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.

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.

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.

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.