Sustainability Studies
Offered at IU South Bend by College of Arts and Sciences
About
Sustainability is generally characterized as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The Sustainability Studies Program offers in-person and online B.A. degrees as well as a minor. In these programs, students study the trans-disciplinary foundations of sustainability and learn how to apply the knowledge they acquire to the development and implementation of sustainable values, innovations, practices, technologies, and policies. Going beyond the traditional classroom, the Sustainability Studies curriculum includes civic engagement and experiential, project-based, and service learning, thus preparing students to lead the way in the creation of a sustainable future while preparing them for the new jobs of the emerging green economy.
Through the Sustainability Studies BA program, you will learn how to:
- Sustain the planet: Reduce our contribution to the systematic accumulation of materials from the Earth's crust and substances produced by society.
- Sustain the economy: Create prosperity while reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, utilizing abundant and biodegradable materials, using natural resources wisely, and focusing on business models that ensure human rights are respected.
- Sustain nature: Reduce our contribution to the ongoing physical degradation of nature by focusing on the most productive and efficient use of resources and land.
- Sustain people: Reduce our contribution to conditions that undermine people's ability to meet their basic needs.
- Sustain the future: Learn to create a sustainable future in your home, work, school, and community.