The undergraduate minor in sustainability engineering serves all CU Boulder students who are interested in obtaining a strong foundation in sustainability principles. The minor exposes students to the drivers, determinants and solutions to modern sustainability problems facing our planet.
Requirements
The minor requires 15 credit hours, at least nine of which must be courses completed on the CU Boulder campus. Students must take six (6) credits of foundational, required coursework and an additional nine (9) credits of approved sustainability-related coursework (electives) offered by several departments, programs and colleges across campus. A cumulative GPA of 2.000 is required in the courses used to satisfy the minor requirements.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | 6 | |
| Introduction to Global Sustainability | ||
| Sustainability in Action | ||
| Elective Courses | 9 | |
| Students may select any combination of three (3) approved elective courses to satisfy the minor requirement. Electives are listed in the following four categories. Students do not have to take all electives in one category. Students should review the prerequisites of each course before registration. | ||
| Science and Engineering | ||
| Energy Efficient Buildings | ||
| Sustainable Building Design | ||
| Renewable Energy Meteorology | ||
| Sustainable Energy from a Chemistry Perspective | ||
| Environmental Water and Soil Chemistry | ||
| Solar Cells and Optical Devices for Sustainable Buildings | ||
| Climate Change and Engineering | ||
| Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering | ||
| Design of Wood Structures | ||
| Special Topics (Solid Waste Management and Resource Recovery) | ||
| Water and Sanitation in Developing Countries | ||
| Introduction to Environmental Studies | ||
| Applied Ecology for Environmental Studies | ||
| Governing the Environment | ||
| Energy and the Environment | ||
| Environmental Ethics | ||
| Intermediate Environmental Problem Analysis: Topical Cornerstones | ||
| Sustainable Economies | ||
| Capstone: Critical Thinking in Environmental Studies | ||
| Sustainability Principles for Engineers | ||
| Sustainable Energy Systems Analysis | ||
| Environmental Engineering Design | ||
| Solid Waste Management and Resource Recovery | ||
| Water and Sanitation in Developing Countries | ||
| Introduction to the Arctic Environment | ||
| Natural Hazards | ||
| Principles of Climate | ||
| Water, Energy and Environment: An Introduction to Earth Resources | ||
| Sustainable Energy | ||
| Business, Economics, and Policy | ||
| Environmental Sustainability in a Globalized World | ||
| Sustainable Operations | ||
| The Sustainable Firm: ESG Strategies and Practice | ||
| Natural Resource Economics | ||
| Environmental Economics | ||
| Sustainable Economies | ||
| Energy Policy and Society | ||
| Climate and Energy Justice | ||
| Water Issues in the American West | ||
| Sustainable Operations | ||
| Introduction to Environmental Policy and Policy Analysis | ||
| Environmental Political Theory | ||
| The Environment and Public Policy | ||
| Issues and Challenges in American Green Energy Policy | ||
| America, the Environment, and the Global Economy | ||
| Arts, Technology, Media, and Education | ||
| Critical Technical Practice | ||
| Strategies and Techniques for Sustainable Planning and Urban Design | ||
| Sustainable Futures Planning | ||
| History, Sociology, and Environmental Justice | ||
| Introduction to Human Dimensions of Environmental Studies | ||
| Social Justice, Leadership and Community Engagement Internships | ||
| Environmental Justice | ||
| Environmental Justice | ||
| Environmental Ethics | ||
| Food and Society | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 15 | |
Learning Outcomes
By the completion of the program, students will:
- Introduce the historical causes and present conditions of global climate change, and identify the opportunities and limitations of professional sustainability engagement.
- Identify and promote the relevance and role of engineers in supporting global sustainability and increasing prosperity.
- Introduce and identify technological, policy, social and practical solutions to global sustainability challenges.