1. Make a Difference
Through teaching, research, and public outreach, we are dedicated to improving society for future generations. The mission of the College of Natural Resources (CNR) is to serve humanity and conserve the earth and its resources by integrating biological, physical, social, and ecological sciences to address key environmental, social, and health problems.
2. Enjoy a Small College Home at UC Berkeley
UC Berkeley is among the most renowned public research universities in the world, providing unsurpassed intellectual and physical resources to students and faculty. But with more than 30,000 students, the campus can seem overwhelming. The College of Natural Resources is a friendly community housed in a cluster of beautiful historic buildings in the northwest corner of campus. Close interactions among students, faculty, and staff give you a small college experience while providing all the benefits of a large university.
3. Our Small Class Sizes Create an Excellent Learning Environment
Many of our classes have low student-faculty ratios, including our freshman seminars. And in all our classes, teachers take the time to help you understand the concepts and implications of the course materials. This kind of individual attention enhances your learning and success at UC Berkeley and beyond.
4. Receive Individual Support from Faculty Advisors
You will meet plenty of students who can share their experiences with you, but you can also count on building a relationship with a faculty member whose expertise will help you navigate the many choices and exciting challenges you will encounter at UC Berkeley. From day one, faculty advisors are available to every College of Natural Resources student.
5.Open the Doors to Exploration with CNR's Interdisciplinary Majors
Today’s environmental and health challenges can best be understood from multiple perspectives. Whether the topic is growing a plentiful supply of safe food, protecting ecosystems amid ever-expanding human demands, or assessing the risks and benefits of biotechnology, we encourage you to look at all sides of an issue by drawing from the different subjects you will be studying.
6. Access a Wealth of Research Opportunities
Think you might like laboratory research? Want to conduct nutritional interviews? Or administer population surveys of birds in the wild? Gain hands-on experience conducting independent research or projects with faculty in the lab or in the field. The College of Natural Resources Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program provides funding support to student researchers mentored by their professors.
7. Study with Faculty Whose Cutting-Edge Research Has Real-World Applications
Our faculty constitute an unparalleled collection of intellects and talents spanning the natural and social sciences. In the laboratory, our scientists have made groundbreaking discoveries in understanding plant function and deciphering plant genomes. In many areas, our faculty have gained international recognition for their applied science and theoretical accomplishments.
8. See the World and Discover the Marvels of Biology, the Environment, and Society
Our faculty study matters of local, national, and international importance. Many travel overseas to research problems such as insect-borne river blindness in West Africa, ecosystem ecology in Puerto Rico, resource conflicts in Indonesia, and forestry in southern Africa. Our college also operates a research station on the Polynesian island of Moorea. Either with faculty or on their own, many of our students participate in research projects around the world.
9. Choose from Majors That Prepare You for Graduate School, Law, Medicine, and a Myriad of Careers
Whether you want to be a doctor, lawyer, environmental engineer, park ranger, recycling coordinator, environmental consultant, biologist, nutritionist, nonprofit program manager, or professor, our majors help you begin your journey or discover your career path.
10. Become Our Next Famous Graduate
Graduates of our college have succeeded in a wide range of meaningful careers, helping to solve environmental and social problems around the globe and making important research discoveries in the laboratory. Some high-profile alumni include:
- Nutrition and food scientist Jennifer Maxwell, co-founder of PowerBar, Inc.
- Agricultural economist John Kenneth Galbraith, winner of the 2000 Presidential Medal of Freedom, U.S. Ambassador to India, and advisor to several presidents
- Conservationist Horace Marden Albright, founder of the National Park Service
