Sustainability Minor

The interdisciplinary minor in Sustainability includes courses from a variety of departments and colleges at UCCS. Join the Minor and learn to identify and understand problems, and develop and implement meaningful and sustainable solutions!

Sustainability commits to goals of inter- and intra-generational justice, human development, and sustaining physical and biological systems. These are often cast as the three pillars of sustainability: social equity, economic development, and environmental protection.

Students in the minor are expected to identify core concepts and critiques of sustainability; understand the current state of knowledge about global climate change; and development indepent and collaborative research skills.

Academic Requirements

Students earning the minor in Sustainability complete a minimum of 18 credit hours, 12 of which must be upper division (3000-level and above). There are two required coures:

• GES 1500: Introduction to Environmental Studies and Sustainability (offered only in fall semester)
• GES 4800: Sustainability Seminar (offered only in spring semester)

Remaining coursework must include at least one course from each of the three perspectives of environment, equity, and economy. A maximum of nine credits can apply toward both the Sustainability minor and your major, and a minimum grade of C (2.0) must be received for any course to count towards the completion of the minor. At least nine credit hours must be taken at UCCS; the remainder can be transferred from other institutions.

Note that some of the listed courses include prerequisite courses and/or may not be offered every semester. Special topics courses, internships, independent studies, or other courses may fulfill requirements for the minor, but require approval by Christine Biermann (cbierman@uccs.edu), Director of the Sustainability Minor.