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Corporate Environmental Management

Specialization Advisor(s)

As environmental awareness is expanding, an increasing number of corporations are assessing their own environmental performance. By improving their environmental management practices, corporations play a major role in addressing environmental problems.

Effectively engaging customers and other stakeholders also helps corporations influence the direction of environmental improvements. 

Master of Environmental Science and Management students in the Corporate Environmental Management (CEM) specialization learn how private-sector firms address environmental and natural resource issues and promote shareholder value. This creates the important link between quality of environment and natural resources and a firm’s overall market objectives. CEM students learn how to enhance competitive strategy and incorporate environmental objectives, while responding to new market opportunities, social demands, and regulatory pressures. Students identify, evaluate, and measure sources of competitive advantage that have beneficial environmental, resource, and financial consequences. Students learn how and when private market solutions and property rights can help solve environmental problems. Students also learn how to be effective leaders within companies and why some regulatory systems perform better than others, and students explore policy instruments available to guide corporations’ actions.

Office building reflects sky and trees

Requirements

Master of Environmental Science and Management students are required to take a minimum of 36 units of electives in their primary specialization. With an advisor’s approval, Bren students may also take courses in other UCSB departments as electives to satisfy specialization requirements. 

ESM courses are offered through the Bren School and most ESM courses are offered every year. Courses marked with an asterisk (*) will be offered every other year. 

Courses

CEM Specialization Courses (12 units required)

ESM 245 Cost Benefit Analysis (4 units)

At least 4 units of business strategy:
ESM 281  Corporate Environmental Management (4 units)
TMP 240  Business Strategy and Leadership Skills (4 units)

At least 4 units of business application:
ESM 222  Pollution Risk Management (4 units)
ESM 271  Carbon Footprints and Carbon Accounting (4 units)
ESM 273  Life Cycle Assessment (4 units)
ESM 282  Pollution Prevention (4 units)
ESM 288  Energy, Technology and the Environment (4 units)

Technical Skills (4 units required)

ESM 212  Biological Community Survey & Analysis (4 units)
ESM 228  Monitoring and Evaluation (4 units)
ESM 232  Environmental Modeling (4 units)
ESM 244  Advanced Data Analysis (4 units)
ESM 262  Computing for Environmental Science and Management (2 units)
ESM 263  Geographic Information Systems (4 units)
ESM 269  Survey Design and Environmental Public Opinion (2 units)
ESM 271  Carbon Footprints and Carbon Accounting (4 units)
ESM 273  Life Cycle Assessment (4 units)
ESM 284 Sustainable Product Development (4 units)
ESM 287  Energy Demand Analysis (4 units)

Environmental Economics, Policy and Law (4 units required)

ESM 225  Water Policy (4 units)
ESM 229  Economics and Policy of Climate Change (4 units)
ESM 242  Natural Resource Economics (4 units)
ESM 243  Environmental Policy Analysis (4 units)
ESM 248  Environmental Institutions (4 units)
ESM 257  Coastal Ocean Policy and Management (4 units)
ESM 277  International Environmental Law (2 units)*
ESM 278  Natural Resources Law and Policy (2 units)*

Environmental Management (4 units required)

ESM 230  Strategic Planning for Non-Profit Ventures (4 units)*
ESM 279  Financial Management and Environmental Accounting (4 units)
ESM 281  Corporate Environmental Management (4 units)
ESM 284 Sustainable Product Development (4 units)

Eco-Entrepreneurship (4 units required)

ESM 230  Strategic Planning for Non-Profit Ventures (4 units)*
ESM 256A  Intro to Entrepreneurship and New Venture Creation (2 units)
ESM 256B  New Venture Opportunity Analysis (4 units)
ESM 402A  New Venture Formation (Eco-E Project) (4 units)
ESM 279  Financial Management and Environmental Accounting (4 units)
TMP 240  Business Strategy and Leadership Skills (4 units)
TMP 241  Managing for Innovation (4 units)
TMP 242  Entrepreneurship (4 units)
TMP 244  Entrepreneurial Marketing (3 units)
TMP 246  New Venture Finance (3 units)
TMP 255  New Product Development (4 units)
TMP 268AB  New Venture Competition Seminar (3 units)
TMP 269  Creating a Market-Tested Business Model (4 units)

Environmental Communication (4 units required)

ESM 269  Survey Design and Environmental Public Opinion (2 units)
ESM 430  Workshops in Environmental Science & Management (Social Media) (1 unit)
ESM 437  Writing Skills for Environmental Professionals (3 units)
ESM 438  Presentation Skills for Environmental Professionals (4 units)
ESM 440  Strategic Environmental Communication (4 units)
ESM 441  Intro to Environmental Media Production (3 units)
ESM 442  Communication for Civic Engagement & Grassroots Organizing (2 units)
ESM 449  Environmental Communication Practicum (4 units)
FAMST 118  Sponsored Campus Production (Green Screen) (4 units)

Additional Science (recommended)

ESM 211  Applied Population Ecology (4 units)
ESM 214  Biological Waste Treatment (4 units)*
ESM 215  Landscape Ecology (4 units)
ESM 219  Microbial Processes in the Environment (4 units)*
ESM 222  Pollution Risk Management (4 units)
ESM 224  Sustainable Water Resources Management (4 units)
ESM 226  Groundwater Management (4 units)
ESM 235  Watershed Analysis (4 units)
ESM 237  Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation (4 units)
ESM 239  Advanced Climate Science for Policymakers (4 units)*
ESM 240  Climate Change Biology (2 units)*
ESM 254  Coastal Marine Ecosystem Processes (4 units)
ESM 260  Applied Marine Ecology (4 units)
ESM 270  Conservation Planning & Priority Setting (4 units)
ESM 270P  Conservation Planning Practicum (4 units)
ESM 282  Pollution Prevention (4 units)
ESM 288  Energy, Technology and the Environment (4 units)

Advanced Special Topics (recommended)

Advanced Special Topics courses (variable units) are typically taught by Visiting Professors and Lecturers and may be offered during any quarter of the academic year.

ESM 293  Advanced Special Topics in Climate and Energy
ESM 294  Advanced Special Topics in Environmental Law
ESM 296 Advanced Special Topics in Environmental Management
ESM 297  Advanced Special Topics in Environmental Policy
ESM 299  Advanced Special Topics in Environmental Science
ESM 430  Workshops in Environmental Science and Management

Relevant Courses in other UCSB departments

TMP 240  Business Strategy and Leadership Skills (4 units)
TMP 241  Managing for Innovation (4 units)
TMP 242  Entrepreneurship (4 units)
TMP 244  Entrepreneurial Marketing (3 units)
TMP 246  New Venture Finance (3 units)
TMP 269  Creating a Market-Tested Business Model (4 units)

Internship Opportunities

Students gain experience in an industry or sector relevant to career goals through a summer internship. CEM students have taken internships with a wide variety of organizations, including the Environmental Defense Fund, Chrysler, Rocky Mountain Institute, ALCOA, Toyota, Patagonia, Madison Energy and Gas, The World Bank Group, and many other agencies, organizations, and companies.

Certificate in Management Opportunity

For highly motivated graduate students across the UC Santa Barbara campus seeking a structured and diploma-enhancing business education, the Technology Management Program offers a UC-wide recognized graduate certificate. The Graduate Program in Management Practice (GPMP) is open to UC Santa Barbara master's degree students and PhD candidates from any major. This program provides a path for innovative and dedicated students to gain in-depth understanding of cutting-edge entrepreneurial and business practices in global-technology based companies.

Research & Special Projects

Students may participate in research directed by Bren faculty through one of the many interdisciplinary research groups at UCSB. 

Student presents his research poster to a woman

Are you ready to solve environmental problems?

Request more information, sign up for an admissions webinar, or start your application today.

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