Mission
Game-changing research and inspirational teaching are only the beginning at IoES.
Our students are pushed to form interdisciplinary problem-solving teams that engage with communities, government agencies, businesses, and non-profits. We embrace communications and interactive public events as both a responsibility and an opportunity to be a change agent in the service of a sustainable environment.
The Institute of the Environment and Sustainability moves science to action on the front lines of environmental progress. Using Los Angeles and California as a testbed, IoES develops solutions for the broader world—and our commitment to communications makes sure those ideas are heard.
We thrive on the energy, optimism and impatience of its students and faculty. We envision a future that is beautiful and prosperous 2050—for air, water, food, people and nature. As humanity urbanizes, the story of how we save the planet will be written by cities like Los Angeles, by multicultural universities like UCLA, and by innovators who break down silos of disciplinary scholarship. IoES aspires to be a central part of that story.
IoES has pioneered a hands-on approach to environmental research and practice through its Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science. The program’s Senior Practicum sends undergraduates into the field, pairing them with real-world clients to solve real-world problems using science, statistics, and communication. A similar approach shapes graduate education.
The Environment and Sustainability Ph.D. program trains students to tackle global challenges through interdisciplinary research, blending social, scientific, and policy perspectives. Graduates are prepared for careers in academia, government, and the private sector.
The Doctorate in Environmental Science and Engineering program immerses students in two years of intensive coursework before placing them with government or industry partners, where their thesis research integrates with real-world needs.
The Leaders in Sustainability Graduate Certificate equips students with the skills and networks to lead across disciplines and drive meaningful impact—at UCLA, across the Los Angeles region, and beyond.
With our research centers and field stations, plus extensive partnerships across UCLA, IoES has local, national and global reach. We work closely with campus leaders such as the Emmett Institute on Climate Change, the Luskin Center for Public Policy and the Anderson School of Management. These collaborations bring together diverse talent to focus on today’s most urgent environmental problems.
Today’s challenges are too complex to leave any idea unexplored—and too pressing to ignore bold or even unpopular solutions. That’s why IoES sponsors public events on issues ranging from nuclear energy and GMOs to the future of cars and transportation.
There was a time when environmental scientists needed to raise the alarm. That time has passed. The problems are known. Now is the time for solutions.