Sustainability studies is quickly becoming one of the most important fields as the global population faces increasingly pressing environmental challenges. As a student in the B.A. in Sustainability Studies, you study climate, energy, geography, history, sociology, and economics to understand the complex environmental problems of today. You learn modern conservation methods and techniques and adopt a transformative mindset so that you can become an effective agent of change. 

When you complete the program, you will be able to:  

• Identify fundamental environmental, social, and economic concepts associated with sustainability.  
• Synthesize historical and contemporary and scientific and ethical arguments to develop a systems approach to sustainable practices.  
• Use skills of persuasion, audience analysis, and aesthetic expression to advance rhetoric and argument, media communications, public relations, and political/community organizing related to sustainability.  
• Apply quantitative and qualitative tools and metrics to design innovative sustainable practices and assess their impact.  
• Demonstrate professional skills of leadership and collaboration through experiential learning (civic engagement, service learning, research, or internship) in order to apply sustainable solutions in real-life settings.  

Your IU Online B.A. in Sustainability Studies prepares you for such careers as: 

• Sustainability policy consultant   
• Environmental advocate   
• Environmental engineer  
• Natural sciences manager   
• Sustainability program coordinator   
• Energy auditor or manager   
• Ecotourism guide   

This 100 percent online, consortial program is taught by IU East, IU Kokomo, IU South Bend, and IU Southeast. This consortial model allows you to take coursework from several campuses and learn from a wide range of faculty. 

Services and Resources

Students admitted to IU Online receive a full range of personalized support services, including:

• Onboarding
• Advising
• Success Coaching
• Math and Writing Support
• Career Services
• Peer Mentorship
• Tutoring

Degree Requirements 

To earn the B.A. in Sustainability Studies, you must complete 120 credit hours. You complete the standard degree requirements (including campus general education requirements and the BA general education requirements at IU Kokomo) of your campus and school of enrollment, plus the 42 hours of the B.A. in Sustainability Studies major requirements. 

Major requirements (42 credit hours) are broken down into the categories below. You have numerous courses within each category to choose from. 

• Introduction to Sustainability (3 cr.)  
• Scientific Foundations of Sustainability (3 cr.)  
• Sustainability Science (6 cr.)  
• Social and Behavioral Foundations of Sustainability (6 cr.)  
• Sustainability in the Arts and Humanities (3 cr.)  
• Methods and Techniques for Sustainability (6 cr.)  
• Written Communication (3 cr.)  
• Business and Economics of Sustainability (3 cr.)  
• Sustainability Capstone (3 cr.)  
• Sustainability Electives (6 cr.) 

Admissions

Students who meet the admission standards of their home campus will be admitted directly into the B.A. in Sustainability Studies major. 

Courses 

Samples of Major Requirement Courses  

• AHLT-H 331 Environmental Health (3 cr.) 
• ENGL-W 270 Argumentative Writing (3 cr.) 
• GEOG-G 107 Physical Systems of the Environment (3 cr.) 
• GEOG-G 114 Global Environmental Changes (3 cr.) 
• GEOG-G 320 Population Geography (3 cr.) 
• GEOG-G 337 Computer Cartography and Graphics (3 cr.) 
• GEOG-G 478 Global Change, Food, and Farming Systems (3 cr.) 
• SUST-C 330 Scientific Foundations in Sustainability (3 cr.) 
• SUST-C 350 Sustainability in the Arts and Humanities (3 cr.) 
• SUST-C 490 Capstone in Sustainability (3 cr.)  
• SUST-S 201 Foundations in Sustainability (3 cr.)
• SUST-S 491 Internship in Sustainability (3 cr.)

You can transfer up to 64 credit hours from a regionally accredited community college, or 90 credit hours from an accredited four-year university or college.