California Polytechnic State University, Pomona

Programme overview

Cal Poly Pomona's Environmental Biology B.S. focuses on addressing environmental problems that affect ecosystems and life-support systems. Students choose between two emphases—Ecology, Conservation and Biodiversity (ECB) or Environmental Microbiology (EM)—and gain field and laboratory experience, access to regional ecosystems in Southern California, and opportunities to work with research groups and present at a student conference.

What you'll study

The curriculum combines core, support, and elective courses tailored to the chosen emphasis. The ECB track emphasizes habitat protection, endangered species management, ecological research and designing conservation areas. The EM track concentrates on laboratory research into water and air quality, pollutant transport and environmental health. Both emphases require an independent research project or an internship and include a multidisciplinary set of upper-division electives totaling twenty units.

Entry requirements

The programme page does not list specific admission criteria. Prospective students should consult the course catalog or contact an academic advisor for current application and prerequisite information.

Career prospects

Graduates are prepared for roles such as environmental scientist, ecologist, wildlife biologist, park ranger, or to pursue further specialization (for example in environmental law). The combination of fieldwork, laboratory training and internship/research experience supports careers in conservation, habitat management, environmental monitoring and related policy or advocacy work.

Scholarships & funding angle

Students are encouraged to visit the programme advising resources and the university scholarships pages for funding options. Internships and research projects provide practical experience that can support fellowship or scholarship applications and strengthen graduate or job applications.