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 learn how human behavior affects the natural world and the ability of earth to sustain life.
In addition, students in the minor will understand how the decisions they make as consumers, workers, resource owners, citizens and policymakers affect human welfare in this and future generations. Students also will be able to articulate why some environmental, social and economic profiles are sustainable and others are not.
The minor will provide students knowledge sufficient to 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 300 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:
| SOC 220 | Globalization and Sustainability | 3 |
| ANTHR 230 | Globalization and the Human Condition | 3 |
Emphasis Electives:
| A B E 325 | Biorenewable Systems | 3 |
| A B E 380 | Principles of Biological Systems Engineering | 3 |
| A B E 388 | Sustainable Engineering and International Development | 3 |
| A B E 480 | Engineering Analysis of Biological Systems | 3 |
| AGRON 120 | Introduction to Renewable Resources | 3 |
| AGRON 160 | Water Resources of the World | 3 |
| AGRON 342 | World Food Issues: Past and Present | 3 |
| AGRON 342H | World Food Issues: Past and Present, Honors | 3 |
| AGRON 404 | Global Change | 3 |
| AGRON 446 | International Issues and Challenges in Sustainable Development | 3 |
| AGRON 450 | Issues in Sustainable Agriculture | 3 |
| ANTHR 336 | Global Development | 3 |
| ARCH 345 | Building Science and Technology I | 2 |
| ARCH 346 | Building Science and Technology II | 3 |
| ARCH 346L | Building Science and Technology II Lab | 2 |
| ARCH 347 | Building Science and Technology III | 3 |
| ARCH 347L | Building Science and Technology III Lab | 2 |
| ARCH 348 | Building Science and Technology IV | 3 |
| ARCH 348L | Building Science and Technology IV Lab | 2 |
| ARCH 351 | Whole Building Energy Performance Modeling | 3 |
| ARCH 445 | Building Science and Technology V | 2 |
| ARCH 522 | Complex Adaptive Systems Theory for the Design of Built Environments | 3 |
| ARCH 558 | Sustainability and Green Architecture | 3 |
| ARCH 575 | Contemporary Urban Design Theory | 3 |
| ARCH 597 | Seminar on the Built Environment III: Theory | 3 |
| ARTIS 362 | Artists, Designers and Sustainable Development | 3 |
| ARTIS 460 | Sustainable Design and Fabrication of Furniture | 3 |
| ARTIS 466 | Studio Abroad: Africa | 3 |
| BIOL 204 | Biodiversity | 2 |
| BIOL 355 | Plants and People | 3 |
| BIOL 381 | Environmental Systems I: Introduction to Environmental Systems | 3-4 |
| BIOL 382 | Environmental Systems II: Analysis of Environmental Systems | 3 |
| BIOL 471 | Introductory Conservation Biology | 3 |
| BIOL 472 | Community Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 484 | Ecosystem Ecology | 3 |
| C E 388 | Sustainable Engineering and International Development | 3 |
| C R P 201 | The North American Metropolis | 3 |
| C R P 291 | World Cities and Globalization | 3 |
| C R P 293 | Environmental Planning | 3 |
| C R P 320 | Urban Geography | 3 |
| C R P 417 | Urban Revitalization | 3 |
| C R P 429 | Planning in Developing Countries | 3 |
| C R P 445 | Transportation Policy and Planning | 3 |
| C R P 484 | Sustainable Communities | 3 |
| C R P 491 | Environmental Law and Planning | 3 |
| ECON 380 | Energy, Environmental and Resource Economics | 3 |
| ECON 385 | Economic Development | 3 |
| ECON 480 | Intermediate Environmental and Resource Economics | 3 |
| E E 388 | Sustainable Engineering and International Development | 3 |
| ENGL 355 | Literature and the Environment | 3 |
| ENT 471 | Insect Ecology | 3 |
| ENSCI 201 | Introduction to Environmental Issues | 2 |
| ENSCI 381 | Environmental Systems I: Introduction to Environmental Systems | 3-4 |
| ENSCI 382 | Environmental Systems II: Analysis of Environmental Systems | 3 |
| ENSCI 402 | Watershed Hydrology | 3 |
| ENSCI 404 | Global Change | 3 |
| ENSCI 480 | Engineering Analysis of Biological Systems | 3 |
| ENSCI 484 | Ecosystem Ecology | 3 |
| ENV S 101 | Environmental Geology: Earth in Crisis | 3 |
| ENV S 108 | Introduction to Oceanography | 3 |
| ENV S 120 | Introduction to Renewable Resources | 3 |
| ENV S 160 | Water Resources of the World | 3 |
| ENV S 201 | Introduction to Environmental Issues | 2 |
| ENV S 204 | Biodiversity | 2 |
| ENV S 270 | Foundations in Natural Resource Policy and History | 3 |
| ENV S 293 | Environmental Planning | 3 |
| ENV S 324 | Energy and the Environment | 3 |
| ENV S 334 | Environmental Ethics | 3 |
| ENV S 342 | World Food Issues: Past and Present | 3 |
| ENV S 345 | Population and Society | 3 |
| ENV S 355 | Literature and the Environment | 3 |
| ENV S 380 | Energy, Environmental and Resource Economics | 3 |
| ENV S 381 | Environmental Systems I: Introduction to Environmental Systems | 3-4 |
| ENV S 382 | Environmental Sociology | 3 |
| ENV S 404 | Global Change | 3 |
| ENV S 417 | Urban and Peri-urban Watershed Assessment | 3 |
| ENV S 424 | Sustainable and Environmental Horticulture Systems | 3 |
| ENV S 450 | Issues in Sustainable Agriculture | 3 |
| ENV S 484 | Sustainable Communities | 3 |
| ENV S 491 | Environmental Law and Planning | 3 |
| FS HN 242 | The US Food System | 3 |
| FS HN 342 | World Food Issues: Past and Present | 3 |
| FOR 452 | Ecosystem Management | 3 |
| GEOL 101 | Environmental Geology: Earth in Crisis | 3 |
| GEOL 108 | Introduction to Oceanography | 3 |
| GEOL 160 | Water Resources of the World | 3 |
| GEOL 324 | Energy and the Environment | 3 |
| GEOL 402 | Watershed Hydrology | 3 |
| GLOBE 201 | Global Resource Systems | 3 |
| GLOBE 385 | Economic Development | 3 |
| GLOBE 402 | Responses to Global Resource System Challenges | 3 |
| GLOBE 446 | International Issues and Challenges in Sustainable Development | 3 |
| HORT 424 | Sustainable and Environmental Horticulture Systems | 3 |
| INTST 446 | International Issues and Challenges in Sustainable Development | 3 |
| JL MC 347 | Science Communication | 3 |
| JL MC 474 | Communication Technology and Social Change | 3 |
| L A 270 | Foundations in Natural Resource Policy and History | 3 |
| L A 302 | Ecological Design at the Regional Scale | 6 |
| L A 417 | Urban and Peri-urban Watershed Assessment | 3 |
| L A 491 | Environmental Law and Planning | 3 |
| M E 433 | Alternative Energy | 3 |
| M E 479 | Sustainability Science for Engineering Design | 3 |
| M E 484 | Technology, Globalization and Culture | 3 |
| M E 486 | Appropriate Technology Design | 3 |
| MTEOR 160 | Water Resources of the World | 3 |
| MTEOR 324 | Energy and the Environment | 3 |
| MTEOR 402 | Watershed Hydrology | 3 |
| MTEOR 404 | Global Change | 3 |
| NREM 120 | Introduction to Renewable Resources | 3 |
| NREM 270 | Foundations in Natural Resource Policy and History | 3 |
| NREM 402 | Watershed Hydrology | 3 |
| NREM 452 | Ecosystem Management | 3 |
| PHIL 334 | Environmental Ethics | 3 |
| PHIL 343 | Philosophy of Technology | 3 |
| RUS 375 | Russia Today | 3 |
| SOC 345 | Population and Society | 3 |
| SOC 348 | Global Poverty, Resources and Sustainable Development | 3 |
| SOC 382 | Environmental Sociology | 3 |
| SOC 411 | Social Change in Developing Countries | 3 |
| SUS E 501 | Sustainable Design in Communities | 5 |
| SUS E 511 | Sustainable Design Colloquium I | 3 |
| SUS E 521 | Foundation of Sustainable Design | 3 |
| SUS E 531 | Human Dimensions of Sustainability | 3 |
| SUS E 540 | Methods for Sustainable Design | 3 |
| SUS E 550 | Making Resilient Environments | 3 |
| TSM 324 | Soil and Water Conservation Management | 3 |
| TSM 325 | Biorenewable Systems | 3 |
| WLC 484 | Technology, Globalization and Culture | 3 |