Program Description

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. This bachelor's curriculum is a truly multidisciplinary program, based on the three pillars of sustainability: environmental, social and economic. 

Students attracted to the sustainability degree 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 degree 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 BA 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, and business.

 Degree Requirements 

• General 

Complete 120 total credit hours, with at least 30 at the 300-400 (upper division) level, and a program cumulative grade point average of 2.0. 

• General Education Requirements (30 credit hours) 

Complete the University General Education requirements. Note: Some of the course options in some categories of the General Education curriculum also fulfill specific major requirements. Please see annotations in major grid below, identifying these double-duty courses, for maximizing your degree completion efficiency. 

•  Bachelor of Arts Distribution Requirements (27 credits hours)

 Complete the additional BA Distribution requirements beyond General Education.  Note: Some of the course options in some categories of the BA Distribution curriculum also fulfill specific major requirements. Please see annotations in major grid below, identifying these double-duty courses, for maximizing your degree completion efficiency. 

• Major 
  • Breadth Requirements (9 credit hours)

• Mathematics:     

  • MATH-A 118¹ Finite Math for Social and Biological Sciences

  Social Sciences: Choose one     

  • SOC-S 163² Social Problems 
  • SOC-S 203² Sociological Concepts & Perspectives

  Research Writing: Choose one     

  • ENG-W 231³ Professional Writing Skills 
  • ENG-W 234³ Technical Report Writing 
  • ENG-W 270³ Argumentative Writing

¹Fulfills General Education Quantitative Reasoning requirement too. 

²Together fulfill both the General Education and BA Distribution Requirements in Social Sciences too. 

³Fulfills General Education Second Level Writing requirement too.

• Primary Sustainability Courses (12 credit hours) 

• SUST-S 211 Sustainability and Regeneration: The Essentials
• PHYS-P 120¹ Energy and Technology 
• PHIL-P 237 Environmental Ethics 
• SOC-S 309 The Community 

¹Also fulfills BA Distribution requirement in Natural Sciences. 

• Secondary Sustainability Courses (9 credits)

Complete one course from each discipline, Environmental, Social and Economic sustainability. 

Environmental Sustainability: Choose one     

• EDUC-Q 450 Science Technology and Society for a Changing World 
• BIOL-L 200 Environmental Biology and Conservation 

Social Sustainability: Choose one  

• SOC-S   305 Population
• SOC-S 308 Global Society 

Economic Sustainability: Choose One  

• POLS-Y 376 International Political Economy
• ECON-E 363 Environmental and Natural Resource Economics

•  Specialization Area Requirements (12-13)

Choose one specialization area and complete a minimum of 12-13 credit hours in that
area, beyond what was taken for Secondary Sustainability area above.  Upper level (300-400 level) courses not used to fulfill the required secondary courses above may  be used to fulfill this requirement. Course list is subject to change. Please consult with academic advisor for current offerings. Check schedule of classes for necessary pre-requisites. 

Environmental Sustainability Options 

• BIOL-L  303 Field Biology 
• BIOL-L 343 Applied Conservation Biology 
• BIOL-L  473/474 Ecology (lecture+ lab)
• CHEM-C  303  Environmental Chemistry 
• CHEM-C  305  Environmental Chemistry Seminar 
• CHEM-C  318 Spectrochemistry and Separations 
• CHEM-C  333 Experimental Environmental Chemistry 
• EDUC-Q  450 Science, Technology, & Society for a Changing World 
• GEOG-G 304 Physical Climatology
• GEOG-G 307 Biogeography
• GEOG-G 308 Disasters: Natural and Human Induced
• GEOG-G  314 Urban Geography
• GEOG-G 315 Environmental Conservation
• GEOG-G  338 Geographic Information Science 
• GEOG-G 369 Geography of Food
• GEOG-G 404 Geography of Soils
• GEOL-G 300 Environmental and Urban Geology
• GEOL-G 400 Energy:Sources and Needs 
• GEOL-G 430 Principles of Hydrology
• GEOG-G 438 Advanced Geographic Information Systems
• GEOG-G  439 GIS and Environmental Analysis 
• MICR-M  420 Environmental Microbiology 
• PHYS-P  310 Environmental Physics 

Social Sustainability Options 

• HIST-F 350 The Environment in Latin American History
• HIST-F 360 Natural Disasters in Latin American History
• HIST-H 243 Environmental History
• HIST-H 373 History of Science and Technology
• PSY-P 488 Environmental Psychology and Sustainable Living
• POLS-Y  303 Policy Making in the U.S 
• REL-R 371  Religion, Ethics, and the Environment
• SOC-R 463 Inequality and Society
• SOC-S 305  Populations
• SOC-S  308  Global Society 
• SUST-S 361 Sustainability Abroad

 Economic Sustainability Options 

• ECON-E 363 Environmental and Natural Resource Economics
• POLS-Y  376 International Political Economy 
• SOC-S  360 Topics in Social Policy 
• SOC-S  419 Social Movements and Collective Action 
• SOC-S  403 Industry, Labor, and Community 

Internship Option

Students may elect a COAS-S 399 Internship as part of the specialization area. A maximum of 2 credit hours of internship credit may be applied to the specialization area; and must be pre-approved by faculty member sponsoring the internship. 

• Senior Experience Requirements (6 credit hours) 

To begin work on Senior Experience, student must have completed all primary & secondary coursework as
well as a minimum of 5 credits of specialization courses. As part of the Senior Experience, all students must
complete one Experiential Learning Course and the Sustainability Capstone course.

Experiential Learning: Choose one

• SUST-S  491  Internship in Sustainability 
• SUST-S  415 Research in Sustainability and Regeneration

Capstone 

• SUST-S  410 Readings in Sustainability and Regeneration