College of Arts and Sciences

Environmental and Ocean Sciences

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College of Arts and Sciences

Department of Environmental and Ocean Sciences

Impactful Science for a Greener Future

Environmental and Ocean Sciences at USD is a research-oriented department, offering undergraduate and graduate programs, with numerous opportunities in the field alongside passionate and engaged faculty in San Diego — and across the globe. Committed to advanced research, our undergraduate and graduate students gain the benefit of a well-rounded, comprehensive education that is bolstered by applicable field work and lab experience.

Programs

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Experiential Learning

Diving into the Field

Examining Coral Reefs in the Bahamas

University of San Diego students in Environmental and Ocean Sciences, EOS 494 - Coral Reefs, Sea-Level and Climate Change researched coral reefs in San Salvador, Bahamas over spring break under the guidance of Environmental and Ocean Sciences Professors Sarah Gray and Eric Cathcart.

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Learn Locally With EOS

The Department of Environmental and Ocean Sciences makes the most of USD's location by taking students out into our local areas to deepen their learning.

At Ocean Beach discovering mole crabs

At the Tijuana River Estuary with Dr. Talley

At Birch Aquarium, Scripps Institution of Oceanography

At Sunset Cliffs exploring rock formations

At Mission Beach fishing with a tow net

At Mount Soledad learning about plate tectonics

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Careers

Find your future in environmental and ocean sciences

Students graduate with a complete view of how marine and ocean sciences affect society, so they are perfectly positioned for multidimensional positions in environmental/public policy, economics, oceanography and more.

Hear from notable alumni

Hannah Adams '16

Agricultural Development Manager

After Hannah Adams '16 received her master's degree in conservation leadership from Colorado State University in 2018, she headed to Panama with the Peace Corps. There she facilitated a 40-family eco-stove project aimed at improving community health and reducing local environmental impacts related to deforestation and water pollution. She returned to the United States two weeks short of her assignment there, due to COVID-19. Today she works at Winrock International, a nonprofit employing 1,000 people globally, and supports agricultural development projects in Nepal and Pakistan, along with a girls education project in Mali.

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See where our graduates have gone

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Study Abroad

At Home, Around the Globe

Participation in a study-abroad program is a special opportunity to have a deeply meaningful learning experience that complements the liberal arts education at USD. See the options that USD offers around the world.

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What's happening in environmental and ocean sciences

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