Overview
The certificate program is intended to equip students with knowledge and skills for implementing positive change through environmentally responsible practices in various fields; to serve as a curricular adjunct to sustainable initiatives at UM; to foster a culture of conservation at the University; to enhance students’ preparation for a variety of careers, including engineering, architecture, business, marketing, government, and more; and to affirm UM’s commitment to sustainability and complement its efforts to enhance environmental education.
To obtain the sustainability certificate, students will complete 18 credits from the courses below.
Students may take courses to align with their major or minor, or individual interests (e.g., energy, green buildings, natural resource management). Note that some courses on the list may require one or more prerequisites. It is the responsibility of students to obtain any permissions for waivers of prerequisites from the appropriate parties in a given School or College. Courses not on the list below may be substituted; students should obtain permission for substitutions in advance from the Department of Geography's Director of Undergraduate Studies.
Students must be enrolled full time and all courses for the Certificate must be passed with no lower than a “C” grade. Students who successfully complete the program will receive a notation on their transcripts that they have received the Sustainability Certificate.
Prerequisite Courses
- POL 322 has a prerequisite of POL 201 or POL 202; it is only offered in Summer
- MSC 340 has a prerequisite of MSC 111
- ARC 223 has a prerequisite of ARC 102 and ARC 122
- INS 322 has a prerequisite of INS 102 or ECO 211 and ECO 212, or permission of instructor
- INS 421 has a prerequisite of INS 102 or permission of instructor
- ECO 345 has a prerequisite of ECO 211 and ECO 302
- MSC 345 has a prerequisite of ECO 211
- GEG 341 has a prerequisite of any 100 level GEG course.
*This program is not eligible for federal or state financial aid. Contact the Office of Student Financial Assistance and Employment for further assistance.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1: Human Impacts on Natural World | 3 | |
| Introduction to the Earth's Ecosystem | ||
| Evolution of the Modern Earth's Environment | ||
| Climate and Global Change | ||
| Group 2: Environmental Politics & Policy | 3 | |
| Introduction to Environmental Policy | ||
| Special Topics in Ecosystem Science and Policy | ||
| Environmental Politics and Policy | ||
| Ocean Policy | ||
| Coastal Law | ||
| Climate Science and Policy | ||
| Group 3: Social Implications | 3 | |
| Architecture and the Environment | ||
| Economics of Development and the Environment | ||
| Poverty and the Environment: A Hands-On Approach | ||
| Environmental Economics | ||
| Economics of Natural Resources and the Environment | ||
| Sustainable Living | ||
| Global Water Security Sustainability | ||
| Population, Health, and Environment | ||
| Additional Courses | 9 | |
| Choose 9 additional credits from courses below: | ||
| Human Adaptation | ||
| Anthropology of Food | ||
| Anthropology of Nature and Environment | ||
| Introduction to Ecology | ||
| Evolution and Disease | ||
| Ecology | ||
| Tropical Ecology | ||
| Conservation in Practice | ||
| Seminar Series in Contemporary Environmental Issues I | ||
| Seminar Series in Contemporary Environmental Issues II | ||
| Tools for Environmental Decision-Making: The Quantitative Perspective | ||
| Perspectives on Environmental Decision Making | ||
| Conservation in Practice | ||
| Interdisciplinary Environmental Theory | ||
| Sustainable Development | ||
| Biogeography and Conservation | ||
| Conservation and Development | ||
| Geological Influences on Society | ||
| Natural Disasters: Hollywood vs. Reality | ||
| Hydrogeology | ||
| Consumer Society: A Global History | ||
| Nature and the Environment in American History | ||
| Global Perspectives | ||
| Global Economics | ||
| Globalization and Change in World Politics | ||
| Special Topics in Latin American and Caribbean Environment | ||
| Latin American Environmental Issues | ||
| Interdisciplinary Topics in Latin American and Caribbean Environments | ||
| Latin American Environmental Issues | ||
| Global Warming, Politics and the European Union | ||
| Global Energy Politics | ||
| Global Environmental Politics | ||
| Global Environmental Politics | ||
| Environmental Policy Making | ||
| Social and Cultural Change | ||
| Water-Resources Engineering I | ||
| Water Resources Engineering II | ||
| Sustainable Construction | ||
| Energy-Efficient Building Design | ||
| Environmental Quality Control | ||
| Introduction to Environmental Engineering | ||
| Marine Conservation Science | ||
| Climate and Society | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 18 | |
Mission
Students will gain an understanding of how sustainability concepts have bearing on climate change, mass movements of populations, limits to energy and water supplies, and biodiversity.
Goals
The Certificate program is intended:
- to equip students with knowledge and skills for implementing positive change through environmentally responsible practices in various fields;
- to serve as a curricular adjunct to sustainable initiatives at UM;
- to foster a culture of conservation at the University;
- to enhance students’ preparation for a variety of careers, including engineering, architecture, business, marketing, government, and more; and
- to affirm UM’s commitment to sustainability and complement its efforts to enhance environmental education.
Student Learning Outcomes
- Students will demonstrate an understanding of human impacts on the environment.
- Students will demonstrate an understanding of methods of reducing human impacts on the environment.
- Students will demonstrate an ability to communicate effectively about sustainability.
