Ph.D. Program in ESS - Apply Today!

Climate change is one of the existential challenges confronting humanity in the 21st century. Ph.D. students in UCI's Department of Earth System Science (ESS) are part of the global scientific community working to define the causes and impacts of climate change and to develop effective solutions for a sustainable future. The ESS doctoral program provides graduate students with the perspective of the Earth as a coupled system and the technical know-how for a successful STEM career.  Explore research and faculty in ESS.

Did you know?

We offer 2 majors and a minor program.  In our BS program you will learn the science of climate change. It prepares you for careers in science, research, or technical fields.  Our BA program is in partnership with the School of Social Ecology, and you will learn about both the science and policy aspects of climate change and sustainability. The program prepares you for a career in government, non-profit or private industry.  Our Minor in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences offers students in the natural sciences and engineering a path to explore interdisciplinary problems and broaden their studies.

On the front lines

Ph.D. student Audrey Odwuor, along with UCI Department of Earth System Science Professor Claudia Czimczik, sampled the smoke billowing from the Caldor Fire in Lake Tahoe.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Inclusive Excellence is a core value of the Department of Earth System Science. As a department and as a community, we affirm our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and anti-racism, and recognize the inherent value of all who work and study here. 

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Global Climate and Environmental Changes: CausesImpactsSolutions

To contribute through research and teaching to a fundamental scientific understanding of the Earth as a coupled system, to train the next generation of Earth scientists, and to inform and educate policy makers and the public-at-large. We envision a society that understands the impact of human activities on the global environment and the interactions within the Earth system that preserve the habitability of the planet.

Academics
Bachelor of Science in Earth System Science
Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Science and Policy
Ph.D in Earth System Science

News

More state forests are vulnerable to wildfire due to climate change.
The U.S. Department of Education award supports graduate students with excellent academic records and demonstrated federal financial need. 
Edison STEM Transfer Scholar uses their education to unearth the timeline of climate change.

Upcoming and Recent Events

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Cicerone Chair
Cicerone Fellowship
Graduate Fellowship

The Department of Earth System Science acknowledges our presence on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Acjachemen and Tongva peoples, who still hold strong cultural, spiritual and physical ties to this region.