Download Learn about the sustainability science major

B a c h e l o r
FU
o f
S c i e n c e
i n
S u s ta i n a b i l i t y S c i e n c e
Why Sustainability Science?
Recent decades have seen the emergence of sustainability as a
concept central to the development and future of humankind.
Considerations of environmental impact and global change
have been at the forefront of scientific and political discourse.
Sustainability science is an emerging multi-disciplinary field
that aims to develop a deeper and more fundamental
understanding of the critical linkages between environmental,
human, and social systems at a variety of spatial and temporal
scales. An understanding of the vulnerability and resilience of
planetary systems in response to social and environmental
changes are essential components of this discipline.
Addressing the problems facing humanity are inherently
complex, requiring a "holistic and integrated" approach as
illustrated by the diagram on the right.
The Sustainability Science major within the Earth and
Environmental Sciences department will train students to
recognize, study, and analyze myriad of complex relationships
between the social, human, and environmental systems that
address issues involving topics like population, climate change,
natural resources, environmental degradation, food systems,
sustainable production and consumption, lifestyles, human
security and health among others. For example, how do
changes in social and human systems relate to environmental
health, and how does climate change impact communities both
culturally and economically? Do the communities have the
capacity to adapt to slow or rapid changes (resilience) or
would such changes exacerbate individual, social, and
economic problems (vulnerability)? Questions like these
highlight the centrality of complex systems analysis, which will
be emphasized in the curriculum of the major.
Thus, with a better understanding of feedbacks within and
between environmental, human, and social systems, we can
envision developing tools and techniques that can help us
transition to a sustainable future in which we live within the
means of our planet. Majors, therefore, can use acquired skills
to help develop solutions to various problems with the goal of
improving the quality of life of global citizens.
Source: Integrated Research Systems for Sustainability
Science, 2009
What can you do with this
degree?
Sustainability Science is a rapidly emerging field with
tremendous opportunity for a large variety of different
career paths. Industries, governments, academics, and
communities are recognizing the significance of
addressing complex social, environmental, and economic
problems holistically. As such, the interdisciplinary
training, gained through the major, opens employment
opportunities in various government, non-profit groups,
academic settings, and private commercial organizations.
With careful course selection, students with this degree
can not only be prepared for graduate programs in
disciplines such as earth and environmental sciences,
sociology, business, and political science, among others,
but also for jobs that include skills for data analysis,
policy management, social outreach, and sustainable
development.
Department
of
Earth
Sustaina bility
and
Scie nce
Environmental
Degr ee
Sciences
Re quireme nt s
The Bachelor of Science degree in Sustainability Science requires students to take one introductory course, four core courses,
five upper level elective courses, MTH 150, and complete a senior thesis. The introductory and core courses with the exception of EES/SUS 112 and SUS 242 will count only towards the Sustainability Science major. Because of the degree of potential overlap of electives between the Sustainability Science major and Earth and Environmental Sciences major, students will
not be allowed to double major in both EES and SUS.
Introductory and Core Courses
Introductory Course
Introduction to the concepts of sustainability and the complex
problems associated with sustainability. Laboratories cover an
introduction to basic methods common in global environmental
systems, human systems, and social systems.
SUS 120 Principles of Sustainability Science
Core Courses
Core courses introduce the three systems of global sustainability
and laboratories focus on an introduction to specific methods
within each system. The fourth course focuses on how complex,
dynamic systems are modeled.
SUS/EES 112 - Environmental Science
SUS 240 - Human Systems
SUS 241 - Social Systems
SUS 242 - Dynamic Systems Modeling
Upper Level Electives
Students will take a total of five electives from the list of approved
elective courses. At least one elective from each category and no
more than 3 electives from any one area can be selected. These
areas focus on the complex problems of global sustainability that
arise because of breakdowns within each of the global, human, and
social systems, as well as feedbacks between the systems .
Senior Thesis
SUS 472 - Research and Analysis
This is a research, analysis, and writing course based on data collected by the student during summer or academic year research
projects. This course must be taken during the fall of senior year.
Approved Elective Courses
Environmental Security
ANT 303 - Cultural Ecology
BIO/EES 343 - Environmental Systems
BIO 340 - Ecology, or BIO 341/342 - Tropical Ecology/Field
Studies, or BIO 344 - African Ecology, or BIO 380 Freshwater Ecology
BIO 401 - Applied Plant Science
BIO 423 - Marine Biology
BIO 430 - Natural Resource Management
EES 201 - Geographic Information Systems
EES 345 - Resilience and Adaptation
EES 410 - Ocean, Atmosphere and Climate Dynamics
EES 230 - Watershed Hydrology
EES 301 - Remote Sensing of the Environment
EST 301 - Environment and Society
PSC 213 - Environmental Policy
Human Security
ECN 237 - Economics of Poverty and Inequality
ENG 416 - Environmental Writing
GGY 230 - Principles of Geography
HSC 304 - Community and Environmental Health
PHL 303 - Environmental Ethics
PHL 304 - Ethics of Globalization
PSC 214 - Environmental law and conservation advocacy
PVS 101 - Introduction to Poverty Studies
SOC 222 - Population and the Environment
REL 362 - Religion and the Environment
Sustainable Production and Consumption
BUS 312 - Sustainable Corporation
ECN 236 - Economics of the Environment
ECN 243 - Economic Growth and Development
PSC 227 - Environmental Politics in China
For more information, contact
Department of Earth
and Environmental Sciences
3300, Poinsett Hwy, Greenville, SC 29613
Phone: (864) 294-2052 FAX: (864) 294-3585
Web: http://ees.furman.edu
FB: facebook.com/EESdepartment
EESdepartment