Developing Sustainability-Based Curriculum
At Michigan Tech, students of any discipline can pursue coursework in sustainability through their general education courses, major-specific curriculum, or project-based learning opportunities like capstone courses, senior design, or Enterprise.
Faculty across campus are developing new sustainability coursework to expand the existing opportunities. Through the Center for Innovation in Sustainability & Resilience, established by the Tech Forward Initiative, we aim to create 5-7 new or retooled sustainability courses per year through 2026. Examples of new curriculum developed through this program include courses in: project-based community development, sustainable transportation, and an historical analysis of waste generation and management. Additionally, faculty are developing a host of exciting new sustainability education opportunities through the Essential Education curriculum that will begin in the fall of 2024. Together, these efforts will allow all students to gain exposure to sustainability concepts early in their careers, and build their depth of knowledge and skills through further coursework.
Studying Sustainability
There are many ways for students to incorporate sustainability into their academic careers at Michigan Tech. For undergraduate students, there are over 80 courses and 14 programs that have a significant sustainability component, and for graduate students there are more than 50 courses and 13 programs with sustainability at their core. See some examples below or our full listing of sustainability programs.
Examples of Academic Programs:
- Sustainability Science and Society (BS, Social Sciences)
- Environmental Science and Sustainability (BS, CFRES)
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (BS, Biological Sciences)
- Alternative Energy Technology (Minor, Chemical Engineering)
- Sustainable Bioproducts (CFRES)
- Sustainable Communities (MS, Social Sciences)
- Environmental Engineering (BS/MS/PhD, CEGE)
- Forest Ecology and Management (MS, CFRES)
- Environmental and Energy Policy (MS/PhD, Social Sciences)
For current students, checking in with your academic advisor is a great first step to finding out the options that work best for your major. Current and prospective students may also reach out to the Office of Sustainability and Resilience to discuss how to weave sustainability into their Michigan Tech experience.