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  • Sustainability Studies

    A sustainability studies major prepares students for global citizenship with a firm grounding in the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities. Students in the major explore how to maintain ecological and environmental health, create economic welfare, and pursue social justice in a changing world. Sustainability studies students gain understanding of the ways in which these three goals are interdependent and explore how they best can be pursued over the long term on local, national, and global levels.

    About this Major

    To graduate with this major, students must complete all university, college, and major requirements.


    Critical TrackingModel Semester Plan

    Sustainability studies investigates the means to maintain environmental health, create economic welfare and pursue social justice in a changing world. Students gain an understanding of the ways in which these three goals are interdependent and explore how they can best be pursued in the long term at local, national and global levels.

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    Coursework for the Major

    Students are required to complete 33 credits of sustainability studies coursework; 15 of these 33 credits must be at the 3000/4000 level. All courses must be completed with minimum grades of C and a minimum of 15 credits of sustainability studies courses must be completed at UF.

    Required Coursework

    • IDS 2154 Facets of Sustainability (3 credits)
    • Three core courses with one course chosen from each disciplinary group (9 credits)
    • Six cluster courses with at least one course chosen from each of the four clusters
      (18 credits)
    • IDS 4942 Sustainability in Action, a capstone course (3 credits)

    Core Courses (9 credits/ 3 courses required)

    Take one 2000-level core course from each of the three disciplinary groups:

    Humanities

    • AMH 2631 History of Sustainability
    • CLA 2521 Classical Antiquity and Sustainability (GE-H)
    • REL 2071 Religion and Sustainability (GE-H)

    Natural Sciences

    • BSC 2862 Global Change Ecology and Sustainability (GE-B)
    • GLY 2038 Sustainability and the Changing Earth (GE-P)

    Social Sciences

    • ANT 2402 Anthropology of Sustainability
    • POS 2032 Politics of Sustainability (GE-S)

    Cluster Courses

    Select six courses from the four clusters with at least one course chosen from each cluster. Four of the six courses (12 credits) must be taken at the 3000 level or higher. Refer to the lists at the bottom of the page to view courses accepted for each cluster.

    • Cluster A: Ethics, Culture and Human Behavior
    • Cluster B: Economics, Law and Policy
    • Cluster C: Production Systems and the Built Environment
    • Cluster D: Ecology and Environmental Stewardship
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    Critical Tracking

    Critical Tracking records each student’s progress in courses that are required for entry to each major. Please note the critical-tracking requirements below on a per-semester basis.

    For degree requirements outside of the major, refer to CLAS Degree Requirements: Structure of a CLAS Degree.

    Equivalent critical-tracking courses as determined by the State of Florida Common Course Prerequisites may be used for transfer students.

    Semester 1

    • Complete IDS 2154 Facets of Sustainability
    • 2.0 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
    • 2.0 UF GPA required

    Semester 2

    • Complete 1 core course

    For semesters 2, 3 and 4, students must choose one CLAS core course for a total of three courses (one from each group) to be on track by the end of Semester 4.

    • 2.0 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
    • 2.5 UF GPA required

    Semester 3

    • Complete 1 additional core course
    • 2.0 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
    • 2.75 UF GPA required

    Semester 4

    • Complete 1 additional core course
    • 2.0 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
    • 3.0 UF GPA required

    Semester 5

    • Complete 1 additional course at the 3000 level or higher from Cluster A, B, C, or D
    • 2.0 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
    • 3.0 UF GPA required
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    Model Semester Plan

    Students are expected to complete the writing requirement while in the process of taking the courses below. Students are also expected to complete the general education international (GE-N) and diversity (GE-D) requirements concurrently with another general education requirement (typically, GE-C, H or S).

    This semester plan represents an example progression through the major. Actual courses and course order may be different depending on the student's academic record and scheduling availability of courses. Prerequisites still apply.

    Semester 1 Credits
    IDS 2154 Facets of Sustainability 3
    Composition
    State Core GE-C; WR
    3
    Foreign language 4-5
    Mathematics
    State Core GE-M, pure math
    4-5
    Total 14-16
    Semester 2 Credits
    ECO 2023 Principles of Microeconomics
    Recommended; GE-S
    4
    IUF 1000 What is the Good Life
    GE-H
    3
    Core course 3
    Foreign language 3-5
    Science laboratory
    GE-B or P
    1
    Total 14-16
    Semester 3 Credits
    ECO 2013 Principles of Macroeconomics
    Recommended; State Core GE-S
    4
    STA 2023 Introduction to Statistics 1
    Recommended; GE-M
    3
    ​Biological or Physical Science
    State Core GE-B or P
    3​​
    Core course 3
    Elective
    Or foreign language if 4-3-3 option
    3
    Total 16
    Semester 4 Credits
    Biological or Physical Science
    Area not taken in Semester 3, GE-B or P
    3
    ​Biological Science (GE-B) or
    Elective (if BSC 2862 taken as natural science core course for major)
    3​​
    Core course 3
    Humanities
    State Core GE-H
    3
    Social and Behavioral Science
    State Core GE-S, if ECO 2013 not taken
    3
    Total 15
    Semester 5 Credits
    Composition
    GE-C; WR
    3
    Cluster courses, two 6​​
    Elective
    3000 level or above, not in major
    3
    Physical Science (GE-P) or
    Elective (if GLY2038 taken as natural science core course for major)
    3
    Total 15
    Semester 6 Credits
    Cluster courses, two 6​​
    Elective 3
    Elective
    3000 level or above, not in major
    3
    Humanities (GE-H, if needed) or
    Elective
    3
    Total 15
    Semester 7 Credits
    Cluster courses, two ​6
    Electives 4
    Electives
    3000 level or above, not in major
    6
    Total 16
    Semester 8 Credits
    IDS 4942 Sustainability in Action
    Capstone course
    3
    Elective 3
    Electives
    3000 level or above, not in major
    6
    ​Humanities
    GE-H
    3​
    Total 15

    Depending on the course(s) taken, the sustainability studies core courses and cluster courses may also meet the following general education categories: biological sciences, humanities, international, physical sciences, or social and behavioral sciences. If a general education category is met through a core or cluster course, the student may substitute elective credit where the GE requirement is listed in the model semester plan.

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    Approved Cluster Courses

    Cluster A: Ethics, Culture and Human Behavior
    AEB 4126 Agricultural and Natural Resource Ethics (GE-H or S)
    AMH 3630 American Environmental History
    ANT 4006 Human Rights and Culture
    ANT 4403 Environment and Cultural Behavior (GE-S)
    FOR 3202 Society and Natural Resources (GE-S)
    FNR 4070C Environmental Education Program Development
    GEO 3427 Plants, Health and Spirituality
    PHI 3633 Bioethics
    PHM 3032 Ethics and Ecology (GE-H)
    REL 2104 Environmental Ethics (GE-H)
    REL 2166 Religion and Environmental Crisis (GE-H and N)
    REL 3103 Religion and Nature in North America (GE-H)
    REL 3169 Religion and Environmental Movements of the Global South
    REL 3492 Religion, Ethics and Nature (GE-H)​
    REL 4188 Environmental Values and Practice
    SCE 4342 Environmental Education Method and Materials
    SYD 4020 Population (GE-S and N)
    SYD 4510 Environment and Society
    SYD 4512 Social Institutions and Environment
    SYG 2010 Social Problems and Solutions (GE-S)​
    SYO 4530 Social Inequality (GE-S and D)
    WIS 4523 Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Conservation
    WST 3349 Ecofeminism
    WST 3930 or REL 3154 Gender and Nature
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    Cluster B: Economics, Law and Policy
    AEB 2451 Economics of Resource Use (GE-S)
    AEB 3450 Introduction to Natural Resource and Environmental Economics
    AEB 4123 Agricultural and Natural Resource Law
    AEB 4282 International Humanitarian Assistance (GE-S and N)
    AEB 4283 International Development Policy (GE-S)
    ​CPO 4793 Environmental Politics of the Global South
    ECP 3302 Environmental Economics and Resource Policy (GE-S)
    EUH 3683 The History of Consumption
    EUS 4931 or ALS 4905 Climate Change and the European Union: Science and Policy
    FNR 4660 Natural Resource Policy and Economics
    FOR 4664 Sustainable Ecotourism Development
    FYC 4408 Organizational Leadership for Nonprofits
    FYC 4409 Working with Nonprofit Organizations in Community Settings
    FYC 4427 Non-Governmental Organizations
    GEO 2500 Global and Regional Economies (GE-S)
    GEO 3372 Conservation of Resources
    INR 4350 International Environmental Relations
    LEI 3250 Introduction to Outdoor Recreation and Parks
    POT 3503 Environmental Ethics and Politics
    PUP 3204 Politics and Ecology (GE-S)
    ​PUP 4224 Florida Environmental Politics
    SYO 4352 Consumption, Economy and Society (GE-S)
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    Cluster C: Production Systems and the Built Environment
    ARC 1000 Architecture and Humanity (GE-H)
    ARC 3291 Vernacular Architecture and Sustainability
    ARC 3880 Sustainable Architecture
    AGG 3501 Environment, Food and Society (GE-B)
    AGR 4212 Alternative Cropping Systems
    ALS 3133 Agricultural and Environmental Quality (GE-P)
    AOM 2520 Global Sustainable Energy: Past, Present and Future
    BCN 1582 International Sustainable Development (GE-S and N)
    BCN 3730 Construction, Safety, Health and the Environment
    DCP 3200 Methods of Inquiry for Sustainability and the Built Environment
    DCP 3210 Sustainable Solutions for the Built Environment
    DCP 3220 Social and Cultural Sustainability for the Built Environment
    DCP 4941 Practicum in Sustainability and the Built Environment
    EES 3008 Energy and Environment (GE-P)
    EES 4050 Environmental Planning and Design
    EES 4316 Industrial Ecology
    EES 4401 Public Health Engineering (GE-P)
    FAS 2024 Global and Regional Perspectives in Fisheries (GE-B)
    FOR 3162C Silviculture
    FOR 4060 Global Forests
    FOR 4090C Urban Forestry
    HOS 3281C Principles of Organic and Sustainable Crop Production
    HOS 4283C Advanced Organic and Sustainable Crop Production
    LAA 2330 Site Analysis
    LAA 4260 Water Conservation Through Site Design and Green Roofs
    SWS 3022 Introduction to Soils in the Environment (GE-P)
    SWS 4116 Environmental Nutrient Management (GE-P)
    SWS 4231C Soil, Water and Land Use (GE-P)
    SWS 4233 Soil and Water Conservation
    SWS 4245 Water Resource Sustainability
    SWS 4550 Soils, Water and Public Health
    SWS 4932 Forest and Soil Ecosystem Services
    URP 4000 Preview of Urban and Regional Planning (GE-H)
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    Cluster D: Ecology and Environmental Stewardship
    BOT 2800C Plants in Human Affairs (GE-B)
    BSC 2005 Biological Sciences (GE-B)
    BSC 2011 Integrated Principles of Biology 2 (GE-B)
    EES 4103 Applied Ecology (GE-B)
    ENV 4101 Elements of Atmospheric Pollution (GE-P)
    FOR 2662 Forests for the Future (GE-S) (WR)
    FOR 3004 Forests, Conservation and People (GE-B)
    FOR 3153C Forest Ecology (GE-B)​
    GEO 2200 Physical Geography (GE-P)
    GEO 3250 Climatology (GE-P)
    GEO 3280 Principles of Geographic Hydrology (GE-P)
    GEO 3341 Extreme Floods (GE-P and N)
    GEO 3352 The Human Footprint on the Landscape
    GLY 2010C Physical Geology (GE-P)
    GLY 2030C Environmental and Engineering Geology (GE-P)
    GLY 3074 The Oceans and Global Climate Change (GE-P)
    GLY 3083C Fundamentals of Marine Sciences (GE-P)​
    GLY 3882C Hydrogeology and Human Affairs
    PCB 3034C Introduction to Ecology
    PCB 3601C Plant Ecology​
    PCB 4043C General Ecology
    SWS 2007 The World of Water (GE-P)
    SWS 2008 Land and Life (GE-B)
    SWS 4223 Environmental Biogeochemistry
    SWS 4244 Wetlands
    WIS 2040 Wildlife Issues in a Changing World (GE-B)
    WIS 2552 Biodiversity Conservation: Global Perspectives (GE-B and N)
    WIS 3401 Wildlife Ecology and Management
    WIS 3402 Wildlife of Florida
    WIS 3434 Tropical Wildlife
    WIS 4554 Conservation Biology​
    WIS 4934 Special Topics
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    Related Sustainability Studies Programs

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majors: sustainability-studies