Sustainability Studies, B.S.

Seek solutions to today’s most pressing environmental challenges by asking better questions.

Presenter presenting students with agricultural items
An Interdisciplinary Toolkit Students and faculty tackle questions from multiple scientific, technical, and social perspectives, to find innovative solutions.
A Well-Rounded Curriculum Analyze the social, political, and economic dynamics of environmental problems and sustainable systems.
A Living & Learning Community Rensselaer is home to Vasudha, a living and learning community for first-year students interested in earth, energy, water, and food systems.

Program Overview

The B.S. in Sustainability Studies at Rensselaer combines techniques and insights from the social sciences and humanities to pursue a healthy environment, economic prosperity, and social justice.

Sustainability Studies investigates environmental problems and sustainable solutions to ensure the well-being of present and future generations. Coursework, research, and co-curricular initiatives like the Vasudha Living & Learning Community equip environmentally conscious students with the scientific, technical, and social perspectives needed to find innovative solutions to issues such as the global food system, water pollution, and climate change.

Program Outcomes

Students who graduate from this program will have the ability to: 

  • Analyze the social, political, and economic dynamics of environmental problems and sustainable systems.
  • Conduct research using methods from the social sciences and humanities to pursue sustainability, which will prepare students for graduate and professional studies.
  • Collaborate with diverse stakeholders in order to formulate policy and design interventions that address sustainability issues, with attention to ethics, justice, and local cultural understandings.

After Graduation

Career Opportunities

Graduates of this program are prepared for careers in environmental and public policy, nonprofit research and advocacy, and green industries.

Contact

The School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences
Russell Sage Laboratory (SAGE) 5304, 110 8th Street, Troy, NY 12180
(518) 276-6575

Back to top