SUSTAINABLE ENGINEERING MINOR

 

Sustainability: Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations.

This cross-disciplinary Sustainable Engineering minor prepares students as engineers to confront complex sustainability challenges in the 21st century.

Engineering students may pursue either the Sustainable Engineering minor or the Sustainability Studies minor, but not both.

PROGRAM LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

  1. Understand humanity's impact on Earth and the nexus of human and environmental processes in the Anthropocene (current geological age).
  2. Define holistically the scope of sustainability through the lens of conceptual frameworks including the triple bottom line and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
  3. Approach complex problems in the intersection of engineering and sustainable development through the application of whole-systems thinking through a life-cycle lens and with consideration of the interconnected STEEP (social, technological, economic, environmental, and political) dimensions of sustainability challenges.
  4. Apply, on a conceptual level, life-cycle analysis as a tool to evaluate the environmental impacts of engineered products, services, and the built environment.
  5. Apply circular design principles to identify opportunities to rethink engineered products, services and infrastructure and the systems surrounding them in advancing a transition from a linear to a circular economy.
  6. Articulate the role of the engineering profession and one’s chosen engineering discipline in contributing to sustainable solutions as part of interdisciplinary teams.

REQUIREMENTS

The Sustainable Engineering minor requires a total of 18 credits (6 3-hour courses), including:

  • Two required core courses in Sustainable Engineering:
    • SUSE 2110 Sus Eng: Risks & Opportunities
      Introduces whole-systems thinking to address the dynamic field of sustainability. Topics include climate change, planetary boundaries, greenhouse gas management, climate change mitigation/adaptation, sustainable materials and disruptive technologies
    • SUSE 2111 Sus Eng: LCA & Circular Econ:
      Introduces life cycle assessment (LCA) and circular economy (CE). Students will learn phases of LCA and application of SimaPro software and gain understanding and application of CE business models.
  • Two elective courses from Humanities and/or Policy

HUMANITIES

ENG 4690 - Amer. Lit & Cult. After 1900
ETH 3010 - Topics in Ethics
HIS 1065 - Global Env. History
HIS 2276 - American Env. History
HIS 4499 - Global Env. History
HIS 4998 - History For Sustainability
PHI 2121 - Environmental Ethics
PHI 2430 - Eco Feminism
PHI 4210 - Environmental Philosophy
PJ 3000  - Selected Topics 4
PJ 5000 - Selected Topics 4
THL 2460 - Bible and the Environment
THL 4330 - Christian Environmental Ethics
THL 4250 - Global Poverty and Justice
GEV 3001 - Intro to Sustainability Studies

1 Pre-requisites, see advisor
2 AP course credit may be applied
3 Associated lab section required, see advisor
4 Permission required

POLICY

CEE 8303 - Urban Planning
ECO 3108 - Global Political Economy
ECO 4200 - Topics in Economics 4
GEV 1004 - Climate Change
GEV 2500 - Global Change in Local Places
GEV 2520 - Urban Geography
GEV 2525 - Population Geography
GEV 3000 - Selected Topics in Geo and the Env 4
GEV 3002 - Ecosystem Services
GEV 3307 - Urban Ecosystems
GEV 3570 - Land Use Planning
GEV 3580 - Natural Resources and Conservation
GEV 4330 - Selected Topics in Env. Policy 4
GEV 4331 - Env. Policy and Management
GEV 4332 - Water Resources Planning
GEV 4333 - Politics and the Environment
GEV 4334 - Environmental Law
GEV 4335 - Energy Policy
GEV 4336 - Environmental Economics
GEV 4340 - Selected Topics in Env. Issues 4
GEV 4510 - Special Topics in Geography 4
GEV 4517 - Sustainable Development
MGT 2208 - Global Corporate Responsibility
MGT 2352 - Business in Emerging Markets
PA 2000 - Public Policy
PJ 5000 - Justice through Agriculture
PSC 4275 - Special Topics 4
GEV 3001 - Intro to Sustainability Studies

1 Pre-requisites, see advisor
2 AP course credit may be applied
3 Associated lab section required, see advisor
4 Permission required

  • Two Technology elective courses, with up to two of these from within a student's major being counted toward the minor.    

BIO 3255 - Introduction to Ecology 1
BIO 3485 - Marine Biology
BIO 3661 - Environment and Human Health
BIO 3955 - Lec & Lab in Topics in Biology
BIO 4385 - Global Change Ecology
BIO 4451/52 - Field Ecology and Evolution 1  3
BIO 4801 - Conservation Biology 1
CEE 2211 - Transportation Engineering 1
CEE 4607 - Special Topics 1
CEE 4608 - Project & Construction Management 4
CEE 4612 - CEE Undergrad Research 4
CEE 7829 - Sustainable Man Indust
CHE 4831 - Chem. Eng. Research 3 4
CHE 5001 - Industrial Liquid and Solid Waste
CHE-5332 - Sustainable Development
CHE 5715 - Alternative Energy
CHM 1311 - Inorganic Chemistry 3
SUSE 7110 - Climate Change / Sustainability
SUSE 7111 - Life Cycle / Impact Assessment
EGR 7112 - Econ / Social Equity Integ.
EGR 7113 - Sustainable Materials
EGR 7800 - Solar Therm. Energy Conversion
GEV 1050 - Environmental Science I  3
GEV 1051 - Environmental Science II 1  3
GEV 1052 - Environmental Studies I 2
GEV 1053 - Environmental Studies II
GEV 2500 - Global Change in Local Places
GEV 3301 - Fisheries
GEV 3302 - Agriculture Sciences
GEV 3003 - Environmental Geology
GEV 3303 - Soil Science
GEV 3305 - Energy Systems
GEV 3306 - Alternative Energy
GEV 3308 - Environmental Health
GEV 3502 - Meterology
GEV 3521 - GIS for Urban Sustainability
GEV 4320 - Spec. Topics in Env Lab Sci
GEV 4328 - Climatology
GEV 4329 - Global Change Research
GEV 4350 - Spec Topics in Env Sci
GEV 4351 - Oceanography
GEV 4353 - Green Science
GEV 4354 - Biomimicry
GEV 4355 - Tropical Ecology
GEV 4356 - Global Change Science
GEV 4357 - Ecosystem Ecology
GEV 4511 - Climate Variability
GEV 4512 - Medical Geography
GEV 4515 - Terrestrial Ecosystems
GEV 4700 - Geographic Information Systems
MSE 20XX - Mendel Science Experience 3 4
ME 5130 - Intro to Sustainable Energy
ME 5140 - Design of Gravity Water Ntwrks
ME 7140 - Thermal Energy Storage
MET 1222 - Climate Change: Past and Present

1 Pre-requisites, see advisor
2 AP course credit may be applied
3 Associated lab section required, see advisor
4 Permission required

For more information, please contact Dr. Virginia Smith.


 

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