环境研究理学学士学位的目标是训练学生精通自然科学和物理科学，并意识到社会和文化对当今社会面临的环境问题的影响。理学学士学位遵循与环境研究学士学位相似的课程设计。但是，除了社会科学入门课程外，科学准备学士学位还需要整整一年的生物学，化学，物理学和微积分学入门课程。高层和外部的集中度，尽管仍然是跨学科的和灵活的，但限制了学生可能修读的社会科学和人文课程的数量。大多数环境研究选修课以及外界关注的内容仅限于物理和自然科学学科。
Environmental Studies (ES) trains and prepares students to be world-class leaders in multidisciplinary analysis, problem solving for environmental health and sustainability, and transformative social change in the 21st century. The program is highly interdisciplinary, and as a student in the program youll be able to explore a wide variety of environmental topics, drawing on concepts, theories, and research methods from the natural and physical sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Youll be encouraged to generate innovative ideas through research, and youll gain the scholarly background and practical skills needed to envision solutions to pressing environmental challenges and to become an agent for change for a healthy and just environment. The goal of the B.S. degree in Environmental Studies is to train students to become proficient in the natural and physical sciences while still understanding the important role social and cultural influences have on addressing today's environmental problems. The major curricular differences from the ES B.A. degree are a greater number of chemistry, calculus, biology, and physics courses. The majority of upper-division electives and the outside concentration requirements are focused on the physical and natural science disciplines. The Environmental Studies Program at UCSB was established as an academic program more than 50 years ago. It was one of the first such programs in the country and remains one of the strongest in terms of student demand and national reputation, with over 7,300 alumni.