Graduate training in Environmental Studies at UC Santa Barbara centers on preparing scholars to work at the forefront of sustainability transitions, grounded in equity and justice. Building on four core strengths, the program prepares doctoral students to conduct cutting-edge, interdisciplinary research and to produce decision-relevant science that informs policy, practice, and community action. Graduates are equipped to address complex environmental challenges across energy, water, food systems, and resource management—while centering questions of power, access, and social equity.
ES Bren PhD Track
Select Environmental Studies faculty recruit, mentor, and advise graduate students through the Bren School PhD program. Find the list of participating faculty and more detail on the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management PhD Program page.
Affiliated Departments
Select Environmental Studies faculty hold joint appointments with other academic departments and recruit, mentor, and advise PhD students through these other departments. Find the list of faculty with joint appointments on the ES People page.
IPEES
The University of California, Santa Barbara offers an Interdepartmental PhD Emphasis in Environment and Society. Doctoral students from over fifteen departments may add the emphasis to the PhD in their home department.
Four Core Strengths of PhD Training in Environmental Studies
UCSB Environmental Studies is nationally recognized for pioneering research on sustainability transitions that places equity and environmental justice at its core. Faculty expertise spans energy, water, food systems, and resource management, with a distinctive emphasis on justice, power, and social inequality. This deep integration of equity across the program’s research portfolio is exceptionally rare and has positioned the department as a leader in justice-centered environmental scholarship.
The Environmental Studies Program offers a uniquely integrative research environment, bringing together expertise in ecology, earth science, engineering, public health, economics, sociology, history, ethics, and more. Strong ties to the social sciences and humanities allow faculty and students to connect biophysical and ecological processes with human, social, and institutional dynamics—producing critically informed, innovative research that bridges theory and empirical analysis.
Faculty and PhD students regularly collaborate with policymakers, agency officials, and community leaders to translate research into action. This engaged approach supports evidence-based decision-making in areas such as climate adaptation, land-use planning, and resource management. By working directly with decision-makers, students learn how to produce research that is scientifically rigorous, socially equitable, and directly relevant to real-world challenges.
Founded in 1970, Environmental Studies is home to one of the largest and most respected undergraduate ES programs in the country. A long-standing commitment to innovative, interdisciplinary teaching strengthens the PhD training environment by fostering exceptional mentorship, communication skills, and pedagogical training. Doctoral students benefit from faculty expertise in teaching and advising, preparing them for careers across academia, policy, and applied research.