Nov 06, 2024

Spring 2025 Catalog

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Spring 2025 Catalog

Community Sustainability, BS

This major is administered by the Department of Geography and Geology .

As a Community Sustainability major, you will develop key competencies across multiple disciplines in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities needed to create resilient communities. You will gain the knowledge, skills and framework to successfully advocate for social and environmental justice, promote environmental policy, and foster sustainable economies. You must select one of two career-oriented tracks in (1) Environmental Justice and Community Leadership, or (2) Resilient Urban Systems and Policy, in which you gain experience working directly with communities in applied learning settings to foster resiliency and sustainability.

Consists of a minimum of 65 credits.

Note: Required courses marked below have Math prerequisites. Depending on your placement score, additional courses may be required.**

Introduction to the Major, 1 credit

SUST 100 - Sustainability as a Profession Credits: 1

Natural Science, 6-10 credits

Choose two from:

BIOL 100 - Biological Principles and the Human Environment Credits: 3 or
BIOL 101 - General Biology Credits: 5
CHEM 100 - Chemistry for the Citizen Credits: 3 ** or
CHEM 101 - Basic Chemistry Credits: 5 **
PHYS 100 - Energy in Today’s World Credits: 3 or
PHYS 101 - General Physics Credits: 5

Environmental, Climate, and Earth Sciences, 9-11 credits

Choose from:

GEOG 100 - Human Impacts on the Physical Environment Credits: 3 or
GEOG 105 - The Dynamic Earth Credits: 3
GEOG 170 - Disasters - Living on the Edge Credits: 4
GEOG 208 - Weather and Climate Credits: 3
GEOG 303 - Processes of Environmental Degradation Credits: 3
GEOG 308 - Climate: Past, Present, and Future Credits: 3
GEOL 100 - Geology and Science Credits: 3 or
GEOL 104 - Physical Geology Credits: 4
NRES 150 - People, Resources and the Biosphere Credits: 3
NRES 220 - Global Climate Change and Water Resources, 10th Century to Present Credits: 3

Analytical Skills, 7 credits

GEOG 341 - Geographic Information Systems I Credits: 3
MATH 111 - Applied Calculus Credits: 4 ** or
MATH 255 - Elementary Statistical Methods Credits: 4 ** or
SOC 351 - Social Statistics Credits: 4 **

Foundational Sustainability Studies, 18 credits

ECON 111 - Principles of Microeconomics Credits: 3 **
GEOG 115 - World Regional Geography Credits: 3 or
GEOG 120 - Human Geography Credits: 3
GEOG 230 - Introduction to Regional Planning and Geodesign Credits: 3 or
NRES 200 - Introduction to Sustainable Communities Credits: 3
HIST 279 - Environmental Justice Credits: 3 or
HIST 280 - American Environmental History Credits: 3
PHIL 380 - Environmental Ethics Credits: 3
POLI 304 - Environmental Politics and Policy Credits: 3

Integrative Sophomore Experience, 1 credit

SUST 299 - Sustainability and Community Engagement Credits: 1

Professional Pathway Options

Must complete one of the two professional pathway options.

Option 1. Environmental Justice and Community Leadership Option, 21-24 credits

Complete the following, 15-18 credits

BUS 320 - Principles of Management Credits: 3 or
BUS 325 - Organizational Behavior Credits: 3 or
NRES 383 - Organizational Leadership Credits: 3
ENGL 347 - Grant and Proposal Writing Credits: 3
HIST 279 - Environmental Justice Credits: 3 (if not taken above)
HIST 380 - The Environmental Movement Credits: 3
POLI 338 - Environmental Law and Regulation Credits: 3
PSYC 321 - Environmental Psychology Credits: 3 or
SOC 327 - Social Inequality Credits: 3 or
SOC 355 - Environmental Sociology Credits: 3 or
SOC 370 - Sociology of Globalization Credits: 3

Complete two of the following, 6 credits

PHIL 321 - Food Ethics Credits: 3
PHIL 381 - American Indian Environmental Philosophies Credits: 3
PHIL 480 - Advanced Environmental Ethics Credits: 3

Option 2. Resilient Urban Systems and Policy, 21 credits

ECON 311 - Public Economics Credits: 3 or
ECON 362 - Economic Development Credits: 3
GEOG 230 - Introduction to Regional Planning and Geodesign Credits: 3 (if not taken above)
GEOG 330 - Urban and Regional Planning Analysis Credits: 3
GEOG 433 - GIS and Geodesign for Sustainability and Resiliency Credits: 3
HIST 277 - Designing the American Dream Credits: 3 or
NRES 394 - Targeted Conservation Through Advanced GIS Credits: 3
NRES 200 - Introduction to Sustainable Communities Credits: 3 (if not taken above)
POLI 301 - Methods of Policy Analysis Credits: 3 **
POLI 389 - Public Policy for Sustainable Communities Credits: 3

Advanced Sustainability Experience, 1-3 credits

Choose from:

GEOG 480 - Internship in Geography Credits: 1-12
GEOG 485 - Practicum in Geography Credits: 1-3
GEOG 496 - Community Development Practices Credits: 3
HIST 399 - Special Work Credits: 1-3 (with program consent)
PHIL 399 - Independent Study Credits: 1-3 (with program consent)
POLI 455 - Internship in Government Credits: 1-6

Senior Seminar, 1 credit

SUST 499 - Seminar in Applied Sustainability Credits: 1