Breadcrumb
College of Natural Resources & Sciences
Get Your Hands Dirty Studying Science on California’s North Coast
There’s no better place to study science than at Cal Poly Humboldt. Our community is a living laboratory with the Pacific Ocean, ancient redwoods, and other diverse ecosystems for you to explore.
The College of Natural Resources & Sciences boasts a wide variety of science-focused areas of study, from biochemistry to zoology. Our multiple fieldwork opportunities, Place-Based Learning Communities, and extensive research faculties paired with our stellar faculty and staff create an environment for you to feel inspired, challenged, and engaged with the science all around you.
Undergraduate Research
Many universities reserve research experience for graduate students. At Cal Poly Humboldt, you may conduct your own research or assist professors with their projects as early as your freshman year. Either way, you’ll put theory into practice, building a fundamental understanding of concepts and methodologies. With opportunities to present at local and national conferences, you’ll learn how to explain your findings, too. Experiences like these offer a glimpse of what it’s like to be a professional scientist and will help you discover your passion.
Fieldwork
Located on the North Coast of California, Humboldt is surrounded by ancient redwoods and close to the Pacific Ocean, mountains, and rivers. You’ll find the region’s natural environment is the perfect outdoor classroom where learning happens through real-world experience. Track elk, hike through forests to measure redwoods, or take water samples from California’s second largest river—Humboldt provides a wide range of opportunities for fieldwork, which helps develop critical thinking and collaboration skills, and a passion for learning that will take you far in life.
Personal Attention
College is a time to expand your horizons and find out who you really are, and our attentive faculty are here to support you every step of the way. From the moment you begin your program, you won’t be just another face in the crowd. You’ll be part of a community as you get to know your professors. They’ll challenge you, but they’re accessible, too. Whether through mentoring or one-on-one feedback, they’ll help you build the knowledge and skills to be successful at Cal Poly Humboldt.
Undergraduate Programs
Cal Poly Humboldt offers a wide array of science majors and programs, led by highly skilled faculty who foster a supportive environment. You will develop the critical thinking skills needed to solve complex problems in science, engineering, and natural resources, leaving you well-prepared for professional careers and higher levels of study.
Graduate Programs
Cal Poly Humboldt has an established reputation for its graduate programs in the biological, environmental, engineering, and natural resources sciences, which provide the knowledge and experience necessary to address today’s scientific problems.
Equipped for Excellence
Cal Poly Humboldt has a diverse range of research facilities, labs, and special collections as essential tools for conducting research and gaining real-world experience. Utilizing a renewable energy technology research center, a marine laboratory, and the largest botanical collection in the CSU system, you will actively engage with research during your undergraduate years.
Place-Based Learning Communities
Learning goes beyond the classroom at Humboldt—we learn from the environment we are in. Our Place-Based Learning Communities provide you with a tight-knit community of like minded peers before classes even start.
We start right away—you’ll be immersed in major-related fieldwork, seminars, and classes with students like you before the semester even begins. These connections will help you navigate college life, gain confidence, succeed academically, and gain a sense of belonging within the Humboldt community.
Alumni Updates
Brian Brown
Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1990
Brian retired in 2025 after 21 years leading the California Project WET (Water Education for Teachers) program with the Water Education Foundation and 32 years as an Education Specialist at the Forestry Institute for Teachers, a program of the California Society of American Foresters. His entire career post Humboldt has been dedicated to educating K-12 students, teachers, and the general public about science and management of natural resources using much of what he learned in the HSU Forestry and Social Sciences teaching program - and plenty more learned from all the amazing teachers and partners he worked with since 1990.
Brian retired, moved to Missouri, and was married in September of 2025, and now he finds himself standing at the same crossroads he stood on upon graduation from Humboldt. He's spent all these years on the path of teaching and education, and he is now enjoying the start of his journey into forest and land management, as he learns about the forests and other habitats of the Missouri Ozarks right in his own backyard. Life has been and continues to be quite an adventure!
Mark McKenna
Environmental Science & Management, 2024
Mark has been fully employed since April 2025 by the East Bay Regional Park District as a Park Services Attendant, currently working at Lake Del Valle in Livermore, CA, and plans to move up to Naturalist within the same company.
David Kmetovic
Natural Resources, 1975
David attended HSU from 1973-1975, earning a degree in Natural Resources. Returning to Santa Cruz after graduation, he started my own small consulting firm, Kmetovic and Associates, primarily writing Environmental Impact Reports under CEQA criteria. He then moved to the Bay Area, working for larger firms, followed by a move to Portland to begin a family. His last position as a Project Manager was for Intel, managing the design and construction of a large cryogenic nitrogen system.
His time at Humboldt was inspiring; being in the presence of dedicated professors such as Stanley Harris is something he still appreciates over 50 years later.
At Humboldt, David also grew to love basketball, playing weekends in the old gym. At 73, he says he is lucky to still be running full court. He's written an appreciation piece that is planned to appear soon.
Achievements
Find out what our students, faculty, and staff are being recognized for.
Oscar Vargas
Biological Sciences
Dr. Oscar M. Vargas, along with collaborators, published a paper in the Journal of Biogeography about the geographical history of the Brazil Nut family of plants (Lecythidaceae) in the tropical Americas. The study was led by Diana Medellin, a collaborator of Dr. Vargas, from the University of Michigan. The paper can be freely downloaded from the following link: https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.70225
Pascal Biwole
School of Engineering
New research article in the journal Energy and Buildings. Title: " Hygrothermal performance of bio-based building materials in urban street canyons ". Link: https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1m-lq_8dCXlBn-
Barbara Clucas
Wildlife
Dr. Barbara Clucas and Ryan Matilton (Wildlife masters graduate) have received a grant through the Research and Creative Projects for Equity and Justice (RCPEJ) program. The project will investigate bat diversity and activity along the Klamath River following recent dam removals, contributing to understanding how these changes affect biodiversity. The research will provide important post-dam removal ecological data while also engaging local high school students participating through Humboldt Indian Education Programs. Students will gain hands-on experience in wildlife research. The project advances both ecological knowledge and educational opportunities connected to the Klamath River.
CNRS News
- Harnessing Geospatial Data to Identify Climate-Resilient Habitats in the Eel River Watershed
- Campus Research and Creativity Take Center Stage at 13th Annual ideaFest
- Cal Poly Humboldt to Launch Health & Medical Sciences Degree
- 4th Annual Giving Day Raises $349,167 to Support Students and Campus Programs
- Show Your Support During the Fourth Annual Giving Day