The undergraduate minor in sustainability engineering serves all College of Engineering and Applied Science CU Boulder students who are interested in obtaining a strong foundation in sustainability principles. The minor is intended to expose students to the drivers, determinants, and solutions to modern sustainability problems facing our planet. Students enrolled in the minor must take six (6) credits of foundational, required coursework and an additional nine (9) credits of approved sustainability-related coursework (electives) offered by the College of Engineering and by several departments, programs and colleges across campus.
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) credit hours of foundational, required coursework and an additional nine (9) credit hours of approved sustainability-related coursework (electives) offered by several departments, programs and colleges across campus. Three (3) of these credit hours must be taken in the area of Engineering. 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 one elective course in Engineering and any combination of two (2) approved elective courses in other categories to satisfy the minor requirement. Electives are listed in the following three categories. Students do not have to take all electives in one category. Students should review the prerequisites of each course before registration. | ||
| Engineering | ||
| Energy Efficient Buildings | ||
| Sustainable Building Design | ||
| Solar Cells and Optical Devices for Sustainable Buildings | ||
| Climate Change and Engineering | ||
| Fundamentals of Environmental Engineering | ||
| Engineering Hydrology | ||
| Design of Wood Structures | ||
| Special Topics (Solid Waste Management and Resource Recovery) | ||
| Water Security, Sanitation & Hygiene | ||
| Sustainability Principles for Engineers | ||
| Sustainable Energy Systems Analysis | ||
| Environmental Engineering Design | ||
| Solid Waste Management and Resource Recovery | ||
| Water Security, Sanitation & Hygiene | ||
| Sustainable Energy | ||
| Science | ||
| Renewable Energy Meteorology | ||
| Sustainable Energy from a Chemistry Perspective | ||
| Environmental Water and Soil Chemistry | ||
| Introduction to Environmental Studies | ||
| Applied Ecology for Environmental Studies | ||
| Governing the Environment | ||
| Energy and the Environment | ||
| Environmental Ethics | ||
| Intermediate Environmental Problem Analysis: Topical Cornerstones | ||
| Capstone: Critical Thinking in Environmental Studies | ||
| Introduction to the Arctic Environment | ||
| Natural Hazards | ||
| Principles of Climate | ||
GEOL 1150 | ||
| Business, Economics, and Policy | ||
| Environmental Economics | ||
| Introduction to Human Dimensions of Environmental Studies | ||
| Sustainable Economies | ||
| Energy Policy and Society | ||
| Climate and Energy Justice | ||
| Water Issues in the American West | ||
| Environmental Justice | ||
| Strategies and Techniques for Sustainable Planning and Urban Design | ||
| Sustainable Futures Planning | ||
| Introduction to Environmental Policy and Policy Analysis | ||
| Issues and Challenges in American Green Energy Policy | ||
| America, the Environment, and the Global Economy | ||
| 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.