berkeley environmental economics phd

University of California, Santa Barbara

PhD Emphasis in Economics and Environmental Science

EES Emphasis Director : Christopher Costello

Environmental and resource economics is the study of the connections between economics and the environment.

At the core of environmental economics is the recognition that markets often do not provide the right amount of environmental protection, and that some intervention by government, typically through regulation, tax policy, or the establishment of property rights, is frequently needed to strike the right balance between conflicting societal needs.

UCSB PhD students in the Bren School or the Economics Department may choose to supplement their PhD program by establishing an emphasis in Economics and Environmental Science (EES). Students who pursue this option acquire a deep and expert knowledge of economics, as well as an understanding and appreciation of the research questions and methods of a natural science that complements their economics research. The EES program typically starts in the second year of the PhD program, following successful completion of a first-year core sequence in microeconomics and econometrics.

Career Preparation

In an age when economic activity stresses the environment and utilizes fisheries, forests, minerals, energy sources, and other environmental resources, it is increasingly important to use economic tools in developing environmental approaches and policies. Armed with these tools, environmental economists are able to conceptualize economic problems related to environmental issues, then apply appropriate quantitative and qualitative techniques to design and implement appropriate research methods.

This dual emphasis uniquely prepares students for a wide variety of careers, including faculty positions in disciplinary departments (e.g. economics or agricultural economics) and multidisciplinary departments (environmental studies programs and graduate schools of the environment), and for non-academic careers in government, industry, and consulting.

Academic Preparation

Prospective UCSB students who are considering the EES emphasis should have interest in economics and the problems of environmental protection and natural-resource use. Because of the multidisciplinary nature of the emphasis, a variety of student backgrounds are entirely appropriate for EES. A master's degree is not necessary, though having one is a plus.

Although students need not have majored or minored in economics prior to entering the program, they should have been successful in their economics coursework, have an understanding of basic principles, and demonstrate a strong interest in the field. Students having little formal training in economics should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the nature of an economics graduate program and a career in economics.

It is desirable that participants have some training in natural science at the university level. Students should have taken one or more of the introductory sequences in biology, chemistry, and physics offered for science majors at most universities. Students having relatively little preparation in natural science are advised to remedy this deficiency during the year and the summer immediately preceding their enrollment in the EES emphasis at UCSB. This can be achieved, for instance, by enrolling in university physics and/or chemistry during the fall when applying to graduate school and then continuing the sequence through the remainder of the academic year.

It is important that all prospective students be well prepared in mathematics and have comfort and facility with quantitative methods and problems. Most successful EES students have done well in a rigorous course sequence in single and multivariate calculus. It is helpful to have taken such additional coursework as linear algebra, differential equations, real analysis, or mathematical statistics.

How to Enroll in the EES Emphasis

• When admitted as a PhD student, please indicate that you are interested in enrolling in the emphasis. Student application materials will then be sent to the EES Emphasis Director for evaluation prior to enrolling in any courses.
• Complete the ECON Math Bootcamp the summer prior to the Fall Quarter start of the PhD program.
• Entire first-year Economics PhD sequence - ECON 210 A, B, C; ECON 241 A, B, C; Optional: ECON 204 A, B, C.
• PhD-pass on the preliminary examination in Microeconomics and Econometrics.
• Complete and submit the Change of Degree Status Petition  (add EES emphasis). 

Only currently enrolled UCSB PhD students in the Department of Economics or the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management may add the Economics and Environmental Science emphasis. Student preparation must be evaluated by the EES Emphasis Director  prior  to enrolling in the EES program.

The emphasis begins during Year 2. However, preparing for the EES emphasis begins in Year 1.

Academic Requirements

PhD students must satisfy all requirements in their home departments in addition to the emphasis requirements. Work completed in satisfaction of departmental PhD requirements may also be used to satisfy emphasis requirements. Students must complete and submit the  EES Emphasis Verification Form   after completing the requirements to formally add the emphasis to their degree . 

• Environmental and natural resource economics coursework .  16 units, including 8 units from the core courses in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics (ECON 260 D, E, F, G, H, I, J), is required.
• Establish proficiency in a second field of economics . Establish proficiency in a second field of economics (in addition to environmental and natural resource economics) as defined by the Department of Economics , or alternatively, design a custom field that is approved by the EES Emphasis Director with the following components: The existence of a significant body of economic literature, sufficient breadth to be recognized as a field for teaching or research, and availability of Ph.D.-level coursework in support of the field.
• Seminar in economics and environmental science . Students must complete four quarters of Special Topics in Economics - Environmental and Natural Resource Economics (ECON 290).
• Field seminar . Students must enroll in one quarter of Collaborative Interdisciplinary Research at the Bren School (ESM 514).
• Natural science focus. Prior to being admitted to the emphasis, students work with their advisory committee to define an area of natural science to establish competency, such as applied ecology, climate, hydrology, or marine science. The focus will involve four to six courses of lectures, seminars, lab, research, and more. Students must select a UCSB faculty member to serve as their Natural Science Faculty Advisor. The faculty advisor may or may not be on their PhD committee, but the proposed natural science focus must be approved by their PhD committee. 
• Dissertation.  Although the expectation is that a student's dissertation be a contribution to economics, the specific subject of the dissertation is a matter between the student and their PhD committee. 

Program Timeline

The EES program typically starts in the second year of the PhD program, following successful completion of a first-year core sequence in microeconomics and econometrics. In the second year, students take coursework in environmental and natural resource economics and a second field of economics of their choosing. Students also begin to acquire an understanding of an area of environmental science. This culminates in a research experience, working in the laboratory of one of the EES natural-science faculty members. A student's dissertation is typically in an area of environmental economics.

Schedule Preview: PhD with EES Emphasis

• Entire first-year Economics PhD sequence - ECON 210 A, B, C; ECON 241 A, B, C; Optional: ECON 241 A, B, C.
• A course or directed reading with an EES natural-science faculty member.
• One or more electives (natural science, macro, or other).
• During the summer after Year 1: An optional natural-science research experience or policy internship.
• Complete and submit the Change of Degree Status Petition (add EES emphasis). 
• Identify an advisor and apply for admission into the emphasis.
• 16 units, including 8 units from the core courses in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics (ECON 260 D, E, F, G, H, I, J).
• An additional field in economics (2-3 courses).
• Coursework and directed reading in chosen area of natural science.
• Problem-based cross-disciplinary seminar ( ESM 514 ).
• Environmental Economics seminar (ECON 290) - four quarters.
• Fall Quarter: students must submit PhD Committee petition to department.
• Spring Quarter: students must take written exams (Bren students only).
• During the summer after Year 2: An optional natural-science research experience or policy internship.
• Environmental Economics Seminar (ECON 290).
• Dissertation proposal and defense.
• Fall Quarter: students must take oral exams (Bren students only).

Years 4 & 5

• Dissertation research.
• Environmental Economics Seminar (ECON 290)
• Upon completion, certify your progress with the EES Emphasis Director.
• Complete and submit the EES Emphasis Verification Form . 

Are you ready to solve environmental problems?

Request more information, get to know the Bren School, or start your online application.

Environmental Economics and Policy (ENVECON)

Envecon c1 introduction to environmental economics and policy 4 units.

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Summer 2024 8 Week Session, Fall 2023, Fall 2022 Introduction to microeconomics with emphasis on resource, agricultural, and environmental issues. Introduction to Environmental Economics and Policy: Read More [+]

Rules & Requirements

Prerequisites: Mathematics 32

Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for ECON C3 after completing ECON 1 .

Hours & Format

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week

Summer: 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture and 2 hours of discussion per week

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week. Six hours of lecture and two hours of discussion per week for 8 weeks.

Additional Details

Subject/Course Level: Environmental Economics and Policy/Undergraduate

Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam required.

Also listed as: ECON C3

Introduction to Environmental Economics and Policy: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 7 Disaster Risk Resilience and Adaptation 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023 A multidisciplinary approach to the many natural and human-made disasters facing California and the wider world in the 21 st century, with a focus on understanding risk; risk reduction; risk governance (linking science and public policy); and preparedness and resilient recovery. Emphasis on exposure of people, property and systems to natural hazards, and adaptive capacity to risk vulnerability. Course is 10 weeks long for compatibility with the quarter system of other UC campuses. Disaster Risk Resilience and Adaptation: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 10 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week

Summer: 10 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week for 10 weeks. Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week for 10 weeks.

Instructor: Zilberman

Disaster Risk Resilience and Adaptation: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 39D Freshman/Sophomore Seminar 1.5 - 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2009, Fall 2008 Freshman and sophomore seminars offer lower division students the opportunity to explore an intellectual topic with a faculty member and a group of peers in a small-seminar setting. These seminars are offered in all campus departments; topics vary from department to department and from semester to semester. Freshman/Sophomore Seminar: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Priority given to freshmen and sophomores

Repeat rules: Course may be repeated for credit without restriction.

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1.5-4 hours of seminar per week

Additional Format: Seminar format.

Grading/Final exam status: The grading option will be decided by the instructor when the class is offered. Final exam required.

Freshman/Sophomore Seminar: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 98 Directed Group Studies (for Lower Division Students) 1 - 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2001 Group study (or seminar) of a selected topic or topics in Environmental Economics and Policy. Directed Group Studies (for Lower Division Students): Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Consent of Instructor

Credit Restrictions: Enrollment is restricted; see the Introduction to Courses and Curricula section of this catalog.

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-3 hours of directed group study per week

Additional Format: One and one-half hour of meeting per unit per week. To be arranged.

Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Final exam not required.

Directed Group Studies (for Lower Division Students): Read Less [-]

ENVECON 100 Intermediate Microeconomics with Applications to Sustainability 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 Covers the basic microeconomic tools for further study of natural resource problems. Theory of consumption, production, theory of the firm, industrial organization, general equilibrium, public goods and externalities. Applications to agriculture and natural resources. Intermediate Microeconomics with Applications to Sustainability: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: C1 or Economics 1 or C3; and Mathematics 16A and 16B or Math 1A and 1B; or consent of instructor

Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for Environmental Economics 100 after completing Economics 100A, Economics 101A, or Undergraduate Business Administration 110.

Instructors: Perloff, Wagner

Intermediate Microeconomics with Applications to Sustainability: Read Less [-]

ENVECON C101 Environmental Economics 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Spring 2023 Theories of externalities and public goods applied to pollution and environmental policy. Trade-off between production and environmental amenities. Assessing nonmarket value of environmental amenities. Remediation and clean-up policies. Environment and development. Biodiversity management. Environmental Economics: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 100, Mathematics 16A-16B, or Economics 100A or 101A

Also listed as: ECON C125

Environmental Economics: Read Less [-]

ENVECON C102 Natural Resource Economics 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Spring 2023, Fall 2022 Introduction to the economics of natural resources. Land and the concept of economic rent. Models of optimal depletion of nonrenewable resources and optimal use of renewable resources. Application to energy, forests, fisheries, water, and climate change. Resources, growth, and sustainability. Natural Resource Economics: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 100, or Economics 100A or 100B

Additional Format: Three hours of Lecture and One hour of Discussion per week for 15 weeks.

Instructor: Sunding

Natural Resource Economics: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 103 Intermediate Microeconomic Theory with Application to Natural Resources 4 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007 Covers intermediate microeconomic theory for further study of economic behavior as it relates to agriculture and natural resource problems. Theory of consumption, production, theory of the firm, industrial organization, general equilibrium, public goods and externalities. Applications to agriculture and natural resources. Intermediate Microeconomic Theory with Application to Natural Resources: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: C1 or Economics 1 or C3 and Mathematics 16A or consent of instructor

Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for Environmental Economics 103 after completing Environmental Economics 100, Economics 100A, Economics 101A, or Undergraduate Business Administration 110.

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture and one hour of discussion per week.

Instructor: Ligon

Intermediate Microeconomic Theory with Application to Natural Resources: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 104 The Economics of Sustainable Business and Policy 3 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2024 Second 6 Week Session, Summer 2023 Second 6 Week Session, Summer 2022 Second 6 Week Session This course examines how private businesses operate in the context created by environmental regulation. It provides an overview of grand environmental challenges, including climate, air pollution, and water quality and scarcity. For each problem, the potential for value creation by private businesses that can help society solve these problems is explained, so that environmental problems can be understood as market opportunities. It provides a series of case studies that examine how the strategic decisions of businesses are shaped by environmental policy, and how businesses act to shape policy to their benefit. The Economics of Sustainable Business and Policy: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: ENVECON 100 , ECON 101 A & B, or the equivalent

Summer: 6 weeks - 6 hours of lecture and 1.5 hours of discussion per week

Additional Format: Six hours of lecture and one and one-half hours of discussion per week for 6 weeks.

The Economics of Sustainable Business and Policy: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 105 Data Tools for Sustainability and the Environment 3 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2024 Second 6 Week Session, Summer 2023 Second 6 Week Session, Summer 2022 Second 6 Week Session This course introduces students to data analysis for use in addressing sustainable business and policy questions. By the end of this course, students will be able to analyze real-world data within the Jupyter/Python programming environment. It will focus on real-world applications such as the White House’s environmental justice proposals; emissions monitoring; and assessing plastic waste for the Government of Indonesia. Data Tools for Sustainability and the Environment: Read More [+]

Data Tools for Sustainability and the Environment: Read Less [-]

ENVECON C115 Modeling and Management of Biological Resources 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2018, Fall 2017, Fall 2015, Fall 2014 Models of population growth, chaos, life tables, and Leslie matrix theory. Harvesting and exploitation theory. Methods for analyzing population interactions, predation, competition. Fisheries, forest stands, and insect pest management. Genetic aspects of population management. Mathematical theory based on simple difference and ordinary differential equations. Use of simulation packages on microcomputers (previous experience with computers not required). Modeling and Management of Biological Resources: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: A course that includes differential and integral calculus

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 2 hours of laboratory per week

Summer: 6 weeks - 6.5 hours of lecture and 4 hours of laboratory per week

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture and two hours of laboratory per week. Six and one-half hours of lecture and four hours of laboratory per week for 6 weeks.

Instructor: Getz

Also listed as: ESPM C104

Modeling and Management of Biological Resources: Read Less [-]

ENVECON C118 Introductory Applied Econometrics 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Summer 2024 8 Week Session, Spring 2024 Formulation of a research hypothesis and definition of an empirical strategy. Regression analysis with cross-sectional and time-series data; econometric methods for the analysis of qualitative information; hypothesis testing. The techniques of statistical and econometric analysis are developed through applications to a set of case studies and real data in the fields of environmental, resource, and international development economics. Students learn the use of a statistical software for economic data analysis. Introductory Applied Econometrics: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Statistics 2, 20, 21, or equivalent

Also listed as: IAS C118

Introductory Applied Econometrics: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 131 Globalization and the Natural Environment 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2013, Fall 2012, Fall 2011 An examination of the environmental effects of globalization. How has increased international trade, the integration of factor markets, and the adoption of international agreements affected the environment? Case studies include the environmental impact of GATT/WTO and NAFTA. Multi-disciplinary approach examines the actual laws and institutions and the economic theories of globalization, in addition to the empirical evidence of globalization's environmental effects. Globalization and the Natural Environment: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Intermediate micro-economic theory or consent of instructor

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Three hours of Lecture per week for 15 weeks.

Instructor: Karp

Globalization and the Natural Environment: Read Less [-]

ENVECON C132 International Environmental Economics 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2023, Fall 2022, Fall 2021 This course studies the following question:How should policymakers and scholars design and analyze environmental policy in a globalized world where much economic activity and pollution crosses political borders? The course addresses issues including climate change, air and water pollution, deforestation, species extinction, and others. The course also analyzes a variety of ways that countries and regions interact, including trade, foreign direct investment, outsourcing, international agreements and treaties, and others. The course also teaches a range of tools used to analyze these issues, including life-cycle(also called environmental footprint) analysis, simple econometrics, environmental market design, non-market valuation, and the data. International Environmental Economics: Read More [+]

Objectives & Outcomes

Course Objectives: 1. Develop a strong grasp of the main debates and ideas involving international environmental economics 2. Learn to interpret, apply, and critically assess methods used to study international environmental economic issues 3. Build skills in reading basic economic writing involving these issues, including an understanding of their evidence and conclusions, and ability to critically evaluate the basis for these conclusion

Student Learning Outcomes: 1. A strong grasp of the main scholarly debates and ideas involving international environmental economics 2. The ability to interpret and critically assess methods used to study international environmental economic issues, including: life-cycle analysis and input-output tables; simple econometric estimates; the design of environmental policy; non-market valuation; and the use of remote sensing (satellite) data The ability to read basic empirical environmental economics papers, understand their evidence and conclusions, and critically evaluate the basis for these conclusions

Prerequisites: ENVECON 100 , ECON 101a, ECON 100a or or equivalent

Instructor: Shapiro

Also listed as: ECON C184

International Environmental Economics: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 140AC Economics of Race, Agriculture, and the Environment 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2012, Fall 2011, Fall 2010 This course examines whether and how economic processes explain shifting formations of race and differential experiences among racial groups in U.S. agricultural and environmental systems. It approaches economic processes as organizing dynamics of racial differentiation and integration, and uses comparative experience among different racial and ethnic groups as sources of evidence against which economic theories of differentiation and integration can be tested. Economics of Race, Agriculture, and the Environment: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 1, or one lower division course in a social science, or consent of instructor

Requirements this course satisfies: Satisfies the American Cultures requirement

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture and 1 hour of discussion per week

Additional Format: Two hours of Lecture and One hour of Discussion per week for 15 weeks.

Instructor: Romm

Economics of Race, Agriculture, and the Environment: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 141 Agricultural and Environmental Policy 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Summer 2022 8 Week Session This course considers the formation, implementation, and impact of public policies affecting agriculture and the environment. Economic approaches to public lawmaking, including theories of legislation, interest group activity, and congressional control of bureaucracies. Case studies include water allocation, endangered species protection, water quality, food safety, drainage, wetlands, pesticides, and farmworker safety. Emphasis on examples from California. Agricultural and Environmental Policy: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 100 or Economics 100A or 101A

Agricultural and Environmental Policy: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 142 Industrial Organization with Applications to Agriculture and Natural Resources 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2015, Spring 2014, Spring 2013 Organization and performance of agricultural and resource markets. Conduct of firms within those markets, such as price competition, product differentiation, predatory pricing, vertical integration, dealer networks and advertising. The role of public policy in the markets. Case studies include oil cartel OPEC, agricultural cooperatives, vertical integration of food processors and franchising of fast-food chains. Discussion sections cover empirical applications of theory presented during lectures for current environmental and agricultural policies. Industrial Organization with Applications to Agriculture and Natural Resources: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Environmental Economics and Policy 100 or Economics 100A or 101A

Instructor: Villas-Boas

Industrial Organization with Applications to Agriculture and Natural Resources: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 143 Economics of Innovation and Intellectual Property 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2023, Spring 2022, Fall 2021 This course addresses the economics of research and incentives for innovation including intellectual property rights. Topics include the standard modern economics of invention; modern intellectual property rights; innovation examples from agriculture, energy, pharmaceuticals, software, and electronics; the roles of the public and private sectors; innovation and market structure; the needs of the poor; and global intellectual property negot iations. Economics of Innovation and Intellectual Property: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: ENVECON 100 or ECON 100A or ECON 101A with minimum grade of C+

Instructor: Wright

Economics of Innovation and Intellectual Property: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 145 Health and Environmental Economic Policy 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2021, Fall 2019, Fall 2016 This course introduces students to key issues and findings in the field of health and environmental economics. The first half of the course focuses on the theoreticl and statistical frameworks used to analyze instances of market failure in the provision of health and environmental goods. The second half focuses on policy-relevant empirical findings in the field. Health and Environmental Economic Policy: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Intermediate microeconomics, 100, Economics 100 or 101A, and some statistics

Instructor: Anderson

Health and Environmental Economic Policy: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 147 The Economics of the Clean Energy Transition 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 The most promising path to deep decarbonization involves decarbonizing the electricity sector and then electrifying as much as we can – from transportation to buildings to industrial processes. Thus, the electricity sector has a pivotal role to play in our efforts to mitigate -- and adapt to-- climate change. The clean energy transition will require not only technological innovation, but also energy market reforms, climate policy interventions , and regulatory innovation to ensure that the process is fair, equitable, and affordable. This course draws from the fields of environmental economics, energy economics, public economics, behavioral economics, and industrial organization to introduce the economic models and concepts that will help The Economics of the Clean Energy Transition: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Intermediate microeconomic theory and calculus

Instructor: Fowlie

The Economics of the Clean Energy Transition: Read Less [-]

ENVECON C151 Development Economics 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Fall 2023, Summer 2023 8 Week Session, Fall 2022 This course covers theory and empirical evidence on the determinants of economic development and the global fight against poverty. The course aims to introduce students to modern empirical research methods that are being used to inform policy making in developing countries. Students also learn how to implement these tools themselves using real-world data sets and widely used statistical software for impact evaluatio n. Development Economics: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: EnvEcon 100 or Econ 100A or 101A; Econ 140 or 141 or EnvEcon/ IAS C118

Summer: 6 weeks - 8 hours of lecture and 2 hours of discussion per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture and 2 hours of discussion per week

Additional Format: Three hours of Lecture and One hour of Discussion per week for 15 weeks. Six hours of Lecture and Two hours of Discussion per week for 8 weeks. Eight hours of Lecture and Two hours of Discussion per week for 6 weeks.

Also listed as: ECON C171

Development Economics: Read Less [-]

ENVECON N151 Economic Development 4 Units

Terms offered: Prior to 2007 Problems of underdevelopment and poverty, policy issues, and development strategy. Economic Development: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Envecon 100, Economics 100A or Economics 100B

Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for ENVECON N151 after completing ECON N171 , ENVECON C151 , or ECON C171 . A deficient grade in ENVECON N151 may be removed by taking ECON N171 , ENVECON C151 , or ECON C171 .

Additional Format: Six hours of lecture and two hours of discussion per week for 8 weeks. Eight hours of lecture and two hours of discussion per week for 6 weeks.

Economic Development: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 152 Advanced Topics in Development and International Trade 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2020, Spring 2018, Fall 2016 This course discusses recent efforts to understand behavior and institutions in village economies, with particular attention paid to the importance of risk. Economic analysis of savings, consumption, insurance, production, trade, welfare distribution and institutions of villages in developing countries. Roughly equal parts of theory, evidence, and policy. Advanced Topics in Development and International Trade: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 100 or Economics 100A

Instructor: Magruder

Advanced Topics in Development and International Trade: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 153 Population, Environment, and Development 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 This course takes a quantitative, hands-on approach to understanding the challenges of feeding the human population of the planet Earth. We’ll discuss topics of nutrition, subsistence food consumption, and consumer demand for food to develop our understanding of the current situation. We’ll then develop both theories and computer models of population dynamics taking into account people’s decisions about childbearing, changes in mortality , and changes in food supply in order to learn something about the future of food. Focus throughout the course will be on developing practical tools to work with real-world data. Population, Environment, and Development: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: ENVECON 100 or ECON 100A or ECON 101A , and STAT C8 or INFO C8 or COMPSCI C8 , and MATH 54 RECOMMENDED

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture and 2 hours of laboratory per week

Additional Format: Two hours of lecture and two hours of laboratory per week.

Population, Environment, and Development: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 154 Economics of Poverty and Technology 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2014, Spring 2013, Spring 2012 Introduction to the economic framework underlying the use of technology to address rural poverty in developing countries. Analyzes the path of technology development from innovation and design to the adoption and use of technology in rural economies. Focuses on technologies related to agricultural production, processing, market access, value chains, and climate change. Economics of Poverty and Technology: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Intermediate microeconomics

Instructor: Boettiger

Economics of Poverty and Technology: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 161 Advanced Topics in Environmental and Resource Economics 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2013, Fall 2012, Fall 2011 The roots of environmental and resource economics. Theories of land and resource rent. Models of optimal use of renewable and nonrenewable resources with applications to energy and timber. Balancing environmental and extractive values. Resources, growth, and sustainability. Special topic: the problem of global climate change. Advanced Topics in Environmental and Resource Economics: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 100 or Economics 100A or Economics 101A; 101 recommended

Advanced Topics in Environmental and Resource Economics: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 162 Economics of Water Resources 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2023, Spring 2022, Spring 2021 Urban demand for water; water supply and economic growth; water utility economics; irrigation demand; large water projects; economic impacts of surface water law and institutions; economics of salinity and drainage; economics of groundwater management. Economics of Water Resources: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 100 or Economics 100A or 101A; 101 recommended

Economics of Water Resources: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 170 Energy and Climate Policy in China 1 Unit

Terms offered: Spring 2024, Spring 2023, Spring 2022 The course will present scholarly review of historical and on-going energy and climate policy topics in China, with a broad goal of gaining understanding the relationship between energy, economic development, and climate change in the largest emerging economy, China. Energy and Climate Policy in China: Read More [+]

Course Objectives: One goal of the course is to give students the tools to read, write about, speak about, and in general critically evaluate empirical research on energy and climate policy in China and in developing economics in general. The lectures and interactions with guest speakers would give student the perspective on the effectiveness of various energy and climate policies in the developing world context, an understanding of the key factors in successful climate policies, so they could apply these lessons learned to develop appropriate energy and climate policies in other developing economies.

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1 hour of seminar per week

Additional Format: One hour of seminar per week.

Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Alternative to final exam.

Instructor: Lin

Energy and Climate Policy in China: Read Less [-]

ENVECON C175 The Economics of Climate Change 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2016, Fall 2015, Fall 2014, Fall 2013 The course will start with a brief introduction and evaluation of the scientific aspects behind climate change. Economic models will be developed to analyze the impacts of climate change and provide and critique existing and proposed policy tools. Specific topics studied are impacts on water resources and agriculture, economic evaluation of impacts, optimal control of greenhouse gases, benefit cost analysis, international treaty formation , discounting, uncertainty, irreversibility, and extreme events. The Economics of Climate Change: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: 106, 107, Economics 1, or equivalent

Summer: 6 weeks - 7.5 hours of lecture and 2.5 hours of discussion per week

Additional Format: Three hours of Lecture and One hour of Discussion per week for 15 weeks. Seven and one-half hours of Lecture and Two and one-half hours of Discussion per week for 6 weeks.

Instructors: Aufhammer, Fisher

Also listed as: IAS C175

The Economics of Climate Change: Read Less [-]

ENVECON C176 Climate Change Economics 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Summer 2024 Second 6 Week Session, Fall 2023 This course is a self-contained introduction to the economics of climate change. Climate change is caused by a large variety of economic activities, and many of its impacts will have economic consequences. Economists have studied climate change for more than two decades, and economic arguments are often powerful in policy decisions. The course will familiarize students with these arguments and equip them with the tools to participate in discussions of climate change policy through an economic lens. Climate Change Economics: Read More [+]

Course Objectives: The course will start with a brief review of the science of climate change, discuss scenarios of economic growth and the greenhouse gas emissions caused by economic activities and investigate various emission reduction opportunities and their economic costs. A significant amount of time will be spent on studying the impacts of climate change, their economic evaluation and how adaptation can lower the costs of climate damages. We will then study various theoretical frameworks economists have developed that answer the question how estimates about the costs and benefits of climate policy can be combined to find “good” climate policies. We then study three more specialized topics that turn out to be of great importance when analyzing climate change policy: first, how do we compare costs and benefits of generations that live many centuries apart? Second, how do we design climate policy when our projections of both the costs and the benefits of climate policy are highly uncertain? And third, how can equity considerations be accounted for in an economic assessment of climate change policy? The course will close with a look at international cooperation on climate policy and why it has been so difficult to agree on effective treatises that implement climate change policy.

Student Learning Outcomes: Students will also have gained insight into the practical aspects of modeling the economics of climate change by building a simple integrated assessment model in Excel. They will be able to use that model to do simple analysis of climate change policy themselves. Students will be familiar with the tools economists use to analyze climate change policy. They will have studied empirical estimates of the costs and benefits of climate policy and have an understanding of the analytical issues that drive research on the economics of climate change.

Summer: 6 weeks - 9 hours of lecture and 6 hours of laboratory per week 8 weeks - 6 hours of lecture and 4 hours of laboratory per week

Additional Format: Three hours of lecture and two hours of laboratory per week. Six hours of lecture and four hours of laboratory per week for 8 weeks. Nine hours of lecture and six hours of laboratory per week for 6 weeks.

Instructor: Anthoff

Also listed as: ENE,RES C176/IAS C176

Climate Change Economics: Read Less [-]

ENVECON C181 International Trade 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024, Spring 2024, Fall 2023 The theory of international trade and its applications to tariff protection. This course is equivalent to UGBA 118 ; students will not receive credit for both courses. International Trade: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Economics100A-100B or Economics 101A-101B

Credit Restrictions: Students will receive no credit for ECON C181 / ENVECON C181 after passing ECON 181, ECON N181 or UGBA 118 . A deficient grade in ECON 181, or ECON N181 may be removed by taking ECON C181 / ENVECON C181 .

International Trade: Read Less [-]

ENVECON C183 Forest Ecosystem Management 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2016, Spring 2015, Spring 2014 Introduces students to concepts and quantitative tools needed for the sustainable management of multi-use forest ecosystems. Topics covered include: estimation of ecological, economic, and social values: construction of dynamic forest models, methods for optimal decision-making, and development of forest management plans. Application to current issues in temperate and tropical forest management are discussed. Quantitative, analytical, and communication skills are emphasized. Oral presentation required. Forest Ecosystem Management: Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3 hours of lecture and 3 hours of laboratory per week

Additional Format: Three hours of Lecture and Three hours of Laboratory per week for 15 weeks.

Instructor: Potts

Also listed as: ESPM C183

Forest Ecosystem Management: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 185 The Production and Business of Beer, Wine, and Spirits 2 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2022, Fall 2021, Fall 2020 Raw materials, process flow, production methodology and quality control will be introduced in the first half of the class for the first half of the semester. Students will also be introduced to basic chemistry and microbiology of fermentation and distilling. The second half of the semester will be an introduction to finance, cost accounting, sales and marketing for the alcoholic beverage industry. The goal will be to enable the students to write a business plan by the end of the semester. The Production and Business of Beer, Wine, and Spirits: Read More [+]

Course Objectives: 1. Cite detail of raw materials and production processes for beer, wine and spirits. 2. Describe and differentiate the majority of beer styles, wine varietals and various distilled spirits. 3. Write a realistic business plan for a beverage production company.

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of lecture per week

Additional Format: Two hours of lecture per week.

Instructor: Perloff

The Production and Business of Beer, Wine, and Spirits: Read Less [-]

ENVECON C188 Advanced Topics in International Economics 3 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2024 Globalization and its consequences have interested economists and the public since Adam Smith and David Ricardo. However, the nature of the global economy has changed dramatically over time. Paraphrasing Ricardo’s famous example, “it’s not wine for cloth anymore.” This course will introduce a modern view on international trade focusing on firms as vehicles of trade. We will study key theoretical models of New Trade Theory and apply them to understand the consequences of a range of trade policies from the recent past, such the NAFTA agreement and China’s entry to the WTO. We will combine theoretical models, empirical econometric tools, and data to understand the impacts of trade and offshoring on trade flows,aggregate welfare,and inequality Advanced Topics in International Economics: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: • Microeconomics (Envecon100, Econ100 or Econ101A): required • Econometrics (EnveconC118, Econ140 or Econ141): required but can be taken concurrently • International TradeEnvecon/EconC181): optional. This course is complementary to C181; a few extra readings will be provided to students who have not taken that class; • Students should have a basic knowledge of calculus (roughly at the level of Mathematics 16A and 16B) and be comfortable understanding mathematical arguments

Instructor: Borusyak

Advanced Topics in International Economics: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 195 Senior Thesis 4 Units

Terms offered: Summer 2019, Fall 2017, Fall 2016 Writing of a thesis under the direction of member(s) of the faculty. Subject must be approved by faculty sponsor. Senior Thesis: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Senior standing in Environmental Economics and Policy and consent of instructor

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 0 hours of independent study per week

Summer: 6 weeks - 0 hours of independent study per week 8 weeks - 0 hours of independent study per week

Additional Format: Individual meetings with faculty sponsor.

Grading/Final exam status: Letter grade. Final exam not required.

Senior Thesis: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 196 Senior Research Seminar 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2011 This course is intended as a capstone experience for undergraduates in the major coordinated by one faculty member with participation by others. Following presentations by faculty on researchable topics in their areas of expertise, students will develop ideas for a research paper and discuss in subsequent seminar sessions. Approximately the last five weeks of the semester will be devoted to student presentations of papers either already completed or in progress, and discussion by seminar participants and faculty. Senior Research Seminar: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Student must be a senior with at least a 3.6 GPA in the Environmental Economics and Policy major

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 2 hours of seminar per week

Additional Format: Two hours of presentation and discussion of research projects per week.

Instructor: Fisher

Senior Research Seminar: Read Less [-]

ENVECON H196 Honors Research 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2016, Spring 2016, Fall 2015 Supervised independent honors research specific to aspects of environmental economics and policy, followed by a oral presentation and a written report. Honors Research: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Upper division standing. Eligibility restrictions related to GPA and unit accumulation. Open only to Environmental Economics and Policy majors in the College of Natural Resources

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 4 hours of independent study per week

Additional Format: Individual research or meetings with faculty sponsor(s).

Honors Research: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 197 Field Study in Environmental Economics and Policy 1 - 4 Units

Terms offered: Fall 2016, Summer 2016 10 Week Session, Spring 2016 Supervised experience in off-campus organizations relevant to specific aspects of environmental economics and policy. Regular individual meetings with faculty sponsor and written reports required. Field Study in Environmental Economics and Policy: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Consent of instructor

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 1-4 hours of independent study per week

Summer: 6 weeks - 1-9 hours of independent study per week 8 weeks - 1-7 hours of independent study per week

Additional Format: One to four hours of independent study per week. One to seven hours of independent study per week for 8 weeks. One to nine hours of independent study per week for 6 weeks.

Field Study in Environmental Economics and Policy: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 198 Directed Group Studies for Advanced Undergraduates 1 - 3 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2016, Fall 2015, Spring 2015 Group study of selected topic or topics in Environmental Economics and Policy. Directed Group Studies for Advanced Undergraduates: Read More [+]

Summer: 8 weeks - 1.5-5.5 hours of directed group study per week

Additional Format: Meetings to be arranged.

Directed Group Studies for Advanced Undergraduates: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 199 Supervised Independent Study and Research 1 - 4 Units

Terms offered: Spring 2023, Fall 2021, Spring 2021 Enrollment restrictions apply. Open to qualified upper division students wishing to pursue special study and directed research under the direction of a member of the staff. Supervised Independent Study and Research: Read More [+]

Prerequisites: Upper division standing and consent of instructor

Summer: 8 weeks - 1-4 hours of independent study per week

Additional Format: Independent meetings.

Supervised Independent Study and Research: Read Less [-]

ENVECON 199S Sponsored Projects for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) 1 - 4 Units

Terms offered: Not yet offered The Sponsored Projects for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) program helps students get involved in research projects with world renowned faculty and staff researchers in the Rausser College of Natural Resource Sponsored Projects for Undergraduate Research (SPUR): Read More [+]

Fall and/or spring: 15 weeks - 3-12 hours of independent study per week

Summer: 12 weeks - 5-18 hours of independent study per week

Additional Format: Three to twelve hours of independent study per week. Five to eightteen hours of independent study per week for 12 weeks.

Grading/Final exam status: Offered for pass/not pass grade only. Alternative to final exam.

Sponsored Projects for Undergraduate Research (SPUR): Read Less [-]

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Ph.D. in Economics

The Ph.D. program at Berkeley is designed for students interested in pursuing advanced study and conducting original research in Economics. The Ph.D. degree is awarded in recognition of the recipient's qualifications as a general economist and of the ability to make scholarly contributions in fields of specialization. Additionally, the Economics Ph.D. program is residential, there is no remote enrollment option. 

In advancing to the Ph.D. degree, students pass through two major stages:

• Preparation for candidacy typically takes two to three years. During the first two semesters, students take courses to achieve competence in econometric methods, methods of economic history and fundamentals of microeconomic and macroeconomic theory. During the next two years, students prepare for examination in two fields of specialization of their choosing, prepare a dissertation prospectus, and take an oral examination. When these steps are completed, students are advanced to candidacy.
• Completion of a dissertation after advancing to candidacy typically takes one to two years. The dissertation must be based on original research and represent a significant contribution to the body of Economic knowledge.

The entire process takes approximately five to six years, although some students are able to complete the program in less time. Below is an overview of the program requirements by year and other pertinent information.

ECONOMICS GRADUATE STUDENT SERVICES

The Economics Student Services Mission is to advise our students holistically by providing a high standard of service in a supportive and collaborative environment.  Professional and peer advisors work as a team to provide accurate information in a timely manner.  We partner with faculty to assist students in engaging with the campus and the global economic community.  We value fairness, diversity, and the important roles our students, faculty, and staff in the Department of Economics play at the University of California, Berkeley.

Meet the members of the Economics Graduate Student Services advising team!

Graduate Office Address:

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UC Library Search  is the University of California's unified discovery and borrowing system.

Access it directly or from the Library homepage to find most UC books, articles, media, archival collections, and more.

See the UC Library Search User Guide and ask for research help 24/7 for more information.

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Dissertations from a specific UC Berkeley department :

Search UC Library Search for the keywords berkeley dissertations <department name> . Example: berkeley dissertations agricultural resource economics

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Use UC Library Search to search for eBooks on a particular topic, or browse one of the eBook collections below. To learn how to navigate the different eBook platforms, see  these instructions .

• Cambridge Books Online Access to selected Cambridge University Press e-books in the sciences, engineering and social sciences.
• Elgaronline Full-text ebooks from Edward Elgar in economics, law, social sciences, and business.

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• Last Updated: May 29, 2024 4:15 PM
• URL: https://guides.lib.berkeley.edu/EEP

Edward Miguel

Distinguished Professor of Economics, Oxfam Professor in Environmental and Resource Economics, & Faculty co-Director of the Center for Effective Global Action (CEGA)

Featured Interview:

Freakonomics podcast people i (mostly) admire.

Steven Levitt interviews Edward Miguel to discuss one of the first randomized controlled trials in development economics, a school health intervention that provided deworming treatment to Kenyan children; the value of long-term follow-up studies for measuring impact; how climate change will impact armed conflict risk in sub-Saharan Africa; and a natural experiment on what parking violations by UN diplomats in New York City says about corruption.

Listen to the podcast episode here .

General Equilibrium Effects of Cash Transfers: Experimental Evidence from Kenya

This study , recently published in Econometrica (2022), provides evidence on how large economic stimuli generate individual and aggregate responses. A one-time cash transfer of USD 1000 was given to over 10,500 poor households across 653 randomized villages in rural western Kenya. The implied fiscal shock was over 15 percent of local GDP. Recipient households experienced significant consumption and expenditure gains, and importantly, the study finds large positive spillovers on non-recipient households and firms. Authors estimate a local transfer multiplier of 2.5. (We also provide teaching slides for the paper here .) This article was awarded the Econometric Society’s 2024 Frisch Medal for best applied paper published in Econometrica in the previous four years.

Co-authors:  Paul Niehaus , Johannes Haushofer ,  Michael W. Walker , and  Dennis Egger .

Media coverage here on  Vox ,  NPR ,  The Economist , and The Washington Post .

Podcast in June, 2024.

Transparent and Reproducible Social Science Research

Recently, social science has seen numerous episodes of influential research that was found to be invalid when placed under rigorous scrutiny.  Transparent and Reproducible Social Science Research: How to Do Open Science  is the first book to summarize and synthesize new approaches to combat false positives and non-reproducible findings in social science research, document the underlying problems in research practices, and teach a new generation of students and scholars how to overcome them. Created with both experienced and novice researchers in mind,  Transparent and Reproducible Social Science Research  serves as an indispensable resource for the production of high quality social science research. The book was awarded the 2021 American Sociological Association Outstanding Publication Award – Methodology Section.

(Published by  University of California Press  in July 2019. Watch  NBER Methods Lecture .)

Co-authors:  Garret Christensen  and  Jeremy Freese .

Purchase via  U.C. Press  or  Amazon .

Los Angeles Times Op-Ed:

How foreign aid to treat neglected tropical diseases yields big economic returns.

As President Joe Biden announced his decision to donate 500 million COVID-19 vaccines to other countries, Edward Miguel calls attention to another parallel opportunity that could improve the health and well-being of billions of people. Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are among the most common illnesses affecting the world’s poorest people, and most can be prevented by inexpensive treatments, as little as 50 cents per child. Miguel points to his research on the impacts of a school-based deworming program in Kenya, which demonstrates how early childhood health interventions lead to large, sustained social and economic gains. He calls on the U.S. to push investment in widespread access to NTD treatments in order to overcome this global health challenge.

Read the article here .

TEDxBerkeley Talk:

Climate, conflict, and african development.

Agricultural & Resource Economics PhD

The Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics offers programs leading to PhD degrees. Due to quota limitations, students are rarely admitted for the master's degree, although it may be awarded to students who are pursuing work toward the PhD in our program (or in another field at Berkeley) after fulfillment of the appropriate MS requirements.

The Agricultural and Resource Economics Program is relatively flexible; however, the program stresses economic theory, quantitative methods, and two elective fields defined in consultation with the graduate adviser. Some common elective fields include development economics, natural resource or environmental economics, agricultural policy, and international markets and trade.

Contact Info

[email protected]

207 Giannini Hall

Berkeley, CA 94720

At a Glance

Department(s)

Agricultural & Resource Econonomics

Admit Term(s)

Application Deadline

December 2, 2024

Degree Type(s)

Doctoral / PhD

Degree Awarded

GRE Requirements

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Outreach/ BEEPS Student Group Events

Welcome to eep and beeps.

BEEPS Group     and Webpage LINK

Join the Berkeley Environmental Economics and Policy Students - BEEPS  Group -  Facebook page . BEEPS (Berkeley Environmental Economics and Policy Students) is a UC Berkeley student organization for undergraduates of the Environmental Economics and Policy major and minor to network, socialize, and prepare for post-graduation. We aim to connect current and prospective EEP students with their peers, professors, alumni, and relevant industry professionals. 

What does BEEPS do during the school year?   In addition to providing students with academic resources, BEEPS also hosts a variety of events open to all students. These events include: Navigating the EEP major/minor; Professional development; Grad student, faculty research; UC Berkeley alumni panels; Community building socials

How do I get involved with BEEPS?    BEEPS events are open to all students! To learn more about our plans for the semester, our first general meeting, and to receive more updates on events, join our slack channel and newsletter! 

If you are a current EEP student or alumni, stay in touch via the BEEPS LinkedIn page ! www.linkedin.com/company/calbeeps

If you wish to be added to the EEP alumni list where you receive job news, and other EEP-related events let us know by contacting any of the department faculty members.

BEEPS Spring 2024

Join BEEPS on Monday, February 26th, for an enlightening event! Date: Monday, February 26th,   Time: 7-8 pm   Location: Dwinelle 197 Our first speaker series of the semester will feature Professor Max Auffhamer, a distinguished figure in the field of environmental economics and sustainable development. Currently serving as a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and a Professor at Berkeley Environmental Economics, Professor Auffhamer's expertise spans international sustainable development, with significant contributions as a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Alumni Speaker Series in previous Semesters

Faculty Speaker Series

Recording of March 20, 2023 Faculty Talk

Graduate Student Panel

Hello all! BEEPS is excited to announce that we will be hosting a graduate student panel on Monday, March 13th from 7:30-8:30 PM in Dwinelle 183. Our confirmed panelists include: Ishana Ratan, a PhD candidate in the Political Science Department at UC Berkeley, and a Project Director at the Berkeley APEC Study Center. Her research centers upon the international political economy of renewable energy Leila Safavi, a PhD candidate for the department of Agricultural and Resource Economics and graduate student researcher at the Energy Institute at Haas School of Business. Tiana Wilson-Blindman, a JD Candidate at Berkeley law and Environmental Justice Consultant for Ecology Law Quarterly. Kevin Ong, an MBA Candidate and Environmental Specialist at Recology.   We will also be having pizza outside of Dwinelle starting from 7:15! Join us to find out more about the various graduate degrees/pathways you can pursue as an EEP student. We hope to see you all there!

BEEPS Fall 2022

On November 14th, BEEPS will be hosting a networking event, where we will be inviting EEP alumni, graduate students, and other professionals to talk about their experience working and researching in the environmental sector, and their pathways post-grad EEP. Some of the speakers we’ve confirmed include Michael Quiroz (energy analytics at EBCE), Kipper Berven (environmental law at Harvard), Joel Ferguson (ARE at Berkeley), Maria Otero (senior portfolio analyst at Sunpower), Sarah Xu (policy associate at Brightline Defense), Ines Robo (analyst at Cornerstone Research), and Madeleine Wong (Customer success at Higg).  Want to learn more about the different career pathways after EEP? Join us for our ‘Networking with BEEPS!’ event hosted by BEEPS (Berkeley Environmental Economics and Policy Students) on November 14th from 7-8:30 PST. We will be inviting EEP alumni, graduate students, and other professionals to talk about their experience working and researching in the environmental sector, and their pathways post-grad EEP. We'll have speakers from backgrounds such as consulting, non-profit, energy policy, environmental law, and environmental economics research. You’ll have the opportunity to network with our speakers 1:1 in breakout rooms!  BEEPS is a student organization that aims to provide resources, events, and professional development support for students who are interested in the Environmental Economics and Policy major.

To join us, please RSVP at https://forms.gle/w8AASEXGotUuczjy6 . After you submit this form, we will email you a google calendar invite with the zoom link. We hope to see you there!

BEEPS Speaker Series, Spring 2022

Come network with EEP faculty and learn more about the environmental economics field! We’re excited to have Professor Max Auffhammer at our next in-person event! Professor Auffhammer is a professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resources and is a George Pardee Jr. Professor of International Sustainable Development.  His research  focuses on environmental and resource economics, energy economics, and applied econometrics. In addition to teaching EEP C1, he is a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research in the Energy and Environmental Economics group, a Humboldt Foundation Fellow, and a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). He will be talking about past and recent publications, and discuss tips on how to enter research and explore EEP as an undergrad. There will be a chance to chat and ask questions at the event! This event will be held on Monday, April 4, 7-8PM in-person in Dwinelle 187. All students are welcome to attend!

Interested in empirical research? Want to learn more from our EEP faculty? Professor Sofia Villas-Boas is a Professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resources who is currently teaching EEP C118 (Introductory Applied Econometrics). Her research interests lie in industrial organization, consumer behavior, food policy, and environmental regulation. Her recent work estimates the effects of policies on consumer behavior, such as a bottled water tax, a plastic bag ban, and a soda tax campaign and its implementation. She will also be presenting on past publications ( which you can access  here ) , and discussing tips on how to apply econometric analysis into your research. There will be a Q&A session at the end! This event will be held on Monday, March 7, 7-8PM on Zoom. All students are welcome to attend!

BEEPS Alumni Talk Series Spring 2022

Interested in entering the environmental policy field? Recent EEP grad (and former BEEPS organizer!!) Sarah Xu will be speaking at our first external event next Monday (2/7) 7-8PM on Zoom! Sarah is a policy associate at Brightline Defense working on environmental and local issues. Some of Sarah’s projects include planning for California’s offshore wind future and data analysis for the Brightline Air Quality Monitoring Program. She has worked at Brightline Defense previously as a Summer 2020 Policy Fellow. If you are interested in learning more about Sarah's EEP pathway and post-grad work, you can attend the event here. 

BEEPS Career Serries - Fall 2021

Interested in energy and public policy, clean energy, and/or public service? UC Berkeley and Duke alum, Igor Tregub, is currently a senior policy advisor at California Solar and Storage Association, and a committee member for Clean Energy for Biden North California. He’ll talk about his career pathway and how you can apply your EEP knowledge in the energy and public policy field! This event will be on Monday (11/15) 8-9PM (in-person) at Dwinelle 182! We’ll have a Q&A session at the end of the event! All UC Berkeley students are invited to attend! Here is also the link to the Facebook event.

BEEPS Graduate Student Series - Fall 2021

Interested in development economics, sustainable development, and/or how to enter graduate school in EEP? Joel Ferguson, PhD Candidate from UC Berkeley’s Agricultural and Resource Economics (ARE) Graduate Program will talk about his pathway to ARE, doing research in development economics and economic geography, and some tips for how you can apply your EEP knowledge in graduate school! This event will be in-person on Monday (11/8) 8-9PM at Dwinelle 182! We’ll have a Q&A session at the end of the event! All UC Berkeley students are invited to attend!

EEP Alumni SERIES- Fall 2021

https://www.facebook.com/calbeeps/photos/gm.603686927680081/6223560611019071

List of Previous EEP Seminar Series and EEP Alumni Series

EEP alumni Guest Speakers in EEP 118 Lectures - Spring 2021

Guest Speakers always at 10:40 until end of each Lecture (11:00 am) as follows: Lecture 20 April 6: Renee Serota - Law School, how to prep honors thesis Lecture 21 April 8: Tyler Jacobson, Research,  pre Doctoral applications, prep and what to expect Lecture 22 April 13: Michael Colvin, Policy careers Lecture 23 April 15: Sammy Gold, research and RD design paper  Lecture 24 April 20: Scott Kaplan, Graduate school, academia, undergrad courses to take Lecture 25 April 22 Alex Berry: Econ One - careers in Economics consulting Lecture 26 April 27 Michelle Nacouzi - industry and venture capital careers 

BEEPS is hosting an event on April 13 from 6-7pm with Ted Lamm and Katie Segal from the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment (CLEE) at Berkeley Law and was hoping if you could share it with the EEP students mailing list. Ted and Katie are going to share their research on Trump's environmental rollbacks, give an overview of CLEE, and talk about their paths to environmental law and policy careers. I have included the event description below and linked the Callink event here.     "Title: CLEE Seminar Series: Environmental Rollbacks Project, Center for Law, Energy, & the Environment, and Environmental Law & Policy Careers .   Ted Lamm and Katie Segal will be joining BEEPS on April 13th to talk about their ongoing research project tracking the reversal of Trump Administration environmental rollbacks, overview of the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment (CLEE) at Berkeley Law, and environmental law and policy careers!

Ted Lamm is Senior Research Fellow in the Climate Program at CLEE. Ted’s research focuses on California climate change law and policy and the relationships between other areas of policy and the achievement of California’s climate change-related goals. His recent work has centered on climate change, insurance and financial risk; electrical grid decarbonization and resilience; and electric vehicles and transportation policy. Prior to joining CLEE, Ted practiced both environmental law and corporate law in New York City.  Katie Segal is a Climate & Ocean Research Fellow at the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment (CLEE). Her past work has focused on climate and energy policy and she is especially interested in U.S. state-level policy. Prior to joining the CLEE team, Katie worked at Harvard’s Belfer Center for Science & International Affairs as a research assistant for the Arctic Initiative, focusing on environmental issues facing the changing Arctic region.

This presentation will be followed by a Q&A. All UC Berkeley students are invited to attend! This graduate student seminar series is put on by the UC Berkeley Rausser College of Natural Resources (RCNR) and the Berkeley Environmental Economics and Policy Students (BEEPS).   Zoom link: https://berkeley.zoom.us/j/94762688512

BEEPS is holding an event April 6 at 6pm. Don't know what you want to do when you graduate? Exploring different career opportunities? Come hear from CNR Alumni, Katie Lee and Emily Yan about their post-grad experiences and how they navigated their time at UC Berkeley to set themselves up for success!   https://fb.me/e/3Hc7BCPih

BEEPS is holding a seminar event next Tuesday, March 9 at 6-7PM with graduate student James Sayre. He'll be presenting his research, "The Promise of Crop Substitution Programs: Make Avocados, Not Drugs."  The Facebook link is  https://fb.me/e/X2bgjgDN . 

Learn about ongoing research in environmental and agricultural economics with BEEPS! James Sayre, PhD Candidate in Agricultural and Resource Economics at UC Berkeley, will give a talk on their recent research ("The Promise of Crop Substitution Programs: Make Avocados, Not Drugs") on crop substitution programs and their relation to illegal drug production. James' research interests are in international trade and development, and agriculture, and natural resources. James’ research combines novel sources of data (namely remote sensing methods and spatial tools) and quantitative modeling to answer applied questions like the feasibility of policies intended to lead rural farmers away from producing drugs. This presentation will be followed by a Q&A. All UC Berkeley students are invited to attend!

Join us Feb 9, 2021 at 6 pm PST to hear from EEP Alumni and former Peer Advising Leader at CNR , Kipper Berven on his path to water policy research and Harvard Law School! More information and RSVP can be found here : https://fb.me/e/1QwCDAVuh  

Jan 26,  AT 6 PM PST    BEEPS Infosession and Meet & Greet  :  Come meet other EEP students and hear what BEEPS is planning for this semester and how you can get involved! BEEPS is open to all years and all interested students at UC Berkeley!

https://fb.me/e/cULbatmoC

Interested in Finance?  TUE, NOV 17 AT 7 PM, Alumni Series: Elizabeth Guan, KPMG

Join us on November 17th from 7 to 8PM for another EEP Alumni Series. EEP Alumni Elizabeth Guan, a Tax Associate at KPMG, will give a short presentation on their career pathway followed by Q&A! All UC Berkeley students are invited to attend!

Learn more about this event at:  https://www.facebook.com/events/407280920431253

Tuesday, November 10, 2020 at 7 PM PST – 8 PM PST Public · Hosted by Berkeley Environmental Economics and Policy Students - BEEPS Online Event Eva Lyubich, PhD Candidate in Economics at UC Berkeley and a Graduate Student Researcher at the Energy Institute at Haas, will give a talk on their recent research followed by a Q&A. All UC Berkeley students are invited to attend! Black households have higher residential energy expenditures than white households in the US. This residential energy expenditure gap persists after controlling for income, household size, home-owner status, and city of residence. It decreased but did not disappear between 2010 and 2017, and it is fairly stable in levels across the income distribution, except at the top. Controlling for home type or vintage does not eliminate the gap, but survey evidence on housing characteristics and available appliances is consistent with the gap being driven at least in part by differences in housing stock and related energy efficiency investments. This seminar series is put on by the UC Berkeley Rausser College of Natural Resources (RCNR) and the Berkeley Environmental Economics and Policy Students (BEEPS). RSVP for this event via CalLink for the Zoom Information!  https://callink.berkeley.edu/event/6564959   

Zach Bleemer, PhD Candidate at UC Berkeley in the Department of Economics, will give a talk on their recent research followed by a Q&A on October 27th. All UC Berkeley students are invited to attend! Learn more about this event at  LINK www.facebook.com/events/660046621556835

Alumni Lunch Chats! Monday, October 19, 2020 at 12 PM PDT – 12:30 PM PDT

Public · Hosted by Berkeley Environmental Economics and Policy Students - BEEPS

Online Event Introducing Alumni Lunch Chats! Come meet EEP alumns in a casual setting, learn about their post-graduation career paths, how they’ve put their EEP degree to use, and more! This week: Joanna Rui Jiang ’16. Ask her about graduating early, climate change policy, and business analytics. Zoom Link :  https://berkeley.zoom.us/j/99183515562 

Interested in venture capital and consulting? Come hear from EEP alumni, Michelle Nacouzi, about their career path on October 20th at 7pm!  Link     www.facebook.com/events/557623945008843       

EEP Alumni Series: Venture Capital and Consulting Michelle Nacouzi, EEP'14, Investor at Northzone VC October 20th 7-8pm Berkeley Rausser College Natural Resources beeps'

Berkeley Environmental Economics and Policy Students - BEEPS Want to learn more about graduate school and graduate school admission? Come hear from James Sears, PhD Candidate in the Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics on Tuesday, October 6th at 7pm!  LINK www.facebook.com/events/684799925481568  

Berkeley Environmental Economics and Policy Students - BEEPS Despite the United States Clean Air Act, there is still a persistent and disproportionate negative burden of air pollution in low-income communities. Come out to Professor Meredith Fowlie's talk to learn more and the impacts of California's clean air policy efforts. More information can be found: LINK www.facebook.com/events/912583422561817 You can also RSVP here: https://callink.berkeley.edu/event/6398299  

New PhD course focuses on intersection of climate economics, sustainability

Rising to a critical need for more research and leadership in climate finance, Berkeley Haas has joined a group of top universities worldwide in offering an innovative online PhD course focused on the intersection of climate economics and sustainability.

Professors Adair Morse and Panos Patatoukas , co-faculty directors of the Sustainable & Impact Finance Initiative (SAIF) at Haas , began co-teaching the online class called “Financial Economics of Climate and Sustainability” this semester. 

They join faculty members from more than 10 schools including Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and Oxford, who are teaching this course to a global cohort of nearly 1,000 students from 127 schools across 30 different countries. 

The goal is to inspire a new generation of climate leaders to embark on new research that leads to innovative ways of thinking about climate finance, Patatoukas said. “Our job as instructors will be to give them the tools and the frameworks and provide ways for them to start asking interesting questions,” he said. “Overall, it’s a really good time to more formally train our students in this space. It’s rapidly evolving, it’s messy, it’s not perfect, but that makes it interesting and exciting and an area of growth that is full of opportunities.”

The course will help create change in two areas. First, it encourages students to work outside of their academic silos and come together to share ideas. “Sometimes, in a business school, we’re thinking about these problems in isolation, but this is definitely a field where everybody has to work with each other to come up with better solutions,” Patatoukas said. Second, the course will encourage students to publish cutting-edge research. “We feel like our students will have an easier time getting published in an area that is so impactful and new where basic questions remain open,” he said. 

Each week, professors from different institutions will teach topics including climate, sustainability, and economic theory; corporate carbon disclosure; introduction to climate science; climate and asset pricing; and climate and investment management. All students enrolled in the course for credit will be required to submit an idea for a research project or a plan to review a set of sustainability papers from outside of the course by the last class.

“The timing is perfect for this course,” Patatoukas said. “As consensus has grown worldwide over the climate crisis, a transition to net zero isn’t happening fast enough.”

That’s where mobilizing massive amounts of capital to fight climate change comes into play.  An estimated $4 trillion to $5 trillion a year in resources will need to be financed and distributed to address climate global needs, said Terhilda Garrido , interim executive director of SAIF. “Only a fraction will be provided by governments,” she said. “This course addresses our need to mobilize innovative climate finance quickly, train leaders in finance, and learn from each other, globally. Climate is a global issue requiring global collaboration.”

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With a new, incredibly precise instrument, Berkeley researchers narrow search for dark energy

Experiment captures atoms in free fall to look for gravitational anomalies caused by universe's missing energy

By Robert Sanders

Cristian Panda/UC Berkeley

June 26, 2024

Dark energy — a mysterious force pushing the universe apart at an ever-increasing rate — was discovered 26 years ago, and ever since, scientists have been searching for a new and exotic particle causing the expansion.

Pushing the boundaries of this search, University of California, Berkeley physicists have now built the most precise experiment yet to look for minor deviations from the accepted theory of gravity that could be evidence for such a particle, which theorists have dubbed a chameleon or symmetron.

The experiment, which combines an atom interferometer for precise gravity measurements with an optical lattice to hold the atoms in place, allowed the researchers to immobilize free-falling atoms for seconds instead of milliseconds to look for gravitational effects, besting the current most precise measurement by a factor of five.

Though the researchers found no deviation from what is predicted by the theory spelled out by Isaac Newton 400 years ago, expected improvements in the precision of the experiment could eventually turn up evidence that supports or disproves theories of a hypothetical fifth force mediated by chameleons or symmetrons.

The ability of the lattice atom interferometer to hold atoms for up to 70 seconds — and potentially 10 times longer — also opens up the possibility of probing gravity at the quantum level, said Holger Müller , UC Berkeley professor of physics. While physicists have well-tested theories describing the quantum nature of three of the four forces of nature — electromagnetism and the strong and weak forces — the quantum nature of gravity has never been demonstrated.

“Most theorists probably agree that gravity is quantum. But nobody has ever seen an experimental signature of that,” Müller said. “It’s very hard to even know whether gravity is quantum, but if we could hold our atoms 20 or 30 times longer than anyone else, because our sensitivity increases with the second or fourth power of the hold time, we could have a 400 to 800,000 times better chance of finding experimental proof that gravity is indeed quantum mechanical.”

Aside from precision measurements of gravity, other applications of the lattice atom interferometer include quantum sensing.

“Atom interferometry is particularly sensitive to gravity or inertial effects. You can build gyroscopes and accelerometers,” said UC Berkeley postdoctoral fellow Cristian Panda, who is first author of a paper about the gravity measurements set to be published this week in the journal Nature and is co-authored by Müller. “But this gives a new direction in atom interferometry, where quantum sensing of gravity, acceleration and rotation could be done with atoms held in optical lattices in a compact package that is resilient to environmental imperfections or noise.”

Because the optical lattice holds atoms rigidly in place, the lattice atom interferometer could even operate at sea, where sensitive gravity measurements are employed to map the geology of the ocean floor.

Screened forces can hide in plain sight

Dark energy was discovered in 1998 by two teams of scientists: a group of physicists based at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, led by Saul Perlmutter, now a UC Berkeley professor of physics, and a group of astronomers that included UC Berkeley postdoctoral fellow Adam Riess. The two shared the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics for the discovery.

Courtesy of Holger Müller lab

The realization that the universe was expanding more rapidly than it should came from tracking distant supernovas and using them to measure cosmic distances. Despite much speculation by theorists about what’s actually pushing space apart, dark energy remains an enigma — a large enigma, since about 70% of the entire matter and energy of the universe is in the form of dark energy.

One theory is that dark energy is merely the vacuum energy of space. Another is that it is an energy field called quintessence, which varies over time and space.

Another proposal is that dark energy is a fifth force much weaker than gravity and mediated by a particle that exerts a repulsive force that varies with the density of surrounding matter. In the emptiness of space, it would exert a repulsive force over long distances, able to push space apart. In a laboratory on Earth, with matter all around to shield it, the particle would have an extremely small reach.

This particle has been dubbed a chameleon, as if it’s hiding in plain sight.

In 2015, Müller adapted an atom interferometer to search for evidence of chameleons using cesium atoms launched into a vacuum chamber, which mimics the emptiness of space. During the 10 to 20 milliseconds it took the atoms to rise and fall above a heavy aluminum sphere, he and his team detected no deviation from what would be expected from the normal gravitational attraction of the sphere and Earth.

The key to using free-falling atoms to test gravity is the ability to excite each atom into a quantum superposition of two states, each with a slightly different momentum that carries them different distances from a heavy tungsten weight hanging overhead. The higher momentum, higher elevation state experiences more gravitational attraction to the tungsten, changing its phase. When the atom’s wave function collapses, the phase difference between the two parts of the matter wave reveals the difference in gravitational attraction between them.

“Atom interferometry is the art and science of using the quantum properties of a particle, that is, the fact that it’s both a particle and a wave. We split the wave up so that the particle is taking two paths at the same time and then interfere them at the end,” Müller said. “The waves can either be in phase and add up, or the waves can be out of phase and cancel each other out. The trick is that whether they are in phase or out of phase depends very sensitively on some quantities that you might want to measure, such as acceleration, gravity, rotation or fundamental constants.”

Sarah Davis

In 2019, Müller and his colleagues added an optical lattice to keep the atoms close to the tungsten weight for a much longer time — an astounding 20 seconds — to increase the effect of gravity on the phase. The optical lattice employs two crossed laser beams that create a lattice-like array of stable places for atoms to congregate, levitating in the vacuum. But was 20 seconds the limit, he wondered?

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Panda worked tirelessly to extend the hold time, systematically fixing a list of 40 possible roadblocks until establishing that the wiggling tilt of the laser beam, caused by vibrations, was a major limitation. By stabilizing the beam within a resonant chamber and tweaking the temperature to be a bit colder — in this case less than a millionth of a Kelvin above absolute zero, or a billion times colder than room temperature — he was able to extend the hold time to 70 seconds.

He and Müller published those results in the June 11, 2024, issue of Nature Physics .

Gravitational entanglement

In the newly reported gravity experiment, Panda and Müller traded a shorter time, 2 seconds, for a greater separation of the wave packets to several microns, or several thousandths of a millimeter. There are about 10,000 cesium atoms in the vacuum chamber for each experiment — too sparsely distributed to interact with one another — dispersed by the optical lattice into clouds of about 10 atoms each.

Cristian Panda, UC Berkeley

“Gravity is trying to push them down with a force a billion times stronger than their attraction to the tungsten mass, but you have the restoring force from the optical lattice that’s holding them, kind of like a shelf,” Panda said. “We then take each atom and split it into two wave packets, so now it’s in a superposition of two heights. And then we take each one of those two wave packets and load them in a separate lattice site, a separate shelf, so it looks like a cupboard. When we turn off the lattice, the wave packets recombine, and all the quantum information that was acquired during the hold can be read out.”

Panda plans to build his own lattice atom interferometer at the University of Arizona, where he was just appointed an assistant professor of physics. He hopes to use it to, among other things, more precisely measure the gravitational constant that links the force of gravity with mass.

Meanwhile, Müller and his team are building from scratch a new lattice atom interferometer with better vibration control and a lower temperature. The new device could produce results that are 100 times better than the current experiment, sensitive enough to detect the quantum properties of gravity . The planned experiment to detect gravitational entanglement, if successful, would be akin to the first demonstration of quantum entanglement of photons performed at UC Berkeley in 1972 by the late Stuart Freedman and former postdoctoral fellow John Clauser . Clauser shared the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics for that work.

Other co-authors of the gravity paper are graduate student Matthew Tao and former undergraduate student Miguel Ceja of UC Berkeley, Justin Khoury of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and Guglielmo Tino of the University of Florence in Italy. The work is supported by the National Science Foundation (1708160, 2208029), Office of Naval Research (N00014-20-1-2656) and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (1659506, 1669913).

RELATED INFORMATION

• Measuring gravitational attraction with a lattice atom interferometer ( Nature )
• Coherence limits in lattice atom interferometry at the one-minute scale ( Nature Physics )
• Holger Müller lab website
• Experiment attempts to snare a dark energy ‘chameleon’ (2015)