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Sustainability at ESF
Related Academic Programs

SUNY ESF is globally recognized for it's high-quality environmentally-focused academic programs.  AASHE named us the #1 top performer in the Curriculum category its annual Sustainable Campus Index and the Princeton Review recognized ESF as the #3 Green College in its annual Green College ranking. 

Sustainability is woven throughout our campus curriculum and is central to our College-wide learning outcomes and mission statement. Whether students are in the classroom or out in the field, protecting the environment and contributing to a more sustainable society is the key focus of our coursework.

 55% of Courses are Sustainability-Focused or -Related

 100% of Departments Offer Sustainability-Related Courses

Class Collaborations

The Office of Sustainability is available and excited to collaborate with faculty and students on sustainability-related course projects! If you are interested in collaborating or inviting a member of our team to present in your class, please contact the Office of Sustainability. 

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Sustainability Programs and Courses

The list of majors, minors, degree programs, and certificates below are those that are sustainability-focused, as defined by AASHE STARS. They are interdisciplinary and have a primary and explicit focus on the concept of sustainability or the interdependence of ecological systems and social/economic systems. The College offers many more areas of study, the vast majority of which include elements of sustainability woven throughout. 

The courses listed below are those that are sustainability-focused,- related, and -immersive as defined by AASHE STARS. These courses have sustainability topics integrated throughout and/or sustainability is primary and explicit focus of the course.

Sustainable Courses Inventory

Degree Programs

Certificates

Explore ESF's Sustainability Courses

Sustainable Courses Inventory

Sustainability-focused courses included in the inventory linked below, have the primary and explicit focus on sustainability. This includes:

  • Foundation courses with a focus on sustainability (e.g., Sustainable Systems Thinking: Ecology, Economics, and Society, etc.)
  • Courses with a focus on the application of sustainability within a specific field (e.g., Sustainable Construction, Sustainable Energy Policy, Sustainable Enterprise, etc.)
  • Courses with a focus on a major sustainability challenge (e.g., Climate Change & Sustainability, Environmental Justice, Introduction to Native Peoples, Lands, and Cultures, Wildlife Conservation, etc.)
  • Courses with a focus on the interdependence of ecological, social, and economic systems

Sustainability-related or sustainability-inclusive courses are those where sustainability has been integrated into the course content. This includes:

  • A unit or module on sustainability or the application of sustainability in a field
  • A unit or module on a major sustainability challenge
  • One or more sustainability-focused activities
  • Sustainability concepts or challenges are specifically integrated throughout the course without being a central focus of the course

Immersive experience sustainability courses meet the criteria of being sustainability-focused while exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics:

  • Engage participants in an active learning process that is student-driven, but guided by a faculty mentor
  • Produce a tangible outcome or product, such as a business plan, policy recommendation,publication, or work of art
  • Involve a team of students, often working on a project that is interdisciplinary in nature
  • Include a community partner(s) and create an impact on the larger community as well as on the student participants
  • Focus on student learning outcomes
  • Help students define a career path or make connections to a profession or industry