Registration for Fall 2018 undergraduates starts soon and if you’re looking for some interesting sustainability courses within the Sustainability Minor or just to expand your sustainability perspectives, we’ve got you covered!

Let’s start with some information about the minor! The Sustainability Studies Minor and the related courses will immerse you in the study of real-world problems from a variety of academic disciplines. You will get a chance to learn and apply sustainability thinking to your everyday life and build strong connections with other inspiring students who are passionate about sustainable development.

Here are the courses to get you started in the Sustainability Studies Minor:

SUST 3003 |  Sustainable People, Sustainable Planet

When: MW 1:30 – 2:45 PM | Where: Biological Sciences Center 64

What you will learn:

• Scientific, cultural, ethical and economic concepts that affect environmental sustainability and global economic justice.

Student Insights:

“In 3003 we focused a lot on closed loop systems, how one action could affect something that you’d never think would be affected, which has opened my mind to think of consequences of my actions, which could be applied to any professional setting”

 

SUST 4004 | Sustainable Communities

When: Th 5:30 – 8:00 PM | Where: Eastbank

What you will learn:

• Multidisciplinary perspectives of looking at sustainability.
• Integration of insights gained from varied approaches and methods.
• Application to real-world problems

PSA: You’ll get to go on an overnight trip to western Minnesota to visit a farm and rural community!😎

Student Insights:

“SUST 4004 was a great opportunity for me to put my skills and knowledge of sustainability into action. Most of the time we just learn about environmental issues, but in this class, we got the chance to take action through our group project, which was an incredibly valuable experience.”

 

Let’s look at some of the electives, shall we?

 

SUST 4096 | Sustainability Internship

When: T 4:00 – 5:15 PM | Where: Vincent 313

What you will learn:

• Internship Experience related to sustainability
• Develop professional and leadership skills
• Explore strategies for leading social change

Student Insights:

“This is a good class for you if you want to gain valuable experience and get credit for connecting with others who are passionate about sustainability.”

 

GCC 3025 | Living the Good Life at the End of The World: Sustainability in the Anthropocene

When: TTh 2:30 – 3:45 PM | Where: Ford Hall 151

What you will learn:

• Examine your own assumptions about personal and professional happiness.
• Explore innovative solutions to sustain our productive economy. 

 

GCC 3005: Grand Challenge: Global Venture Design – What Impact Will You Make?

When: Tuesday’s 2:30 PM – 5:30 PM | Where:  Bruininks Hall 530B

What you will learn:

• Students will work in teams developing sustainable business and technical solutions to address an environmental or social challenge in India.
• Technical and business development professionals based in the US and India will act as mentors to provide advice to each team.

GCC 3024: 11 Billion People: How long can the planet sustain humanity?

When: MW 1:00PM-2:15PM | Where: Hubert H Humphrey School

What you will learn:

• Investigate the origins, development, and predictions for humanity’s ecological niche on the planet through a novel interdisciplinary fusion of the social and environmental sciences.
• See the environmental context of the present in an evolutionary light.
• Use tools to evaluate possible remediation and sustainability approaches to control these problems at the local and global scale.

 

HECUA | Environmental Sustainability

When: MTh 9:00 – 3:00 PM | Where: Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy

What you will learn:

• Get an opportunity to study off-campus at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy in Minneapolis and engage in a 20-hour per week internship.
• The class includes a seminar-style discussion and a number of field visits to a local farm, where you can get the opportunity to get a Permaculture Design Certificate.

Application Deadline: April 15th

 

SSM 3301: Global Water Resource Use and Sustainability

*Online

What you will learn:

• Explore the many facets of water, earth’s most abundant resource.
• Ponder the value water for you, society, a region or nation; the complexities of ownership and protection; the influence of culture and traditions; and potential impacts of climate change.
• Consider realistic and holistic solutions to water issues.

 

LA 1001: Sustainability by Design

When: TTh 04:00 PM – 05:15 PM | Where: Ford Hall

What you will learn:

• How the Twin Cities region (as example of many metropolitan areas) can adapt to climate change, depleted energy resources, and other environmental impacts.
• How cities and places are designed, how places influence sustainable lifestyles.
• How to adapt the Twin Cities/other cities to a changing world.

 

Follow Sustainability Education on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest updates in class options and future sustainability events around campus!

 

Co-Written by Lauren Schultz, photo’s courtesy of Sustainability Education.