Colorado State University
AC-3: Undergraduate Program

The Ecosystem Science and Sustainability degree program provides students with the knowledge and ability to integrate the latest science into real-world decision making. Our affiliation with CSU's Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, with a 45-year history of world-class ecosystem research, gives undergraduate students opportunities to gain hands-on research experience while developing solutions to today’s most pressing challenges. Students in ESS learn about the challenges humans face in sustainably managing ecosystem services, the amazing ways in which organisms interact with their environments to form complex ecosystems, and cutting-edge integrative solutions for sustainability. Students begin their degree with core courses that build a strong foundation in the physical and natural sciences. Courses in ecosystem science put that core understanding into the context of natural resources, with coursework in the classroom, laboratory, and field.

The bachelor of science degree in Human Dimensions of Natural Resources prepares students to examine conservation issues through a multi-disciplinary lens that takes into account an issue’s political, socio-economic and ecological dimensions. Students in the HDNR degree gain skills to see a conservation issue through the eyes of varied stakeholders, to understand perspectives of an issue that may be different than their own, and how to work effectively with others in order to collaboratively address environmental issues. Students in HDNR acquire the skills to envision a desired conservation outcome, and then design a plan and identify the steps needed to help that outcome come to fruition. The HDNR degree prepares students for a variety of jobs in conservation, with an emphasis on jobs that require strong interpersonal skills, leading others, and collaborating with people with diverse insights and opinions. These skills are transferable to a wide gamut of conservation jobs, such as an outdoor education instructor, park ranger for a protected area, or an associate with an environmental planning firm.

Completion of an Environmental Engineering degree will prepare graduates for creative and effective leadership in engineering practice, education, research, service, and engagement. Graduates shall have the ability to broadly support engineering infrastructure, environmental sustainability, economic development, and quality of life with an interdisciplinary emphasis on responding to global changes in society and the environment. Students will: -demonstrate technical excellence and innovation in the ability to identify, analyze, formulate, and design resilient and sustainable Environmental Engineering solutions, both independently and in a team environment; -apply considerations of technical, legal, regulatory, social, environmental, economic, and ethical factors multi-faceted and multi-disciplinary projects and programs; -communicate effectively in both technical and non-technical settings using a variety of media and modes of communication with co-workers, clients, stakeholders, -policy-makers, and the public; demonstrate commitment and progress in lifelong learning, professional development, and leadership, including participation in continuing education courses, workshops, and/or graduate study, and the pursuit of licensure as a Professional Engineer; and -exemplify the skills and capability to engage in activities focused on the betterment of their communities and society as a whole.

https://green.colostate.edu/courses/

The Environmental Affairs Interdisciplinary Minor is designed for students with a particular interest in environmental topics, focusing on a core of social sciences and humanities courses that are supplemented with required science courses, as well as environmental electives from six colleges. Courses address domestic and international issues of concern with both current and historical perspectives, and will provide students with a well-rounded program of study. The program is open to all students and designed to complement students’ primary majors. This program provides undergraduate students with an opportunity to broaden their education through the wide range of environmental topics available at CSU as they prepare themselves for environmental careers or graduate study.

The Global Environmental Sustainability Minor offers students in every department a curriculum that enhances their major with an understanding of the issues of sustainability and provides students with the tools to bring sustainability into their career paths. The GES minor is a 21-credit sequence with course offerings from 25 different subject codes across all eight colleges, providing depth in learning and allowing students to tailor coursework to augment their interests. The minor provides a deep understanding of the complexity surrounding the problems we face and the solutions that we need to implement to address climate change, biodiversity, pollution, public health, oceans, food security and development on a global scale.

The Ecological Restoration minor allows students in related majors to gain knowledge of the science and art of restoring ecosystems. This background is especially valuable to students who will be working in the various natural resource management fields. Since the prevalence of damaged, degraded or destroyed ecosystems is likely to increase in the future, restoration will be imperative for transforming these lands to once again provide ecosystem services. This minor is housed in the Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship which understands the tradeoffs that exist between natural and human spheres and aims to reveal how extensive lands function and interact with society's actions to ensure that current resources will be available for generations to come.

https://green.colostate.edu/courses/

Document titled, Program List contains a complete inventory of sustainability focused majors, minors, specializations and certificates at both the graduate and undergraduate level. Total of 27 undergraduate majors, 60 graduate programs, 18 minors and 11 certificates that are sustainability focused programs.