SlugAtlasUC Santa Cruz

ENVS 110Institutions, the Environment, and Economic Systems

5 creditsUndergraduateStudent Option

Debate about environmental policy is often couched in economic terms. Environmental issues have become questions of political economy, as they influence international and domestic policy and reflect on the functioning of the market system. Examines the assumptions and implications of alternative approaches to political economy, as these pertain to questions of environmental policy and political institutions.

Prerequisites

Prerequisite(s): previous or concurrent enrollment in ENVS 100 and ENVS 100L, or by permission of instructor.

  • UCSC Students who still need to satisfy ENVS 100/100L use this form to petition for enrollment: https://forms.gle/wkSececckYeAs3aU7
  • Visiting Students - email your proof of prerequisite material to the department at envsadvi@ucsc.edu for permission to enroll.
  • From the instructor: In this course, we examine some of the dominant perspectives and interpretive tools applied to society-environment relations. We will explore the underpinnings of our political economic systems, discuss the construction “nature” as a commodity and ethos, and consider the assumptions behind various schemes to protect, exploit, and make sustainable human interactions with the environment.
  • IMPORTANT COURSE NOTE: This course is a 5-unit course, taught within a very compressed 5-week timeline. If you fall behind with course assignments and readings, it is very difficult to catch up again. Please do not enroll in this course if you anticipate challenges with deadlines.

Find a section and add it to your scheduleLive seat counts, time-conflict checks and the walk from your previous class.

When it runs

Summer 2026Open Summer 2026

SectionTypeWhenWhereInstructorSeats
01Lecture
TBA
OnlineK. SetoOpen 24/50

Spring 2026Open Spring 2026

SectionTypeWhenWhereInstructorSeats
01Lecture
Tue Thu 1:30pm–3:05pm
ISB 221K. SetoOpen 30/35

Who teaches it

InstructorRatingDifficultyWould take againReviews
Katherine Seto4.5 / 53.5 / 5100%2

From RateMyProfessors, which is student-submitted and not a survey. Small review counts move a long way on one bad quarter.

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