Sustainability Minor
Minor in Sustainability
A minor in sustainability complements most degree programs and disciplines, from the arts to the sciences.
Knowledge of sustainability is highly sought in agriculture, business, construction and design, health related fields, social sciences, environmental sciences and the arts. Sustainability coursework should complement most degree programs while providing the research, writing, and critical thinking skills associated with sustainability that is desired by many employers across many disciplines.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for graduates educated in concentrations related to sustainability is expected to increase at least 20 percent between 2008 and 2018. A survey of more than 1,300 business professionals, conducted by the National Environmental Education Foundation, found that 65 percent of these professionals see environment and sustainability knowledge as valuable, particularly in new hires. Furthermore, 78 percent said that the importance of this knowledge would increase. An emphasis on sustainability education is coming out of the realization that participation from all employees is needed to advance a company’s sustainability goals. Eventually, sustainability might even be written into all job descriptions.
Catalog description
Sustainability
Program advisor
David Perkins, PhD, Department of Geography, Geology and Planning
Description of minor
A minor in Sustainability complements degree programs and disciplines across the academic spectrum. The variety of elective course offerings allows students to select courses that fit best with how sustainability is addressed within their area of study and future employment goals. In the minor, coursework complements options for research, writing, and hands-on involvement with sustainability-related projects.
Administration of the program
Courses must be approved by the faculty of the Sustainability Action Minor Committee for inclusion in the minor. The administrator of the program (Chair of Committee) must approve the course of study for each student who wishes to complete a Sustainability minor.
The minor in Sustainability requires a total of 16-18 hours.
- GRY 108 Principles of Sustainability (3)
- 12 hours from the following areas with courses from at least two different tracks
and two different departments:
- Social Equity and Ethics:
- AGR 100 Food Security (3)
- ECO 101 Economics of Social Issues (3)
- GRY 100 World Regional Geography (3)
- GRY 316 Geography of Global Health and Disease (3)
- GRY 322 Urban Geography (3)
- PHI 302 Environmental Ethics (3)
- PHI 342 Global Ethics (3)
- PLN 505 Social Planning (3)
- REC 211 Principles of Outdoor Recreation (3)
- SOC 319 Environmental Sociology (3)
- Economics and Policy:
- Environmental Systems:
- AGN 115 Sustainable Agriculture and the Environment (3)
- AGN 215 Soils (3)
- AGN 335 Soil Conservation and Water Management (3)
- ANT 355 Environmental Archaeology (3)
- BIO 485 Marine Conservation (1-3)
- BIO 502 Sustainability Science in Practice (3)
- BIO 579 Conservation Biology (3)
- GLG 171 Environmental Geology (3)
- GRY 351 Conservation of Natural Resources (3)
- GRY 510 Applications in Sustainable Geotourism (3)
- Social Equity and Ethics:
- Complete 1-3 hours from one of the following as approved by the Administrator:
- Education Abroad
- Internship
- Service Learning
- Independent Study
- No more than six hours of elective coursework may come from the same department or with the same course code.
- No more than six hours of coursework may be applied toward a major or another minor.