State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry
AC-3: Undergraduate Program

The Bachelor of Science in Sustainability Management (SM) is a fully online Bachelor of Science completion program (in effect, the third and fourth program years) that integrates discipline- and career-focused knowledge, skills, and perspectives based on the three pillars of sustainability: economics, society, and the environment. Emphasis is placed upon understanding how key environmental dimensions of sustainability are interdependent with socially and economically viable policies and practices. This program builds upon a broad and flexible foundation at the lower division with specialized sustainability college coursework at the upper division. Students synthesize knowledge and skills and strengthen workforce-readiness through a capstone project. The program's upper division sustainability coursework prepares graduates for a wide and expanding range of career positions in the public, private and non-profit sectors.

The Sustainable Energy Management (SEM) program introduces students to a wide range of energy markets and resources with flexibility for student-centered learning in understanding and managing energy systems. SEM combines professional competency in management skills with a strong foundation in the social and biophysical sciences. The study of sustainable energy use and the development of sustainable sources of energy have become critical national and global issues. It is essential that society and energy professionals gain an understanding of production and conversion of different forms of energy, their current and future supplies, the markets and policy mechanisms that regulate their supply, and the associated impacts on the environment for each fuel. SEM exposes students to a variety of disciplines and issues related to energy supply and use. Experiential field learning is combined with concepts and skills from the classroom and laboratory. SEM develops professional skills through a broad base of classes in the natural sciences, social sciences and humanities, communication, quantitative and qualitative problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.

Professional forestry education has been featured at ESF since the College's founding in 1911. The Forestry Resources Management (FRM) program introduces students to the integration of forest ecology and biology, forest measurements, forest policy and administration, and courses to predict and evaluate the effects of manipulation.

The program combines professional competency with a strong foundation in biophysical sciences, humanities, and social sciences to meet society's need for forest managers. FRM, as part of the Sustainable Resources Management Department, includes sustainability in the program's educational objectives:

- Understand forest ecosystems
- Identify the major species, both flora and fauna, in a given area
- Describe relationships among flora and fauna including the biological and
physical requirements
- Describe and analyze forest ecosystems
- Describe technical forestry terms to different audiences using consistent
and accurate terminology
- Plan, conduct, analyze forest inventories, including biological, physical,
and social characteristics, using different statistical sampling methods,
and communicate results in both written and oral form
- Explain forest development in both written and oral form and apply
computer growth and yield models to project stand and forest development
- Analyze how forest resources are managed
- Describe and explain to different audiences in both written and oral form
alternative ways to change or maintain forest structure
- Evaluate tradeoffs among biological sustainability, economic feasibility,
and social acceptability with respect to alternative forest management
plans
- Explain the conceptual framework and systematic process for problem
solving and demonstrate effective teamwork skills and ethics
- Describe and apply appropriate decision-making tools and techniques to
evaluate alternative forest management practices appropriate to ownership
goals and objectives
- Describe influence of government policies
- Explain how U.S. and state government policies influence the management of
forest resources on public and private lands
- Describe how government policies impact management opportunities

- ESF's Forest Resources Management program is one of the top (#14) Forestry Programs in the United States (https://bestaccreditedcolleges.org/degrees/bachelors-degrees-in-forestry.html)

Construction Management
https://www.esf.edu/academics/undergraduate/construction-management.php

Environmental Education and Interpretation
https://www.esf.edu/academics/undergraduate/environmental-interpretation.php

Environmental Science
https://www.esf.edu/academics/undergraduate/environmental-science.php

Environmental Studies
https://www.esf.edu/academics/undergraduate/environmental-studies.php

Landscape Architecture
https://www.esf.edu/academics/undergraduate/landscape-architecture.php

Natural Resources Management
https://www.esf.edu/academics/undergraduate/natural-resources-management.php

Renewable Materials Science
https://www.esf.edu/academics/undergraduate/renewable-materials-science.php

The sustainable construction minor is available to all ESF undergraduates (except students in construction management majors) and prepares students for careers related to sustainable construction. The basic objective of the minor is to provide a fundamental understanding of the sustainable concepts and methods used to take a design into the field and build a quality sustainable structure in the most efficient and effective manner with minimal environmental impact.

Graduates of this program can make important professional contributions on issues ranging from urban forestry and urban wildlife, to urban air and water quality, population growth and urban sprawl, and environmental justice and equity. All students, but perhaps especially those with an intimate knowledge of the challenges facing city inhabitants, will find this program stimulating and provocative and will find professors interested in working with them to learn about and develop improved urban environments.

The Native Peoples and the Environment minor is available to all ESF undergraduates. The interdisciplinary suite of courses provides students with a cohesive introduction to Indigenous cultures, worldviews and knowledge systems and their application to environmental thought. The minor creates a conceptual framework for integrating traditional ecological knowledge with western scientific approaches in service to the science of sustainability. Through the breadth of courses and experiences, students will gain an appreciation for both the global nature and the local context of indigenous issues and the environment. The minor includes a required team taught seminar which enhances opportunities for interdisciplinary and cross-cultural integration.

All other sustainability-focused undergraduate minors:
- Environmental Policy and Communication
- Food Studies
- Forestry
- Landscape Architecture
- Recreation Resource and Protected Area Management
- Renewable Energy
- Urban Forestry
- Water Resources

All minors can be found here:
https://www.esf.edu/academics/undergraduate/minors/

ESF Academic Catalog:
https://www.esf.edu/catalog/documents/2022-2023.pdf