Sustainability (B.A./B.S.)

37-54 Major Hours, 120 Degree Hours

Students in this major must also complete requirements for a degree in the College of Arts & Sciences .

USD’s Sustainability major includes a choice of two specializations for the B.S. degree. The B.A. degree is only available with the Human and Natural Systems specialization.

Sustainability Core Requirements (22 credit hours)

• BIOL 310 - Environmental Science

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• BIOL 454 - Environmental Ethics OR
• PHIL 454 - Environmental Ethics (C)

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• ECON 201 - Principles of Microeconomics (C) [SGR #3, HSDC]
• POLS 226 - Introduction to Public Policy
• SUST 111 - Sustainable Society [SGR #3, HSDC]
• SUST 113 - Sustainable Environment [SGR #6, HSDC]
• SUST 113L - Sustainable Environment Lab [SGR #6, HSDC]
• SUST 489 - Sustainability Capstone

Environmental Science Specialization (30-32 credit hours)

This specialization is only available to B.S. students.

Complete 15 credit hours from course groups or environmental science electives plus foundational requirements.

• Biological Systems Course Group (at least 2 courses and corresponding labs, if applicable):

• BIOL 311 - Principles of Ecology (C)
• BIOL 311L - Principles of Ecology Lab (C)
• BIOL 407 - Plants and Civilization (C)
• BIOL 407L - Plants and Civilization Laboratory (C)
• BIOL 408 - Landscape Ecology
• BIOL 408L - Landscape Ecology Laboratory
• BIOL 410 - Conservation Biology (C)
• BIOL 412 - Freshwater Ecology
• BIOL 412L - Freshwater Ecology Laboratory
• BIOL 417 - Field Ecology
• BIOL 417L - Field Ecology Laboratory
• BIOL 418 - Ecosystem Ecology
• BIOL 440 - Restoration Ecology (C)
• BIOL 440L - Restoration Ecology Lab (C)
• BIOL 466 - Environmental Toxicology & Contaminants (C)
• BIOL 484 - Remote Sensing (C)
• BIOL 484L - Remote Sensing Lab (C)
• GEOG 484 - Remote Sensing (C)
• GEOG 484L - Remote Sensing Lab (C)

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• Earth Systems Course Group (at least 2 courses):

• ESCI 411 - Principles of Geomorphology
• ESCI 412 - Earth and Water Resources
• SUST 412 - Earth and Water Resources
• ESCI 415 - Energy and Sustainability
• PHYS 415 - Energy and Sustainability
• ESCI 416 - Global Climate Change
• ESCI 421 - Soil & Landscape
• SUST 421 - Soil & Landscape
• ESCI 473 - Fundamentals of Hydrogeology

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• Environmental Science Electives:

• BIOL 420 - Introduction to Biostatistics & Computational Biology (C)
• BIOL 420L - Introduction to Biostatistics & Computational Biology Laboratory (C)
• BIOL 442 - Introduction to River Studies
• BIOL 485 - Drone Applications
• BIOL 485L - Drone Applications Laboratory
• ESCI 405 - Oceanography
• ESCI 442 - Introduction to River Studies
• CHEM 310 - Fundamental Organic Chemistry
• CHEM 310L - Fundamental Organic Chemistry Lab
• CHEM 482 - Environmental Chemistry (C)
• ESCI 425 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
• SUST 453 - Protected Area Management and Nature-Based Tourism
• SUST 491 - Independent Study (C) *
• SUST 492 - Topics (C) *
• SUST 496 - Field Experience (C) *

Human and Natural Systems Specialization (15 credit hours)

This specialization is available to both the B.A. and B.S. degree students.

Sustainable Communities Emphasis (at least 3 courses from the Social Systems course group and 1 from Natural Systems course group)

Science and Society Emphasis (at least 3 courses from the Natural Systems Course Group and at least 1 from Social Systems course group)

• Social Systems Course Group (at least 1 course):

• ANTH 426 - Collapse of Societies
• SUST 426 - Collapse of Societies
• ANTH 470 - The Anthropology of Food
• ECON 410 - Economic Growth & Development
• ECON 472 - Resource & Environmental Economics (C)
• HIST 372 - The American West
• POLS 320 - Public Administration (C)
• POLS 407 - Environmental Law & Policy (C)
• PSYC 232 - The Psychology of Living Well
• PSYC 434 - Behavior and Sustainability
• SOC 432 - Collective Behavior and Social Change (C)
• SOC 450 - Race and Ethnic Minorities
• SUST 434 - Behavior and Sustainability
• CMST 418 - Environmental Communication

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• Natural Systems Course Group (at least 1 course):

• ESCI 412 - Earth and Water Resources
• SUST 412 - Earth and Water Resources
• ESCI 415 - Energy and Sustainability
• ESCI 416 - Global Climate Change
• ESCI 421 - Soil & Landscape
• SUST 421 - Soil & Landscape
• BIOL 311 - Principles of Ecology (C)
• BIOL 311L - Principles of Ecology Lab (C)
• BIOL 410 - Conservation Biology (C)
• BIOL 440 - Restoration Ecology (C)
• BIOL 440L - Restoration Ecology Lab (C)
• CHEM 482 - Environmental Chemistry (C)

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• Human and Natural Systems Electives:

• ENGL 403 - Grant Writing
• BIOL 408 - Landscape Ecology
• BIOL 408L - Landscape Ecology Laboratory
• BIOL 412 - Freshwater Ecology
• BIOL 412L - Freshwater Ecology Laboratory
• BIOL 417 - Field Ecology
• BIOL 417L - Field Ecology Laboratory
• BIOL 418 - Ecosystem Ecology
• BIOL 420 - Introduction to Biostatistics & Computational Biology (C)
• BIOL 420L - Introduction to Biostatistics & Computational Biology Laboratory (C)
• BIOL 442 - Introduction to River Studies
• BIOL 466 - Environmental Toxicology & Contaminants (C)
• BIOL 484 - Remote Sensing (C)
• BIOL 484L - Remote Sensing Lab (C)
• CMST 422 - Persuasion (C)
• CMST 485 - Communication and Conflict Resolution (C)
• ESCI 411 - Principles of Geomorphology
• ESCI 425 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
• ESCI 442 - Introduction to River Studies
• ESCI 473 - Fundamentals of Hydrogeology
• GEOG 484 - Remote Sensing (C)
• GEOG 484L - Remote Sensing Lab (C)
• INTS 452 - Globalization and Development
• POLS 404 - Local Government Administration and Politics
• POLS 421 - The Nonprofit Sector
• POLS 455 - International Human Rights
• POLS 457 - Globalization and Development
• PSYC 460 - Psychological Perspectives on Diversity
• SOC 410 - Methods of Social Research (C)
• SUST 453 - Protected Area Management and Nature-Based Tourism
• SUST 491 - Independent Study (C) *
• SUST 492 - Topics (C) *
• SUST 496 - Field Experience (C) *
• WMST 455 - International Human Rights [W]

Note:

*Inclusion of SUST 491 and 492 is subject to approval of the chairperson of the Sustainability and Environment Department to ensure suitability for the specialization.

B.A. and B.S. Distribution Requirements:

The following SUST courses count toward the B.A. and B.S. distribution requirements:

B.A./B.S. to M.S. Accelerated Options

Undergraduate Sustainability majors may elect to complete both the B.A./B.S. and M.S. concurrently. Students who pursue the accelerated option will be awarded their undergraduate degree first, but may be awarded both degrees upon completion of the graduate requirements. Students may apply for admission to the M.S. program after completing 75 undergraduate credit hours and may begin taking graduate level courses upon completion of 90 undergraduate credit hours and acceptance into the accelerated graduate program. Additional information about the accelerated degree can be found on the accelerated program catalog page  for the M.S. in Sustainability.

Sustainability Double Major (31 hours)

 Sustainability Double Major  

Students who choose Sustainability as one of two majors complete a 31-credit hour version of the Sustainability major. Double majors complete all core requirements for the major (22 credit hours) and select a specialization. In the specialization, 9 credit hours of coursework are required with at least one course selected from each course group for the selected specialization.

Four-Year Program Guides and Costs

USD encourages students to take 15 credits per semester or 30 credits within the year in order to graduate in 4 years. To help students complete their academic degree program in four years, we provide a sample academic plan. Please work with your academic advisor to confirm your plan. 

• Sustainability, B.A.-Human and Natural Systems specialization 4-year plan guide
• Sustainability, B.S.-Human and Natural Systems specialization 4-year plan guide
• Sustainability, B.S.-Environmental Science specialization 4-year plan guide

Related programs:

• Conservation Biology, B.S. 4-year plan guide
• International Studies, B.A. 4-year plan guide
• Political Science, B.A./B.S. 4-year plan guide
• Sociology, B.A./B.S. 4-year plan guide 

State Authorization - It Matters Where You Live

If your learning placement course (internship, externship, clinical, rotation, practicum, independent study, study away, etc.) or your online course will be taken outside South Dakota, please reference USD’s State Authorization webpage.

State Authorization