Overview
Are you passionate about creating a more sustainable future? Become an agent of change! A new generation of professionals is needed to develop solutions and positive societal change to bring about a more sustainable world. Sustainability begins where the natural environment, society, economic factors, and political concerns meet. Whether your passion is food, energy, water, urban living, consumption, natural resources, or the circular economy, you will find a place here. In this program, you’ll learn how to make change for the long-term.
This degree focuses on sustainability related to food systems, energy, natural resources, and biodiversity. Core requirements address major themes of sustainability, including societal, economic, and environmental concerns. The final year of the program features a two-semester capstone project with an emphasis on either research or application. You’ll take a range of classes that include geography, environmental studies, economics, architecture, business, history, and more. You’ll learn to analyze, evaluate, critique, and create new ideas and models around sustainability at the local and global level.
Program Options
You have the option to major or minor in sustainability. Beyond the requirements of the major, students have the option to pursue a minor. The Department of Environmental Studies, Geography, and Sustainability also offers minors in environmental studies and geoscience.
Environmental Studies Minor
A minor in Environmental Studies provides a complement to a wide range of majors, including Sustainability. Broaden your understanding of environmental science and policy affecting the health of our natural world. You’ll gain an awareness of the scientific, cultural, and political aspects of the world’s environmental issues.
Geoscience Minor
A minor in Geoscience will strengthen your education. A geographic perspective provides will complement a Sustainability major. Students will take courses in environmental studies, geography, Earth science, and meteorology. Students will also select from regional, systematic, and geographic skills courses.
Interested in Learning More?
Reach out to us!
Professor Sasha Davis
Environmental Studies, Geography, and Sustainability
(603) 358-2687
Sasha.Davis@keene.edu
or
Kate Witte
Sustainability Coordinator
(603) 358-2194
Katherine.Witte@keene.edu
Request Information
Career Opportunities
Career paths from this degree include professions in food and agriculture, wildlife and resource management, environmental nonprofits, the energy sector, and urban and regional planning. Potential career opportunities include:
- Climate adaptation planning
- Climatologist
- Conservation officer
- Food marketing
- Forest management
- GIS analyst
- Land and wildlife conservation
- Park ranger
- Solar energy specialist
- Sustainable agriculture
- Transportation planning
- Watershed scientist
Skills You’ll Learn
As a sustainability major, you will have a thorough understanding of the appropriate methods and techniques to pose and answer questions about sustainability
- The ability to characterize sustainability challenges using integrated knowledge of human and nature systems
- Understand sustainability concepts; articulate a comprehensive world view that integrates diverse approaches to sustainability
- Work effectively with others to achieve a goal
- Analyze the role of environmental sustainability in the promotion of comprehensive justice and equity; and solve sustainability challenges using skills, knowledge, perspective-taking, and collaboration.
Sustainability Studies, B.A., Total Credits: 120 credits
Core Courses
Principles of Sustainability
Explore the idea of sustainability from a systems perspective and a personal perspective. We examine forces at work in shaping the sustainability of agriculture, water, energy, materials, and biodiversity at regional, national, and global levels. Fall, Spring.
Ecology of a Changing Planet
This integrated lecture-lab course will provide an understanding of biological and ecological principles and relate them to different environmental issues, such as global climate change, conservation of habitats and biodiversity, land use change, and pollution. Field and lab exercises emphasize sampling and experimental design, hypothesis formation, data analysis, and interpretation. Prerequisites:One course to meet the QL requirement and one ENST class. Fall.
Seminar I
In-depth analysis of environmental and sustainability literature and methodologies. Emphasis on proposal writing and oral presentation. Development of a project proposal to be completed in ENST 495. Exploration of postgraduate opportunities. Field trips and field work required. Prerequisites: 76 credits, including 20 credits in ENST. Declared major in Environmental Studies or Sustainability Studies. C or higher in the following: ISENST 120; INENST 201 or ENST 252; and ISENST 203 or ENST 253. Fall, Spring.
