Certificate in Sustainability Studies
2019-2020 Map
Total Units: 17
Term 1
9 Units. Specified core courses are signified by icon.| Course Name | Units | Notes | |
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| SOC-5: Our Sustainable Future | 3 | ||
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Unit(s): 3.00
This course introduces students to the principles of 'Sustainability' within the global, national, regional, and local contexts. This course will increase students' literacy of the three interconnected 'pillars' of sustainable systems, the ecosystem, human society, and the economy. To develop these literacies, students will begin by investigating the perils that currently effect each system, for example, resource depletion, species extinction, pollution, and global warming in the ecosphere; population growth, social inequality, disease, violence and conflict in human societies; and imperialism, unemployment, consumerism and waste in the global economy. The majority of the course will focus on social institutions and organizations that are re-imagining our common future by rethinking and redesigning how we live. Students will learn of new and innovative uses of renewable resources, production processes, and human capital; alternative forms of energy, transportation, building materials, food production, media, education, and urban planning; and new ways to build coalitions, community, trust, and democratic participation. Case studies will highlight sustainability practices in different parts of the world from a variety of perspectives. |
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| Required Core Choice (Select One) | 3 | ||
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| ECON-35: Environmental Economics | 3 | If not offered, see department for substitution. | |
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Unit(s): 3.00
This course introduces students to contemporary environmental issues and policies meant to reduce environmental degradation. The course examines market failures, tools of policy analysis, government pollution reduction policies and their effectiveness. |
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Term 2
8 Units. Specified core courses are signified by icon.| Course Name | Units | Notes | |
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| BIOL-7: Sustaining Life | 3 | ||
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Unit(s): 3.00
This course will introduce students to the structure of earth's ecosystems and to environmental issues, past and present from a biological science perspective. Students will be able to perceive and interpret the relative health of environmental systems, and to connect this to the role of humans in sustaining life on earth. To reach this understanding, students will read classic environmental literature as well as current environmental literature. The course will include discussions, field trips and guest speakers as well as student involvement in a campus or local environmental effort. During this course students will be encouraged to recognize that their lives are dependent upon the environment, and that their personal decisions affect the entire natural world. |
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| PHIL-5: Environmental Ethics | 3 | ||
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Unit(s): 3.00
An introductory course on theories of environmental ethics and how they are applied to sustainability and environmental issues. Both traditional and contemporary, Western and non-Western theories are studied to learn various outlooks on how humans should live in nature, including how we relate to the environment, the future generations and other species. The ideas and principles are then used to find solutions to the challenges we face today such as resource depletion, pollution, climate change and species extinction. |
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| SOC-55: Sustainability Seminar | 2 | Capstone course. | |
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Corequisite(s): Completion of/or concurrent enrollment in a minimum of 3 courses from Sustainability Studies Certificate Program. Sustainability Studies is a capstone seminar that will provide a forum for Sustainability Studies students to integrate and critically evaluate the various content of the courses within the Sustainability Studies Certificate Program. Emphasis will be placed on evaluating the triple-bottom-line impacts of economic, social and environmental practices and policies at local, regional and global levels. |
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