Furman University
AC-3: Undergraduate Program

The Bachelor of Science in sustainability science is our newest degree program, and the only one of its kind at a liberal arts university. The curriculum is designed to provide students with a marketable skill set and a holistic, problem based, solution driven way of thinking that considers the complexity and feedbacks between social and environmental systems. Classes focus on addressing real world sustainability problems like food security, energy production, and access to clean water. The degree is rooted in the primacy of the environment and recognizes that the scale of human civilization is limited by our natural resources. The interconnected nature of the environment-society-economy relationships requires systems thinking to understand sustainability problems and develop solutions. Greenville provides a natural laboratory to consider appropriate solutions to real world sustainability challenges. The capstone of the B.S. degree is an original research project completed in collaboration with a faculty member, the results of which are presented at a local or national professional meeting.

As an Earth and Environmental Sciences major, you will study the physical, chemical, and biological, natural and human processes, in both time and space, which have shaped the planet. Courses are designed to help you understand the complexity, interconnectedness, and dynamic nature of the Earth system. All of the courses, including the introductory classes, involve a field component. Class excursions include extensive use of the campus living, learning laboratories as well as many local and regional field trips to places like the Okefenokee Swamp, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the South Carolina coast. The capstone of the B.S. degree is an original research project completed in collaboration with a faculty member, the results of which are presented at a local or national professional meeting.

The B.A. degree is very similar to the B.S. degree, but designed for a major who wants to explore more of the human side of the environment. Typically, students who pursue the B.A. degree compliment their Earth and Environmental Sciences courses with environmental related courses in other departments like economics, political science, and sociology. Although a senior thesis experience is not required, we always encourage B.A. students to consider engaging in a research project that culminates in a thesis or presentation at a professional meeting. Many of our B.A. students work closely with Furman's David E. Shi Center for Sustainability, which provides numerous campus and community-related projects and outreach opportunities.

Many of the problems that will face humanity in the 21st century will be environmental. The expanding human population and dwindling supplies of oil, water and arable land could de-stabilize economic, political and social institutions. Our minor offers 
a program of study that teaches you how the Earth functions as a system and supports life; how the growing human population is transforming this Earth system; the complex relationships between culture (social, political, religious, and economic systems) and the environment; and that solutions are constructed in this social context. The minor also provides
 a course experience in which students discover the interdisciplinary nature of environmental problem solving and work in teams to address environmental issues.