Pictured | Faith Hunsberger | Sustainability Studies / Minor in Earth and Space Science | Mentone, Indiana (hometown)
Club Affiliation | Sustainability Club

Bachelor of Arts in Sustainability

Make more than a living. Make a difference. The future is bright for students of sustainability studies. Employers today need people with the knowledge and skills to help them meet the challenge of balancing people, planet and prosperity. Our programs will teach you how to leverage sustainability and innovation to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the fast emerging green economy; And, they have been carefully designed to offer you a seamless classroom to career pathway.

Academic Advising

College policy on advising requires that students meet with their academic advisors at least once each year, and in some departments, prior to each semester’s enrollment. Advising holds are placed on all College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) students prior to advance registration and are released following advising appointments. Students with a declared major are advised in their academic units. To determine who your advisor is and how to contact them, see One.IU.

Degree Requirements (120 cr.)

Degree Map >>

Students receiving the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree must complete 120 total credit hours including:

• IU South Bend Campuswide General Education Curriculum (33-39 cr.)
• College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Bachelor of Arts Additional Requirements (14-23 cr.) 
• Major Requirements (33 cr.)
• Required Minor taken in any campus school or interdisciplinary program (15-18 cr.)
• Electives (balance of credits needed to equal 120 cr. requirement)

• A minimum of 30 credit hours at the 300- or 400-level.
• Major and minor requirements must be completed with a grade of C– or higher.
• All courses are 3 credit hours, unless otherwise noted.

Major Requirements (33 cr.)

Introduction (3 cr.)

• SUST-S 201 Foundations of Sustainability

Sustainability Core Courses (12 cr.)

• SUST-B 399 Human Behavior and Social Institutions
  VT: Just Food: Sustainable Food Systems
• SUST-S 360 Topics in Sustainability Studies
  VT: Sustainable Urban Agriculture
  VT: Just Work
  VT: Sustainability, Health, and Wellness
• SUST-S 361 Sustainability Abroad (1-6 cr.)
• SUST-S 411 Sustainability, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship
• SUST-S 460 Strategies for Transformative Leadership and Community Engagement
• SUST-S 495 Directed Readings in Sustainability (1-3 cr.)
• SUST-S 496 Research in Sustainability (1-3 cr.)

Scientific Foundations of Sustainability (3 cr.)

Select one from the following:

• BIOL-L 101 Introduction to Biological Sciences 1 (5 cr.)
  (2 cr. count towards Elective)
• BIOL-N 390 The Natural World
  VT: Environmental Biology (Biology majors can substitute BIOL-L 473 Ecology and BIOL-L 474 Field and Laboratory Ecology (2 cr.)
• CHEM-N 190 The Natural World
  VT: Chemistry and Our Environment
• GEOL-G 111 Physical Geology
• GEOL-G 210 Oceanography
• GEOL-G 219 Meteorology
• GEOL-G 451 Principles of Hydrogeology
• GEOL-N 190 The Natural World
  VT: Geology of the National Parks
  VT: Weather Forecasting and Analysis
• GEOL-N 390 The Natural World
  VT: Natural Hazard and Disasters
• PHYS-N 190 The Natural World
  VT: Energy in the 21st Century

Social, Cultural, and Economic Foundations of Sustainability (3 cr.)

Select one from the following:

• AHST-T 390 Literary and Intellectual Traditions
  VT: History of Landscape
• BUS-B 399 Business and Society
• GEOG-G 338 Geographic Information Science
• HIST-T 190 Literary and Intellectual Traditions
  VT: Humans and the Environment
• HPER-N 220 Nutrition for Health
• HSC-H 331 Environmental Health
• LSTU-L 390 Topics in Labor Studies
  VT: Jobs and the Environment
• PHIL-P 383 Topics in Philosophy
  VT: Philosophical Topics in Evolution
• PHIL-T 390 Literary and Intellectual Traditions
  VT: Environmental Philosophy
• POLS-Y 115 Environment and the People
• PSY-B 190 Human Behavior and Social Institutions
  VT: Social Justice
• SOC-B 399 Human Behavior and Social Institutions
  VT: Sustainable Communities
  VT: Costa Rica (Crosslisted with SOC-S 362)
• SOC-S 306 Urban Society
• SOC-S 410 Advanced Topics in Social Organization
  VT: Consumer Culture and Climate Change
• SOC-S 460 Topics in Non-Western Cultures
  VT: International Inequalities
• SUST-B 190 The Sustainable Future
• WGS-T 390 Literary and Intellectual Traditions
  VT: Women and Sustainability

Capstone (3 cr.)

Select one from the following:

• SUST-S 490 Sustainability Practicum
• SUST-S 491 Internship in Sustainability

Electives (9 cr.)

• Electives may be chosen from any of the above listed categories