OVERVIEW OF THE MINOR IN SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability is often defined as "meeting the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." The minor in sustainability at Iowa State University is available to any ISU student who wants to further learn about sustainability issues affecting humans today and in the future.
The interdisciplinary minor in sustainability exposes students to ideas and issues related to a sustainable, balanced and ethical future for the planet and its inhabitants. The minor is at the interplay between environmental, social and economic factors in improving the quality of human life within the capacity of supporting ecosystems.
The minor will help students understand the dynamics of biological population growth and decline in the natural world, predator-prey models, over-exploitation of natural resources, energy balances, and much more. Students also will study how human behavior affects the natural world and the ability of earth to sustain life and understand how the decisions they make as consumers, workers, resource owners, citizens and policymakers affect human welfare in this and future generations.
Student Learning Outcomes
As a result of their coursework for the sustainability program students will be able to:
- Articulate why some environmental, social and economic profiles are sustainable and others are not.
- Apply sustainable practices in their personal and professional lives.
The colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Design, Engineering, and Liberal Arts and Sciences sponsor the minor in sustainability.
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MINOR IN SUSTAINABILITY
The minor in sustainability may be earned by completing a total of 15 credits including two required courses and nine elective credits from an approved list. Of the nine elective credits, at least six credits must be at the 3000 level or higher. The minor must include at least 9 credits that are not used to meet any other department, college, or university requirement.
Required courses:
| MATE 2200 | Globalization and Sustainability | 3 |
| ANTHR 2300 | Globalization and the Human Condition | 3 |
Emphasis Electives:
| ABE 3250 | Biorenewable Systems | 3 |
| ABE 3800 | Principles of Biological Systems Engineering | 3 |
| EE 3880 | Sustainable Engineering and International Development | 3 |
| ABE 4800 | Engineering Analysis of Biological Systems | 3 |
| AGRON 1200 | Introduction to Renewable Resources | 3 |
| AGRON 1600 | Water Resources of the World | 3 |
| AGRON 3420 | World Food Issues: Past and Present | 3 |
| AGRON 4040 | Global Change | 3 |
| AGRON 4500 | Issues in Sustainable Agriculture | 3 |
| ANTHR 3360 | Culture and Capitalism | 3 |
| ARCH 3450 | Building Science and Technology I | 2 |
| ARCH 3460 | Building Science and Technology II | 3 |
| ARCH 3460L | Building Science and Technology II Lab | 2 |
| ARCH 3470 | Building Science and Technology III | 3 |
| ARCH 3470L | Building Science and Technology III Lab | 2 |
| ARCH 3480 | Building Science and Technology IV | 3 |
| ARCH 3480L | Building Science and Technology IV Lab | 2 |
| ARCH 4450 | Building Science and Technology V | 2 |
| ARCH 5580 | Sustainability and Green Architecture | 3 |
| ARCH 5750 | Contemporary Urban Design Theory | 3 |
| ARCH 5970 | Seminar on the Built Environment III: Theory | 3 |
| ARTIS 4600 | Sustainable Design and Fabrication of Furniture | 3 |
| ARTIS 4650 | Artists, Designers and Sustainable Development | 3 |
| ARTIS 4660 | Studio Abroad: Africa | 3 |
| BIOL 2040 | Biodiversity | 2 |
| BIOL 3190 | Analysis of Environmental Systems | 3 |
| BIOL 3550 | Plants and People | 3 |
| BIOL 4710 | Introductory Conservation Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 4840 | Ecosystem Ecology | 3 |
| CE 3880 | Sustainable Engineering and International Development | 3 |
| CRP 2010 | The North American Metropolis | 3 |
| CRP 2910 | World Cities and Globalization | 3 |
| CRP 2930 | Environmental Planning | 3 |
| CRP 3200 | Urban Geography | 3 |
| CRP 4170 | Urban Revitalization | 3 |
| CRP 4290 | Planning in Developing Countries | 3 |
| CRP 4450 | Transportation Policy and Planning | 3 |
| CRP 4840 | Sustainable Communities | 3 |
| CRP 4910 | Environmental Law and Planning | 3 |
| ECON 3800 | Energy, Environmental and Resource Economics | 3 |
| ECON 3850 | Economic Development | 3 |
| ECON 4800 | Intermediate Environmental and Resource Economics | 3 |
| EE 3880 | Sustainable Engineering and International Development | 3 |
| ENGL 3550 | Literature and the Environment | 3 |
| ENGL 2010 | Introduction to Literature | 3 |
| ENSCI 3190 | Analysis of Environmental Systems | 3 |
| ENSCI 4020 | Watershed Hydrology | 3 |
| ENSCI 4040 | Global Change | 3 |
| ENSCI 4800 | Engineering Analysis of Biological Systems | 3 |
| ENSCI 4840 | Ecosystem Ecology | 3 |
| ENT 4710 | Insect Ecology | 3 |
| ENVS 1010 | Environmental Geology: Earth in Crisis | 3 |
| ENVS 1080 | Introduction to Oceanography | 3 |
| ENVS 1200 | Introduction to Renewable Resources | 3 |
| ENVS 1600 | Water Resources of the World | 3 |
| ENVS 2010 | Introduction to Environmental Issues | 2 |
| ENVS 2040 | Biodiversity | 2 |
| ENVS 2700 | Foundations in Natural Resource Policy and History | 3 |
| ENVS 2930 | Environmental Planning | 3 |
| ENVS 3190 | Analysis of Environmental Systems | 3 |
| ENVS 3240 | Energy and the Environment | 3 |
| ENVS 3340 | Environmental Ethics | 3 |
| ENVS 3420 | World Food Issues: Past and Present | 3 |
| ENVS 3450 | Population and Society | 3 |
| ENVS 3550 | Literature and the Environment | 3 |
| ENVS 3800 | Energy, Environmental and Resource Economics | 3 |
| ENVS 3820 | Environmental Sociology | 3 |
| ENVS 4040 | Global Change | 3 |
| ENVS 4240 | Sustainable and Environmental Horticulture Systems | 3 |
| ENVS 4500 | Issues in Sustainable Agriculture | 3 |
| ENVS 4840 | Sustainable Communities | 3 |
| ENVS 4910 | Environmental Law and Planning | 3 |
| FOR 4520 | Ecosystem Management: Integrating Ecology, Society, and Policy | 3 |
| FSHN 2420 | The US Food System | 3 |
| FSHN 3420 | World Food Issues: Past and Present | 3 |
| FSHN 4600 | Global Nutrition, Health and Sustainability | 3 |
| GEOL 1010 | Environmental Geology: Earth in Crisis | 3 |
| GEOL 1080 | Introduction to Oceanography | 3 |
| GEOL 1600 | Water Resources of the World | 3 |
| GEOL 3240 | Energy and the Environment | 3 |
| GEOL 4020 | Watershed Hydrology | 3 |
| GLOBE 2010 | Introduction to Global Resource Systems | 3 |
| GLOBE 3850 | Economic Development | 3 |
| GLOBE 4020 | Responses to Global Resource System Challenges | 3 |
| HORT 4240 | Sustainable and Environmental Horticulture Systems | 3 |
| JLMC 3470 | Science Communication | 3 |
| JLMC 4740 | Communication Technology and Social Change | 3 |
| LA 2700 | Foundations in Natural Resource Policy and History | 3 |
| LA 3020 | Ecological Design | 6 |
| LA 4910 | Environmental Law and Planning | 3 |
| ME 4330 | Alternative Energy | 3 |
| ME 4840 | Technology, Globalization and Culture | 3 |
| GEOL 1600 | Water Resources of the World | 3 |
| MTEOR 3240 | Energy and the Environment | 3 |
| NREM 4020 | Watershed Hydrology | 3 |
| MTEOR 4040 | Global Change | 3 |
| NREM 1200 | Introduction to Renewable Resources | 3 |
| NREM 2700 | Foundations in Natural Resource Policy and History | 3 |
| NREM 4020 | Watershed Hydrology | 3 |
| NREM 4520 | Ecosystem Management: Integrating Ecology, Society, and Policy | 3 |
| NREM 4710 | Agroforestry Systems | 3 |
| PHIL 3340 | Environmental Ethics | 3 |
| PHIL 3430 | Philosophy of Technology | 3 |
| RUS 3750 | Russia Today | 3 |
| SOC 3450 | Population and Society | 3 |
| SOC 3480 | Global Poverty, Resources and Sustainable Development | 3 |
| SOC 3820 | Environmental Sociology | 3 |
| SOC 4110 | Social Change in Developing Countries | 3 |
| SUSE 5010 | Sustainable Design in Communities | 5 |
| SUSE 5110 | Sustainable Design Colloquium I | 3 |
| SUSE 5210 | Foundation of Sustainable Design | 3 |
| SUSE 5310 | Human Dimensions of Sustainability | 3 |
| SUSE 5400 | Methods for Sustainable Design | 3 |
| SUSE 5500 | Making Resilient Environments | 3 |
| TSM 3240 | Soil and Water Conservation Management | 3 |
| TSM 3250 | Biorenewable Systems | 3 |
| WLC 4840 | Technology, Globalization and Culture | 3 |