Rausser College’s personalized student services program sets us apart from other colleges and academic units on campus. Thanks to our generous and active alumni base and our student-centered credo, our undergraduates benefit from a variety of special services. In addition, the Office of Instruction and Student Affairs makes services and information available that are relevant to the interests of Rausser students.
For updates on events and happenings at the College, check out our RCNR Virtual Bulletin Board or follow us on Instagram & Facebook!
Rausser College Opportunities
Forestry Camp: The only program of its kind in the Western United States, UC Berkeley Forestry Field Camp is an eight-week, Sierra Nevada–based summer program open to all interested, qualified students. Five courses, offered by the Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management, can qualify students for a minor in forestry.
Honors Program: The Rausser College of Natural Resources Honors Program is designed to support undergraduate students interested in developing, executing, and evaluating a year-long independent research project under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Students who successfully complete the Honors Program will earn recognition at graduation and will also receive a notation of Honors in their major on their diploma.
Peer Advising Leadership (PAL) Program: The PALs of the College strive to offer personal viewpoints and experiences to current and prospective Rausser students. These students are trained in understanding the College and University requirements, policies, and procedures, and are available to answer questions. They also aim to raise awareness and knowledge of the programs that Rausser offers to prospective and newly admitted students.
Poster Session/Research Showcase: The College's Research Showcase is a great opportunity to showcase your research to the Berkeley community and to learn what other research projects are being done by students in the Rausser College of Natural Resources.
Sponsored Projects for Undergraduate Research Program (SPUR): SPUR provides grant money to encourage Rausser faculty and undergraduate students to collaborate on research projects. The funding for this program is generously donated by Rausser alumni, and is offered in the summer, fall, and spring terms. Students may participate in the SPUR program by applying to a faculty-initiated project or by creating a student-initiated project.
Student Organizations at Rausser: Get to know fellow students with common academic and social interests. A number of student groups exist within the College to provide social and academic support addressing a variety of topics, disciplines, and issues.
Summer Internship Grant: This grant provides an opportunity for undergraduates who face financial, cultural, and other barriers to participate in summer internships that advance their career or academic interests. The Summer Internship Grant is open to Rausser College students who received need-based financial aid during the current academic year.
Travel Grant: The Travel Grant is designed to help students fund travel that is related to independent research and/or participation in conferences. To be eligible, applicants must be undergraduate students at Rausser, be in good academic standing, and have a faculty sponsor from within Rausser. Travel must take place while individuals are registered or continuing students.
Undergraduate Research: Students in the Rausser College of Natural Resources have many opportunities to work with our outstanding faculty on research projects. Research enhances student scholarship and provides participants with invaluable skills and experience. Rausser offers a range of opportunities suited for the novice and advanced undergraduate researcher, including financial support generously provided by Rausser alumni and friends to assist with research costs and travel.
Wellness Wednesdays: Relax and learn about wellness resources on campus while doing fun activities and getting free swag.
Campus Opportunities
Berkeley Connect: One-credit undergraduate mentorship program places students in a small group of peers that meets once a week with a graduate-student mentor. The students also get one-on-one mentoring, fun lessons about the campus’s storied history, trips to our museums, and guidance on how to navigate through the Berkeley system. And free dinner!
Career Engagement: Rausser College partners with Career Engagement to help RCNR students access resources, events, and professional opportunities related to their studies in environmental science, policy, and law, plant and metabolic biology, biodiversity, conservation and sustainability, and much more. Career Engagement Assistant Director for Natural Resources Jen Racklin curates these opportunities just for our students. Log into Handshake to update your preferences and learn more!
Fung Fellowship: The Fung Fellowship is a unique opportunity for rising juniors to create impact-driven solutions to address real-world challenges alongside their community and industry partners. Through 3-unit semesterly courses, Fung Fellows utilize the iterative human-centered design process, interdisciplinary tactics, and emerging technology in two tracks: Conservation + Tech and Health + Tech.
Richard B. Gump South Pacific Research Station: Located on Moorea Island in French Polynesia, the University of California Berkeley's Richard B. Gump South Pacific Research Station research station invites international scientists and students to conduct field-based scientific research and advanced training. Research spans levels of biocultural organization, from genetics and molecular biology, through organismal and population biology, to anthropology, economics, and the social sciences.
Student Environmental Resource Center (SERC): SERC provides environmental and sustainability related jobs, internships, leadership positions and co-curricular opportunites for students to engage in the campus environmental community.
Study Abroad: Studying abroad is an invaluable college experience, so we suggest you plan your academic program in order to include a semester, or even a year, in another country. Berkeley Programs for Study Abroad is the UC Berkeley resource center for the University of California Education Abroad Program (EAP).