Sustainability Minor

Admission Criteria

Current UB students seeking admission to the Sustainability minor should complete the College of Arts and Sciences Major/Minor Change Request Form.

Course Requirements

Total Credits Required for Minor: 24

Total Credit Hours Required represents the minimum credits needed to complete this program, and may vary based on a number of circumstances. This chart should not be used for financial aid purposes.

Academic Requirements

• Students must attain a 2.330 GPA in the minor for degree conferral. All classes completed for the minor will be used to calculate the minor GPA.
• All transfer courses officially articulated to UB courses used in the SSC/Environmental Studies major will be accepted to meet minor requirements.

Transfer Credit Policy

At least 50 percent of coursework toward the minor must be completed at UB.

Learning Outcomes

• Understand the principles of sustainability: Students will gain knowledge of the core concepts and principles of sustainability, including ecological, social, and economic dimensions.
• Analyze sustainability challenges: Students will learn to identify and analyze complex sustainability challenges facing society, such as climate change, resource depletion, and social inequality.
• Develop interdisciplinary perspectives: Students will be exposed to interdisciplinary approaches to sustainability, drawing on insights from fields such as environmental science, economics, sociology, and social sciences.
• Apply sustainable solutions: Students will develop the skills to propose and evaluate sustainable solutions to real-world problems, considering environmental, social, and economic impacts.
• Communicate effectively about sustainability: Students will enhance their ability to communicate complex sustainability issues to diverse audiences, both orally and in writing.
• Evaluate ethical implications: Students will critically evaluate the ethical implications of different sustainability decisions and actions, considering issues such as environmental justice and intergenerational equity.
• Engage with sustainability in a global context: Students will explore sustainability issues from a global perspective, recognizing the interconnectedness of environmental, social, and economic systems across borders.
• Assess sustainability initiatives: Students will learn to assess the effectiveness of sustainability initiatives and policies at various scales, from local community projects to international agreements.
• Reflect on personal values and actions: Students will reflect on their own values and behaviors in relation to sustainability, exploring ways to integrate principles of sustainability into their personal and professional lives.