Sustainability

Sustainability-Related Courses at UMD

Sustainability is multidisciplinary in nature and is already a major theme of many courses across UMD’s colleges and departments. Making the changes necessary for UMD to operate more sustainably requires the unique contributions and creativity from students and faculty in all areas of study. Education is essential to UMD sustainability efforts, as outlined in the Energy Action Plan.

Liberal Education Requirement

Liberal education is a key component of UMD’s mission to prepare students to thrive as lifelong learners and globally engaged citizens. To that end, UMD requires that students take a set of courses outside of their concentration in order to ensure that their undergraduate education encompasses a broad range of historical and contemporary knowledge. Beginning in Fall 2012, sustainability will be included in the liberal education curriculum at UMD. Courses in this category focus on ways in which the science of the natural environment interacts with economic, social, and political forces in a local, national and/or global context. Below is a list of courses that relate to sustainability. Courses shaded in Black in the below list fulfill the sustainability category of the liberal arts curriculum.

Courses related to sustainability

As of September 2015, to read a course description, please use the Course Catalog Search

American Indian Studies

AMIN 2015 – Ojibwe History and Culture

Accounting

ACCT 3705 – Volunteer Income Tax Assistance

Anthropology

ANTH 3888 – Anthropology of Food
ANTH 4500 – The New Commons
ANTH 4623 – Anthropology and Contemporary Human Problems
ANTH 4631 – Anthropology and the Environment
ANTH 4632 – Anthropology of Landscapes
ANTH 4633 – Ethnobotany
ANTH 4653 – Senior Seminar

Art and Design

ART 3305 – Sustainability Studio: Theory and Practice

Biology

BIOL 1001 – Biology and Society
BIO 1012 – General Bio II
BIO 1012 – Evolution
BIOL 1010 – Home Horticulture
BIOL 4803 – Field Ecology
BIOL 5870 – Wetland Ecology

Chemical Engineering

CHE 1020 – Sustainable Engineered Systems
CHEM 1103 – Aspects of Chemistry
CHEM 1105 – From the Industrial Revolution to Green Chemistry
HE 1143 – Life Cycle Analysis
CHE 2001 – Introduction to Environmental Engineering
CHE 2111 – Materials and Energy Balances
CHE 2121 – Thermodynamics
CHEM 2212 – Environmental Chemistry
CHEM 2901 – Principles of Green Chemistry
CHE 3251 – Introduction to Pulp and Paper Process Technology
CHE 4501 – Chemical Engineering Design I
CHE 4603 – Biorenewable Resources

Chemistry

CHEM 1103 – Aspects of Chemistry
CHEM 1105 – From the Industrial Revolution to Green Chemistry
CHEM 2212 – Environmental Chemistry
CHEM 2212 – Principles of Green Chemistry

Civil Engineering

CE 1100 – Green Homes
CE 1100 – Geologic Principles for Civil Engineers
CE 3026 – Project Management
CE 4515 – Sustainable Design and Construction
CE 5515 – Sustainable Design and Construction

Communication

COMM 3405 – Health Campaigns
COMM 3620 – Controversy in the Boundary Waters

Cultural Studies

CST 1101 – Introduction to Cultural Studies
CST 4500 – The New Commons: Activism, Culture, History

Economics

ECON 3721 – Natural Resource and Energy Economics

Education

EDUC 1201 – Managing Planet Earth
EDUC 5230 - Indigenous Peoples and the Environment
EDUC 4234 – Science, Technology, and Society

Electrical and Computer Engineering

ECE 5501 – Energy Conversion Systems

Environmental Education

ENED 4555 – Foundations of Environmental Education
ENED 5325 – Environemtal Issues Investigation
ENED 4455/5565 – Young Children, Nature and Sustainability

Environment and Sustainability

ES 1001 – Introductory Seminar
ES 2095 – Special Topics (recently: Sustainable Agriculture Field Techniques)
ES 2803 – Issues in Global Ecology
ES 3100 – Sustainable Food Systems
ES 3500 – Ecological Economics
ES 4010 – Seminar
ES 4090 – Internship Preparation
ES 4097 – Internship

Environmental Science

ESCI 2210 – Science and Management of Environmental Systems
ESCI 3102 – Renewable Resources

Geography

GEOG 1202 – World Regional Geography
GEOG 1304 – Human Geography
GEOG 2306 – Environmental Conservation
GEOG 1414 – Physical Geography
GEOG 3334 – Urban Geography
GEOG 3461 – Geography of Global Resources
GEOG 3481 – Urban Ecology
GEOG 5573 – GIS in Regional Sustainability Applications

Geology

GEOL 1110 – Geology and Earth Systems
GEOL 1130 – Introduction to Environmental Science
GEOL 1610 – Oceanography

Health

HLTH 3101 – Community Health
HLTH 1100 – Health and Wellness Strategies for Life
HLTH 3500 – Environmental Health

Mechanical Engineering

ME 2211 – Thermodynamics

Management Studies

MGTS 4495 – Sustainable Management

Marketing

MKGT 3751 – Marketing Ethics

Philosophy

PHIL 3325 – Environmental Ethics

Physics

PHYS 1035 – Energy

Psychology

PSY 3211 – Group Dynamics

Social Work

SW 1210 – Global Issues

Sociology

SOC 4860 – Environmental Sociology

Spanish

SPAN 2550 – Globalization and Sustainability in Latin America

Urban and Regional Studies

URS 1001 – Introduction to Urban and Regional Studies

Water Resources Science

WRS 5101 – Water Policy

Women’s Studies

WS 3600 – Ecofeminist Theories and Practices
WS 3775 – Gender, Globalization, and Food

Study Abroad

Varied – search for Study Abroad opportunities today!

NOTE: If you know of a course at UMD with a sustainability focus that is missing from this list, please let us know, by e-mail us at sustain@d.umn.edu

Sustainable Food Systems (SFS) Certificate

Participants in the certificate will gain an understanding of sustainability and how it relates to the current U.S. food system model. The certificate will give learners a strong foundation of learning and skills for working in their regional food system from production, to advocacy, to service, to education. The certificate will provide opportunities for online learners to acquire the knowledge, skills, and understanding that are needed to create change in their communities and build a sustainable food system model for the future – one that is ecologically, economically and socially viable.