviser to determine how you can meet the Senior Residence Requirement.

Note: Courses taken through UC Extension do not count toward residence.

Senior Residence Requirement

After you become a senior (with 90 semester units earned toward your B.A. degree), you must complete at least 24 of the remaining 30 units in residence in at least two semesters. To count as residence, a semester must consist of at least 6 passed units. Intercampus Visitor, EAP, and UC Berkeley-Washington Program (UCDC) units are excluded.

You may use a Berkeley summer session to satisfy one semester of the Senior Residence Requirement, provided that you successfully complete 6 units of course work in the Summer Session and that you have been enrolled previously in the College.

Modified Senior Residence Requirement

Participants in the UC Education Abroad Program (EAP) or the UC Berkeley-Washington Program (UCDC) may meet a Modified Senior Residence Requirement by completing 24 (excluding EAP) of their final 60 semester units in residence. At least 12 of these 24 units must be completed after you have completed 90 units.

Upper Division Residence Requirement

You must complete in residence a minimum of 18 units of upper division courses (excluding EAP units), 12 of which must satisfy the requirements for your major.

College Requirements: College of Natural Resources

For College Requirements, please refer to the College of Natural Resources .

Student Learning Goals

Learning Goals for the Major

  1. Produce graduates with an excellent education in applied economics, with a particular expertise in one of three fields: environmental economics and policy; development economics, or agricultural economics
  2. Prepare students for successful careers and further studies in graduate programs in a variety of applied fields within Economics
  3. Produce graduates who have the capacity for continued learning throughout their careers and who will have a significant, positive impact on their professions
  4. Encourage the development of the ethics, skills, and motivation necessary to serve society

Courses

Environmental Economics and Policy

ENVECON C1 Introduction to Environmental Economics and Policy 4 Units

Introduction to microeconomics with emphasis on resource, agricultural, and environmental issues.

ENVECON 39D Freshman/Sophomore Seminar 1.5 - 4 Units

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.

ENVECON 100 Microeconomic Theory with Application to Natural Resources 4 Units

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.

ENVECON C101 Environmental Economics 4 Units

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.

ENVECON C102 Natural Resource Economics 4 Units

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.

ENVECON C115 Modeling and Management of Biological Resources 4 Units

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).

ENVECON C118 Introductory Applied Econometrics 4 Units

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.

ENVECON 131 Globalization and the Natural Environment 3 Units

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.

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

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.

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

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.

ENVECON 143 Economics of Innovation and Intellectual Property 3 Units

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 negotiations.

ENVECON 145 Health and Environmental Economic Policy 3 Units

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.

ENVECON 147 Regulation of Energy and the Environment 4 Units

This is an applied economics course on government regulation of energy with an emphasis on policies that seek to mitigate the impact of energy production and consumption on the environment. The course is designed to help students make connections between economic concepts and real world regulatory policy questions and issues.

ENVECON C151 Economic Development 4 Units

Problems of underdevelopment and poverty, policy issues, and development strategy.

ENVECON 152 Advanced Topics in Development and International Trade 3 Units

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.

ENVECON 153 Population, Environment, and Development 3 Units

This course takes an interdisciplinary approach to the complex interactions between population, environmental change, and economic development, including the leading theories for understanding these interactions. The origins and history of current debates are discussed as well as some of the major issues stemming from these debates, such as immigration, international trade, family planning policies and concerns over the global commons. Specific natural resources and services like fresh water, food supply, and forest cover are analyzed as case studies. Policy options for sustainable development are discussed.

ENVECON 154 Economics of Poverty and Technology 3 Units

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.

ENVECON 161 Advanced Topics in Environmental and Resource Economics 4 Units

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.

ENVECON 162 Economics of Water Resources 3 Units

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.

ENVECON C175 The Economics of Climate Change 4 Units

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.

ENVECON C180 Ecological Economics in Historical Context 3 Units

Economists through history have explored economic and environmental interactions, physical limits to growth, what constitutes the good life, and how economic justice can be assured. Yet economists continue to use measures and models that simplify these issues and promote bad outcomes. Ecological economics responds to this tension between the desire for simplicity and the multiple perspectives needed to understand complexity in order to move toward sustainable, fulfilling, just economies.

ENVECON C181 International Trade 4 Units

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.

ENVECON C183 Forest Ecosystem Management 4 Units

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.

ENVECON 195 Senior Thesis 4 Units

Writing of a thesis under the direction of member(s) of the faculty. Subject must be approved by faculty sponsor.

ENVECON 196 Senior Research Seminar 4 Units

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.

ENVECON H196 Honors Research 4 Units

Supervised independent honors research specific to aspects of environmental economics and policy, followed by a oral presentation and a written report.

ENVECON 197 Field Study in Environmental Economics and Policy 1 - 3 Units

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.

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

Group study of selected topic or topics in Environmental Economics and Policy.

ENVECON 199 Supervised Independent Study and Research 1 - 4 Units

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.

Contact Information

Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics

207 Giannini Hall

Phone: 510-642-3345

Fax: 510-643-8911

Visit Department Website

Department Chair

David L. Sunding, PhD

326 Giannini Hall

Phone: 510-642-8229

sunding@berkeley.edu

Undergraduate Student Advising

Office of Instruction and Student Affairs, CNR

260 Mulford Hall

Phone: 510-642-0542

Fax: 510-643-3132

cnrteaching@berkeley.edu

Undergraduate Staff Adviser

William Hughes

260 Mulford Hall

Phone: 510-643-5325

whughes@berkeley.edu

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