Sustainability Minor
The sustainability minor at Shippensburg University gives students from all majors the opportunity to develop skills in the field of sustainability. Students in the minor benefit from small class sizes, the opportunity to develop close relationships with faculty and gain hands-on experience in the field.
What Will I Learn?
Sustainability minors learn to effectively apply the principals of sustainability to their major field to help businesses, government agencies, educational institutions and others develop and implement ways to be better stewards of our natural and living resources, while facilitating enhancement of our collective human resources and economies by solving challenges on a planet with a growing population.
The core courses focus on understanding how Earth (including humans) functions as a system, with social, economic, ecological, geological, hydrologic and atmospheric processes interacting and affecting one another. You will learn about the complex drivers of our current sustainability challenges, how to think systematically and geographically about sustainability problems and solutions, and how to act to realize a better future.
What are the requirements for this degree?
This minor requires 21 credits including the core courses, electives in sustainable systems and courses in allied natural and social sciences.
What Types of Careers Could I Get With This Degree?
Many careers are available at all levels of government in planning, environmental conservation, resource management and community development. Many minors in sustainability will also pursue careers in the non-profit sector with conservation organizations and in industry as environmental consultants and GIS analysts, among many others. Students will also be well prepared to move on to graduate and professional school in a wide range of fields in law, planning, public policy and many natural and social sciences.
What Kinds of Experiences Could I Have?
As a sustainability minor, you will gain broad experience in the physical and social sciences and learn to apply this knowledge to your major field of study. Hands-on field research experience and service learning is also available at the Center for Land Use and Sustainability (CLUS), the Chincoteague Bay Field Station, the Campus Community Farm, as well as through our student club, The Green League, which organizes Earth Day, among other events on campus.