Sustainability Minor

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This 18 credit minor helps students develop both broad understanding and practical skills that contribute to their marketability to potential employers, including private businesses that have greened their production methods, public agencies, think tanks, and non-profit organizations. Outcomes include:

The addition of a sustainability knowledge base
The ability to identify unsustainable practices and to offer the latest science and technological solutions to reduce the impact of these practices
The capacity to affect policy implementation at the local, regional, national, and global levels
A deeper understanding of the local and global challenges to sustainability from economic, environmental and social perspectives

Note: Additional Electives may be substituted at the discretion of the Program Director.

A minor must be completed at the time of the degree and will be so noted on the student’s transcript. A student cannot be readmitted to the University to complete only a minor.

Program Requirements (Minor)

The Sustainability Studies minor consists of 18 credits, distributed as follows:

Required Foundation Course (3 credits)

At least ONE of the following (if more than one is taken, the additional course(s) count as electives):

SUS 101 - Principles of Sustainability Credits: 3
SUS 202 - Topics in Sustainability Credits: 3 (may be repeated with change of topic)

Required Capstone Course (3 credits)

SUS 450 - Advanced Seminar in Sustainability Studies Credits: 3

Elective Courses (12 credits)

Sustainability Studies minors must complete 12 elective credits, at least six of which must be numbered 300 or higher. Electives courses include all courses with the “SUS” prefix and approved courses offered in other departments.

SUS 202 - Topics in Sustainability Credits: 3
SUS 235 - Environmental Policy Credits: 3
SUS 250 - Special Studies in Sustainability Credits: 3
SUS 296 - Directed Study Credits: variable; 1.00 to 6.00
SUS 347 - Environmental Law Credits: 3
SUS 348 - Ocean Policy and Law Credits: 3
SUS 350 - Special Topics in Sustainability Credits: 3
SUS 396 - Directed Study Credits: variable; 1.00 to 6.00
SUS 450 - Advanced Seminar in Sustainability Studies Credits: 3
SUS 451 - Seminar: Politics of Developing Countries Credits: 3
SUS 460 - Environmental Impacts of Globalization Credits: 3
SUS 495 - Independent Study Credits: variable; 1.00 to 6.00
SUS 496 - Directed Study Credits: variable; 1.00 to 6.00
The following courses have been approved as electives counting towards the SUS minor. New approved electives are added every semester, so interested students should check with the Director for the most up-to-date list.
ARH 349 - Architecture and Sustainability in American Post-Industrial Cities Credits: 3
BIO 103 - Topics in Biology Credits: 3
BIO 112 - The Ocean Environment Credits: 3
BIO 143 - Ecology and Environmental Issues Credits: 3
CEN 304 - Intro Environmental Engineering Credits: 3
CHM 130 - Chemistry and the Environment Credits: 3
DES 300 - Concepts In Design Credits: 3
ENL 200 - Studies in Literature Credits: 3 only topic “Reading and Writing about the Ocean”
IST 444 - Topic in Indic Studies Credits: 3
MAR 110 - Natural Hazards and the Ocean Credits: 3
MGT 312 - Legal Framework Business Credits: 3
PHY 162 - Sci,Tech&Soc II:Environment Credits: 3
PHY 171 - Planet Earth I Credits: 3
PHY 172 - Planet Earth II Credits: 3
PHY 183 - Intro Global Climate Chg Credits: 3
PHY 419 - Advanced Traffic Engineering Credits: 3
PSC 235 - Environmental Policy Credits: 3
PSC 251 - Topics in Comparative Politics Credits: 3 only topic “The Politics of Everyday Things”
PSC 348 - Ocean Policy and Law Credits: 3
PSC 384 - International Law and Organization Credits: 3
PSC 400 - Seminar: Topics in American Politics & Policy Credits: 3 only topic “State and Local Public Policy”
PSC 477 - Seminar: Topics in International Relations Credits: 3 only topics “Global Environmental Politics” or “Climate Action”
WGS 210 - Special Topics in Women’s and Gender Studies. Credits: 3 only topics “Women’s Health and Environment” or “Gender, Migration, and Globalization”

Additional Electives

The following courses have been approved as electives counting towards the SUS minor. New approved electives are added every semester, so interested students should check with the Director for the most up-to-date list.

SUS 235 - Environmental Policy Credits: 3
SUS 250 - Special Studies in Sustainability Credits: 3
SUS 296 - Directed Study Credits: variable; 1.00 to 6.00
SUS 347 - Environmental Law Credits: 3
SUS 348 - Ocean Policy and Law Credits: 3
SUS 396 - Directed Study Credits: variable; 1.00 to 6.00
SUS 451 - Seminar: Politics of Developing Countries Credits: 3
SUS 460 - Environmental Impacts of Globalization Credits: 3
SUS 495 - Independent Study Credits: variable; 1.00 to 6.00
SUS 496 - Directed Study Credits: variable; 1.00 to 6.00