BS in Sustainability Studies
Melbourne, USA
DURATION
4 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Jan 2025
TUITION FEES
USD 21,173 / per semester
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Introduction
The Bachelor's in Sustainability Studies
Do you want to develop new sustainable science and engineering innovations, build sustainability consulting businesses, research climate change, create technology solutions, or embark upon related interdisciplinary careers? A BS in Sustainability Studies from Florida Tech could be right for you. Along the way, you’ll develop strong systems-thinking skills, build hands-on experience through campus and community research projects at a university started by NASA scientists, and prepare for a career in the early stages of the remarkable emergence of many sustainability initiatives.
Why Pursue a Sustainability Studies Degree at Florida Tech?
By definition, sustainability studies is an interdisciplinary field, encompassing elements of all colleges and many departments on campus. The Sustainability Studies program is housed in the Department of Education and Interdisciplinary Studies, which works to integrate students from all disciplines and interests across campus. As a BS program at a major technology university, our diverse student and faculty interests focus on building sustainability innovations for the future.
Become an Expert in Many Aspects of Sustainability Studies
The program is structured so that students closely interact with faculty from many departments in the colleges of Science, Engineering, Business, Psychology, and Liberal Arts. The diversity of these interactions and the major requirements to take concentration courses in Environmental Sciences, Technology and Engineering, Business, and Social Sciences gives our sustainability studies students expertise in all the field has to offer, as well as specialization in their preferred topics.
Small Classes — Personalized Attention
Internationally recognized faculty members in the five colleges on campus reflect expertise in multiple disciplines including:
- Sustainability
- Renewable energy
- Corporate social responsibility
- Climate change adaptation
- Green construction
- Public policy
- Oceanography
- Conservation biology
- Nonprofit management
Located in the Heart of Florida’s High-Tech Corridor
Florida Tech is the perfect place for a BS in Sustainability Studies. The 130-acre campus is located on the Space Coast (so named because of the presence of NASA and the Kennedy Space Center on Cape Canaveral just north of us), minutes away from the Indian River Lagoon, the most diverse estuary in North America.
The area has the fifth-largest high-tech workforce in the country, with more than 5,000 high-tech corporations and government and military organizations located nearby. This workforce also provides an abundance of internship and employment opportunities.
Florida Tech is just over the causeway from the Atlantic Ocean with its 72 miles of beautiful beaches, and a short trip to the Florida Keys or the Orlando theme parks. We also have a rich campus life that includes a wide range of intramural and collegiate sports, clubs, and social activities.
Build Lasting Professional Relationships through Campus Organizations
Beyond the classroom, sustainability majors can build leadership and professional experience through participation in organizations like the Student Organization for Sustainability Action, the Student Government Association, Alpha Phi Omega (the national community service and leadership development co-ed fraternity), and over 100 other student organizations.
Florida Tech’s Student Government Association is increasingly important in coordinating and enhancing student sustainability activities. There are many clubs active in sustainable practices, directly or indirectly. For example, the Student Organization for Sustainability Action (SOSA) is an on-campus group dedicated to the practice and implementation of sustainable best practices across the Florida Tech community. The organization strives to identify and catalyze sustainability advances throughout all colleges, campus facilities, and student support services.
Curriculum
Gain Practical Experience
In your junior and senior years, you’ll refine fundamental skills with specialized sustainability concentration courses that include many project opportunities. You’ll also undertake an exciting applied capstone sustainability project on a topic of your choice that can lead to greater exposure (e.g., community internships, the Northrop Grumman Design Showcase). Students gain practical experience, an enhanced résumé, and a stronger sense of scholarship—the perfect preparation for employment or graduate school.
Our sustainability degree is dynamic yet focused. You’ll get started right away, by taking core courses like Introduction to Sustainability and the Whole Earth Course. Guided by highly experienced faculty who care about your success, you’ll obtain core science and business skills while specializing in your strengths and greatest interests.
Curriculum
Freshman Year
Fall (14 credit hours)
- COM 1101 Composition and Rhetoric
- ENS 1001 The Whole Earth Course
- FYE 1000 University Experience
- MTH 1001 Calculus 1 or MTH 1010 Honors Calculus 1
- SUS 1500 Introduction to Sustainability
Spring (17 credit hours)
- BIO 1020 Biological Discovery 2
and
- BIO 1040 Introduction to Biodiversity and Physiology
or
- MAR 1020 Biological Discovery 2
and
- MAR 1040 Introduction to Biodiversity and Physiology
- BUS 1801 Global Business Perspectives
- COM 1102 Writing About Literature
- MTH 1002 Calculus 2 or MTH 1020 Honors Calculus 2
- Technical Elective Credit Hours: 3
Sophomore Year
Fall (17 credit hours)
- BUS 2303 Macroeconomics
- CHM 1101 General Chemistry 1
- COM 2223 Scientific and Technical Communication
- PHY 1001 Physics 1
Select the first HUM Core Course:
- HUM 2051 Civilization 1: Ancient Through Medieval
- HUM 2141 World Art History 1: Pre-History to Early Global Awareness
- HUM 2211 British Literature and Culture
- HUM 2212 British and American Literature 1
- HUM 2331 American History: Pre-Columbian to Civil War Era
- HUM 2551 Survey of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy
Spring (15 credit hours)
- CHM 1102 General Chemistry 2
- MAR 2801 Biometry
- PHY 2002 Physics 2
- Select the second HUM Core Course:
- HUM 2052 Civilization 2: Renaissance Through Modern
- HUM 2142 World Art History 2: Early Modern to Post-Colonial
- HUM 2212 British and American Literature 1 (may not be repeated for credit)
- HUM 2213 British and American Literature 2
- HUM 2332 American History: From Reconstruction to the Present
- HUM 2552 Survey of Modern and Contemporary Philosophy
Junior Year
Fall (15 credit hours)
- ENS 4300 Renewable Energy and the Environment
- Concentration Course Credit Hours: 3
- Concentration Course (Environmental Sciences) Credit Hours: 3
- Concentration Course (Social Sciences) Credit Hours: 3
- Technical Elective Credit Hours: 3
Spring (15 credit hours)
- HUM 3385 Special Topics in History
- SUS 3250 Systems, Governance, and Sustainability
- Concentration Courses Credit Hours: 6
- Concentration Course (Business and Economics) Credit Hours: 3
Senior Year
Fall (16 credit hours)
- BUS 4426 Environmental and Resource Economics
- SUS 3999 Sustainability Project Design
- Concentration Course Credit Hours: 3
- Concentration Course (Business and Economics) Credit Hours: 3
- Concentration Course (Social Sciences) Credit Hours: 3
- Concentration Course (Technology and Engineering) Credit Hours: 3
Spring (15 credit hours)
- SUS 4000 Applied Sustainability (Q)
- SUS 4350 Sustainability Economics
- Concentration Course Credit Hours: 3
- Concentration Course (Environmental Sciences) Credit Hours: 3
- Concentration Course (Technology and Engineering) Credit Hours: 3
Concentration Courses
Business and Economics
- BUS 2304 Microeconomics
- BUS 2601 Legal and Social Environments of Business
- BUS 2602 Environmental Law and Forensic Studies
- BUS 3501 Management Principles
- BUS 3605 Consumer Behavior
- BUS 3801 Cross-Cultural Management
- BUS 3802 Global Macroeconomic Issues
- BUS 4219 Globalization and Corporate Social Responsibility
- BUS 4425 Environmental and Urban Planning
- BUS 4503 Business Ethics
- BUS 4504 Special Topics in Management
- BUS 4520 Leadership Theory and Practice
- BUS 4701 International Business
- BUS 4801 International Trade
Environmental Sciences
- ENS 4001 The Earth System: Science, Engineering, Management and Education
- ENS 3101 Atmospheric Environments
- ENS 4004 Aquatic Environmental Toxicology
- ENS 4010 Geographic Information Systems
- ENS 4700 Environmental Hydrology
- ENS 4701 Environmental Regulation and Impact Assessment
- MAR 2935 Field Biology and Ecology/Smoky Mountains
- MAR 2955 Field Biology and Ecology/Coral Reefs
- MAR 3410 General Ecology
- MAR 3510 Invertebrate Zoology
- MAR 3601 Field Methods in Fisheries Science
- MAR 3625 Molluscan Aquaculture
- MAR 3940 Tropical Marine Ecology
- MAR 4030 Conservation Biology
- MAR 4410 Community Ecology
- MAR 4421 Neotropical Archaeoecology
- MAR 4515 Ecology of Coral Reefs
- MAR 4517 Introduction to Modeling for Ecology and Biology
- MAR 4530 Biology of Fishes
- MAR 4620 Fish Aquaculture and Management
- MAR 4641 Biology of Marine Mammals
- MAR 4720 Marine Ecology
- MET 4310 Climatology
- MTH 2332 Primer for Biomath
- OCN 1010 Oceanography
- OCN 2407 Meteorology
- OCN 2602 Environmental Geology
- OCN 3101 Biological Oceanography
- OCN 3111 Biological Oceanography Laboratory
- OCN 3201 Marine and Environmental Chemistry
- OCN 3211 Marine and Environmental Chemistry Laboratory
- OCN 3301 Geological Oceanography
- OCN 3311 Geological Oceanography Laboratory
- OCN 4102 Marine and Estuarine Phytoplankton
- OCN 4103 Marine and Estuarine Zooplankton
- OCN 4104 Marine and Estuarine Benthos
- OCN 4106 Mitigation and Restoration of Coastal Systems
- OCN 4204 Marine and Environmental Pollution
Social Sciences
- BEH 3465 Applied Behavior Analysis
- COM 3425 Mass Communication
- COM 4130 Global Communication
- HUM 2480 Introduction to Political Science
- HUM 2570 Bioethics
- HUM 3085 Special Topics in Humanities
- HUM 3351 History of Science and Technology: Ancient and Medieval
- HUM 3352 History of Science and Technology: Renaissance to Present
- HUM 3485 Special Topics in Social Science
- HUM 3521 World Religions
- PSY 1411 Introduction to Psychology
- PSY 2444 Cross-Cultural and Ethnic Psychology
- PSY 2541 Group Behavior
- PSY 3421 Psychology of Learning and Motivation
- PSY 3441 Social Psychology
- PSY 3541 Psychology of Leadership
- PSY 3543 Psychology of the Workplace
Technology and Engineering
- AVM 3201 Aviation Planning
- AVM 3202 Airport Design
- AVS 2402 Introduction to Aviation Environmental Science
- AVS 4402 Aviation Sustainability
- CHE 3170 Introduction to Environmental Engineering
- CHM 2001 Organic Chemistry 1
- CHM 2002 Organic Chemistry 2
- CHM 4222 Environmental Chemistry
- CON 1005 Construction Plan Reading and BIM Applications
- CON 2001 Construction Methods and Operations
- CON 3002 Building Mechanical and HVAC Systems
- CON 4003 Construction Estimating, Bidding and Value Engineering
- CSE 1301 Introduction to Computer Applications
- CVE 1000 Introduction to Civil Engineering
- CVE 3042 Water and Wastewater Systems for Land Development
- CVE 3052 Municipal Water and Wastewater Systems
- CVE 4035 Urban Hydrology
- CVE 4050 Solid and Hazardous Waste
- CVE 4070 Construction Engineering
- MEE 4250 Physical Principles of Nuclear Reactors
- OCE 1001 Introduction to Ocean Engineering
- OCE 4518 Protection of Marine Materials
- OCE 4522 Coastal Engineering Processes and Shoreline Design
- OCE 4525 Coastal Engineering Structures
- Additional classes may be substituted in consultation with the student’s advisor and course instructor.
Total Credits Required: 124
Career Opportunities
Career Outlook
Sustainability jobs are often compared to computer and technology jobs in the early 1990s—exciting and innovative with many new career fields that couldn’t be seen even a few years earlier.
According to the US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, sustainability jobs are expected to increase. Sustainability categories and employers include (according to Arizona State University, 2013):
- Corporate sustainability/corporate social responsibility (Dell, Nike, Coca-Cola, Intel)
- Research and development (Argonne National Laboratory, NASA, Globescan)
- NGOs (World Wildlife Fund, Environmental Defense Fund, The Nature Conservancy)
- Other nonprofit and public service organizations (Global Reporting Initiative, Americorps, Peace Corps)
- Certification and standards organizations (UL Environment, LEED, Blue Angel)
- Marketing/media (Greenbiz, Grist, 3BL, earth911, MSM)
- Event planning (Opportunity Green)
- Socially responsible investing (Vanguard, Fidelity)
- Consulting, many specialized categories (Accenture, Green Order, Sustainability)
- Policy-making and the federal government (United Nations, US EPA, and many other agencies)
- State and local governments (many examples from the city- through state agencies)
- Education at all levels (teaching, research, operations)
- Waste and recycling (Waste Management)
- Defense and military (all services)
- Food and agriculture (Roosevelt Row, local farmers’ markets, Whole Foods)
- Sustainability entrepreneurship (Carbon Roots, Ollie the Trolley, Beat Street)
Facilities
English Language Requirements
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