Schools
School of Natural Sciences
Certificate in Sustainability
The certificate program provides an interdisciplinary combination of courses in a liberal arts setting that will prepare students for careers in environmental and sustainability education, advocacy, and management. The Brundtland Commission (formerly, the World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987) envisioned the concept: sustainable development is development that “meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” The logical components of a sustainable development strategy encompass environmental, economic, social, and political elements. Students attracted to the environmental and sustainability management certificate are expected to work for governments, private businesses, and special interest organizations that seek to sustain and improve both current and future conditions for life on earth. The interdisciplinary certificate program seeks to provide them with skills and perspectives that will serve the development of their own rewarding careers in this field. The strengths of the certificate program are: Offers a holistic interdisciplinary approach; Engages students in relevant civic engagement opportunities in the Southern Indiana - Louisville metropolitan region; Provides an alternative program for students interested in environmental issues but less interested in scientific occupations; Enhances the liberal arts experience with courses in the social sciences, humanities, natural sciences, education and business.
Student Learning Goals
- Comprehend the three pillars of sustainability: Environmental, Social and Economic.
- Explain their inter-relationships Environmental, Social and Economic sustainability.
- Identify sustainability principles within their academic specialty.
- Be able to begin to analyze local, national and global problems using sustainability principles
- Be able to begin to apply principles of sustainability to propose solution local, national and global problems.
- Document how sustainability principles have influenced personal and professional values.
Sustainability Certificate Residency Requirement
The Sustainability Certificate program enforces the IU Southeast Certificate Residency Requirement (minimum of 50% of total credits) with no additions.
Core Program
All courses listed below require a grade of C or better.
Dept. |
Course Number |
Title |
Credit Hours |
Minimum Grade |
Primary Courses (Complete each of the following) |
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PHYS-P |
120 |
Energy & Technology |
3 |
C |
PHIL-P |
237 |
Environmental Ethics |
3 |
C |
SOC-S |
309 |
The Community |
3 |
C |
Secondary Courses (Complete one course from each discipline below) |
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Environmental Science (Choose one) |
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EDUC-Q |
450 & 550 |
Science Technology & Society in a Changing World |
3 |
C |
BIOL-L |
200 |
Environmental Biology |
3 |
C |
Social Sustainability (Choose one) |
||||
SOC-S |
305 |
Populations & Human Ecology |
3 |
C |
SOC-S |
308 |
Global Society |
3 |
C |
Economic Sustainability (Choose one) |
||||
ECON-E | 363 |
Environmental & Natural Resources |
3 | C |
POLS-Y | 376 |
International Political Economy |
3 | C |
Specialization Are (Choose one are and complete a minimum of 8 credit hours in that area.) |
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Environmental Sustainability Course List |
||||
BIOL-L | 303 |
Field Biology |
3 | C |
BIOL-L | 343 |
Applied Conservation Biology |
5 | C |
BIOL-L & BIOL-L |
473 & 474 |
Ecology & Ecology Lab |
3/2 | C |
BIOL-L |
579 |
Community Ecology |
3 | C |
CHEM-C |
303 |
Environmental Chemistry |
3 | C |
CHEM-C |
305 |
Environmental Chemistry Seminar |
1 | C |
CHEM-C |
318 |
Spectrochemistry & Separations |
3 | C |
CHEM-C |
333 |
Experimental Environmental Chemistry |
2 | C |
GEOG-G |
213 |
Introduction to Economic Geography |
3 | C |
GEOG-G |
307 |
Biogeography |
3 | C |
GEOG-G |
315 |
Environmental Conservation |
3 | C |
GEOG-G |
338 |
Geographic Information Science |
3 | C |
GEOG-G |
432 |
Current Issues in Environmental Conservation |
3 | C |
GEOG-G |
438 |
Advanced Geographic Information Systems |
3 | C |
GEOG-G |
439 |
Seminar in Geographic Information |
3 | C |
GEOL-G |
400 |
Energy: Sources and Needs |
3 | C |
MICR-M |
420 |
Environmental Microbiology |
5-6 | C |
PHYS-P |
310 |
Environmental Physics |
3 | C |
Social Sustainability Course List |
||||
REL-R | 371 |
Religion, Ethics, and the Environment |
3 | C |
POLS-Y | 303 |
Formation of Public Policy |
3 | C |
PSY-P | 457 |
Topics in Psychology: Environmental Psychology & Sustainable Living |
4 | C |
SOC-S | 305 |
Populations & Human Ecology |
3 | C |
SOC-S | 308 |
Global Society |
3 | C |
Economic Sustainability Course List |
||||
ECON-E | 363 |
Environmental & Natural Resources |
3 | C |
POLS-Y | 376 |
International Political Economy |
3 | C |
SOC-S | 360 |
Topics in Social Policy |
3 | C |
SOC-S | 419 |
Social Movements and Collective Action |
3 | C |
SOC-S | 403 |
Industry, Labor, & Community |
3 | C |
Internship (A max. of 2 credits of Internship may be applied toward specialization area) |
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COAS-S | 399 |
Internship |
1-2 | C |
Financial Aid
Students may not currently receive Financial Aid for the Sustainability Certificate.