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  • Sustainability Studies

    Sustainability studies is an academically rigorous, interdisciplinary program that provides knowledge and skills in the emerging field of sustainability studies.

    About This Major

    • College: Liberal Arts and Sciences
    • Degree: Bachelor of Arts
    • Hours for the Degree: 120
    • Minor: Yes
    • Combined-Degree Program: No
    • Website: sustainability.clas.ufl.edu

    Overview

    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.

    Coursework for the Major

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

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

      • 2.0 UF GPA required
      • 2.0 GPA required on all critical-tracking coursework Semesters 1-5
      • Complete IDS 2154 Facets of Sustainability

      Semester 2

      • 2.5 UF GPA required
      • Complete 1 core course
        Note: 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.

      Semester 3

      • 2.75 UF GPA required
      • Complete 1 additional core course

      Semester 4

      • 3.0 UF GPA required
      • Complete 1 additional core course

      Semester 5

      • 3.0 UF GPA required
      • Complete 1 additional course at the 3000 level or higher from Cluster A, B, C, or D

      Recommended Semester Plan

      Students are expected to complete the writing and math requirement while in the process of taking the courses below. Students are required to complete HUM 2305 The Good Life (GE-H) in semester 1 or 2. 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).

      Semester 1 Credits
      IDS 2154 Facets of Sustainability 3
      Composition (GE-C, WR) 3
      Foreign language 4-5
      Mathematics (GE-M) 4-5
      Total 14-16
      Semester 2 Credits
      ECO 2023 Principles of Microeconomics, recommended (GE-S) 4
      HUM 2305 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 (GE-S) 4
      STA 2023 Introduction to Statistics 1, recommended (GE-M) 3
      Core course 3
      Elective (or foreign language if 4-3-3 option) 3
      Biological Science (GE-B) * 3
      Total 16
      Semester 4 Credits
      Biological Science (GE-B) * 3
      Core course 3
      Humanities (GE-H) * 3
      Physical Science (GE-P) 3
      Social and Behavioral Science (GE-S) * 3
      Total 15
      Semester 5 Credits
      Composition (GE-C, WR) 3
      Elective (3000 level or above, not in major) 3
      Physical Science (GE-P) * 3
      Two cluster courses (see lists below) 6
      Total 15
      Semester 6 Credits
      Elective (3000 level or above, not in major) 3
      Electives * 6
      Two cluster courses (see lists below) 6
      Total 15
      Semester 7 Credits
      Electives 4-0
      Electives (3000 level or above, not in major) 6
      Two cluster courses (see lists below) 6
      Total 16-12
      Semester 8 Credits
      IDS 4942 Sustainability in Action (capstone course) 3
      Humanities (GE-H) 3
      Elective 3
      Electives (3000 level or above, not in major) 6
      Total 15

      * Depending on the course(s) taken, the CLAS core courses and cluster courses may also meet general education biological sciences, humanities, international, physical sciences, or social and behavioral sciences requirements. If a general education requirement is met through a core or cluster course, the student may substitute elective credit where the GE requirement is listed.

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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, WR-6)
      AMH 3630 American Environmental History
      ANT 4006 Human Rights and Culture
      ANT 4403 Environment and Cultural Behavior (GE-S, WR-6)
      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, WR-2)
      REL 2166 Religion and Environmental Crisis
      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 4173 Religion, Ethics and Sustainable Agriculture
      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 (GE-S)
      SYO 4530 Social Inequality (GE-S and D)
      SYG 2010 Social Problems and Solutions (GE-S)​
      WIS 4523 Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Conservation
      WST 3349 Ecofeminism (WR-4)
      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 3113 Population Economics (GE-S and N)
      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
      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, WR6)
      ​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
      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)
      ENV 4612 Green Engineering Design and Sustainability
      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 2009 Biological Sciences(GE-B)
      BSC 2011 Integrated Principles of Biology 2 (GE-B)
      EES 4103 Applied Ecology (GE-B)
      EES 4370 Environmental Meteorology and Oceanography
      ENV 4101 Elements of Atmospheric Pollution (GE-P)
      FOR 2662 Forests for the Future (GE-S)
      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 Introduction to Marine Science (GE-P)​
      GLY 3882C Hydrogeology and Human Affairs
      PCB 3034C Introduction to Ecology (GE-B)​
      PCB 3601C Plant Ecology​
      PCB 4043C General Ecology (GE-B)
      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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majors: sustainability-studies