Sustainability minor
UMass Dartmouth is pleased to offer a minor in Sustainability.
Sustainability is the ability of a community or socioeconomic system to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
In the Sustainability minor program, you will learn about the causes of unsustainable practices and explore solutions for creating more sustainable communities and businesses.
- Renewable energy
- Urban development
- Transportation planning
- Environmental challenges and solutions
- Natural resource and land use
- Sustainability reporting and "triple bottom line" accounting
- Environmental communication
- The food system
- Green entrepreneurship
The Sustainability minor will enhance your attractiveness to potential employers, such as firms that produce sustainable goods and services, businesses interested in greening their production methods, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations.
This is a valuable asset in today’s labor market: a recent survey revealed that at least one-third of all UMassD Sustainability alumni are currently employed in the sustainability sector.[1]
What’s more, you can combine all or most of the requirements of the Sustainability minor with your University Studies, college, and major requirements.
- Current and Upcoming Sustainability Courses
- Sustainability Minor Requirements
- Questions and Answers about Declaring the Minor
Sustainability Minor Requirements
In order to earn a minor in Sustainability Studies, you must complete 18 credits of coursework. All courses may double-count toward University Studies and college requirements. For students who entered UMass Dartmouth in or after Fall 2014, the requirements are as follows:
- SUS 101, Principles of Sustainability or SUS 202, Topics in Sustainability
- One course from each of the :
- Sustainability in the Natural Sciences
- Sustainability in Economy, Society, and Policy
- Sustainability in the Arts, Thought, and Media
- Two courses from any content area(s)
- Any course counting toward the Sustainability minor double-counts toward any University Studies and/or college requirement fulfilled by that course. Some courses even triple-count toward university, college, and minor requirements! See the full list of Sustainability courses and the university and college requirements they fulfill.
- If your major department offers courses for the Sustainability minor, you may count up to two courses in your major toward the minor, provided that at three of the other courses that you take for the minor are numbered 300 or higher and do not count toward your major requirements.
- MGT 312 and EGR 303 are college requirements and therefore double-count as 300+ electives in the minor for business and engineering students, regardless of major. "Non-business" electives are also college requirements. Engineering "technical electives," by contrast, are major requirements and so may not double-count as 300+ Sustainability electives.
Questions and Answers about Declaring the Minor
Q. How do I declare the Sustainability minor?
A. It’s easy:
To add the minor, you will need to complete an online form. You will need be logged into my.umassd.edu and then go to the link below and find the link titled: Undergraduate Major Minor Concentration Change Form
Forms page: https://www.umassd.edu/registrar/forms/student-forms
If you have questions or trouble with the online form, you can contact the Director of Sustainability Studies, Professor Rachel Kulick, at rkulick@umassd.edu.
Q. When should I declare the Sustainability minor?
A. You can declare the Sustainability minor as soon as you have completed 24 or more credits—typically, at the end of your first academic year. Don’t wait any longer than you have to: The minor will appear on your transcript as soon as the paperwork is processed, which may help you to secure internships, scholarships, or a summer job.
Q. Do I have to wait until I declare the minor to start taking Sustainability courses?
A. NO. Eligible courses count toward the minor, regardless of when you take them. If you are interested in the Sustainability minor, start fulfilling your University Studies and/or college distribution requirements with courses that count toward the minor. For example, if you are a non-science major, you can fulfill your University Studies natural science requirements (2A and 2B) with Sustainability courses. Even if you decide not to pursue the minor, those requirements will still be fulfilled.
Q. What happens if I decide not to complete the minor?
A. That’s easy, too. If you decide that you do not wish to complete the minor, obtain the "Request to Drop Minor" and secure the minor director's signature. No other signatures are required.
[1] Data from a 2014 survey of the LinkedIn profiles of all UMD sustainability graduates. 40 percent of the graduates did not provide sufficient information to determine the nature of their current employment.