ES 196A/196B/196L Senior Research Seminar in Environmental Sciences
Environmental Sciences majors finish their degree with a yearlong research project, ES 196A, ES 196B and ES 196L. The thesis experience is the capstone of the major. In 196A/B/L, students have the opportunity to investigate an environmental problem or issue of their own choosing. Using the skills and knowledge from their previous courses, students learn how to formulate testable hypotheses about biological, physical, or social patterns and processes associated with an existing or potential environmental problem, collect data to evaluate their hypotheses, and present their results in a professional manner. This experience fosters the development of critical and objective thinking, a skill that will help ensure the credibility of their future work on environmental issues.

For more information about Environmental Sciences 196A/196B/196L, please see the ES 196 web site, http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~es196. This site includes suggestions for possible thesis topics, information about the structure of the course, descriptions of previous projects, and much more.

Other Research Opportunities
In addition to the required senior thesis research project, ES 196A/196B/96L, there are many research opportunities for students at UC Berkeley. They vary widely, from student initiated research to faculty initiated research and from formal projects to informal projects. To start gathering information about research opportunities go to the Berkeley campus web site, http://research.berkeley.edu, sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Research, 301 Campbell Hall, or talk to your advisor.

We highly recommend that you subscribe to the CNR Newsline list serv, which provides subscribers with postings for research opportunities, career opportunities, internships, workshops, events, etc., on a daily basis. To subscribe to this list serv, send a message to majordomo@listlink.berkeley. (No message in the subject heading). In the body of the message use the following command: subscribe cnr_newsline.You will receive confirmation from the CNR Newsline list serv shortly. Make sure that you are sending the email under your own email address. Otherwise, the person whose email address is used to send the email will be subscribed to the mailing list.

CNR Sponsored Projects for Undergraduate Research (SPUR)
The SPUR Program introduced in fall 2006 provides research grants for student-initiated research projects undertaken by CNR juniors and seniors, in collaboration with CNR faculty mentors. The funding is generopusly provided by CNR alumni.

At this time, ES students in CNR qualify for funding only to support an independent research project or an honors research projects taken on in addition to the ES Senior Research Seminar. However ES students may apply for a SPUR Grant of up to $2,000 for preliminary research undertaken during the summer term prior to participation in ES 196A, which is taken as a first semester senior. The application for a Summer SPUR Grant must be completed during the preceding spring semester, when qualifying ES juniors are enrolled in ES 100.

For SPUR Program details and application details please go to the SPUR website or contact the SPUR Coordinator by email at spur@nature.berkeley.edu.

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Environmental Sciences
University of California, Berkeley
260 Mulford Hall
Berkeley, CA 94720-3100
Phone: 510-643-9479
Fax: 510-643-3132
email: es-help@nature.berkeley.edu

Modification Date: 10/02/2006