Related Research Units and Resources at UCSB:

The Bren School of Environmental Science & Management

The Bren School is one of the few schools in the United States to integrate science, management, law, economics, and policy as part of an interdisciplinary approach to environmental problem solving, and offers Master’s and Ph.D degrees in Environmental Science and Management.

The Environmental Studies Program

UCSB’s Environmental Studies Program is the largest such program in the United States, and one of the oldest.  It has 12 core faculty, and 9 affiliates, and offers B.A. degrees in Environmental Studies, B.S. degrees in Environmental Studies, and B.S. degrees in Hydrologic Sciences.

Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology

UCSB’s EEMB Department is one of the highest ranked evolutionary ecology programs in the world, with 35 faculty, offering Masters and Ph.D. degrees with an emphasis in ecology and evolution.

Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Marine Science

The investigation and understanding of the ocean requires an interdisciplinary perspective of the ocean as an integrated system. The intrinsic interdisciplinary nature of modern marine science requires cross-disciplinary graduate-level training through a graduate program which brings together 47 marine faculty located in 9 departments on the UCSB campus. Areas such as biological, chemical, and physical oceanography, marine optics and remote sensing, marine geology and geophysics, marine biology, paleoceanography, ocean engineering and marine policy are typically pursued by students in this program.

The Center for Evolutionary Psychology

UCSB’s Center for Evolutionary Psychology is an interdisciplinary research unit of six affiliated faculty.  Researchers at the Center study how the learning, reasoning, emotion, and motivational mechanisms of the human mind evolved to function in and reflect the long-term ecological structure of the world. 

Developmental and Evolutionary Psychology area (DEVO) in the Psychology Department

The graduate program in Developmental and Evolutionary Psychology crosses traditional disciplinary lines. Faculty and graduate students working and studying in this area are concerned with the developmental and evolutionary patterning of human thought and behavior.  Graduate students and faculty in the DEVO area frequently collaborate with students in the IAS unit, and participate in a common research community.

Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences

Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences (QMSS) at UCSB is an interdisciplinary Ph.D. emphasis available to students who wish to develop and use cutting-edge quantitative methods in social science research. The emphasis is designed to provide students with the rigorous mathematical and statistical background necessary for advanced quantitative work, while also providing a broad interdisciplinary perspective on the use of quantitative methods in the social sciences.

The National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS)

NCEAS supports cross-disciplinary research to address major fundamental issues in ecology and allied fields. 

The Sage Center for the Study of the Mind

The mission of the Sage Center for the Study of the Mind is to foster the unique interdisciplinary culture of UC Santa Barbara.  Aside from sponsoring lecture series and seminars, the Sage Center brings in noted behavioral scientists from around the world for extended stays as Sage Fellows.

Brain Imaging Center

The main activity of the Brain Imaging Center is functional brain imaging, which is used for basic research in cognitive/mind neuroscience.  Access is available to members of the IAS community.