Overview
The Intercollege Minor in Sustainability Leadership has been designed for students who wish to promote environmental, social, and economic sustainability in their personal and professional lives. Administered by a University-wide faculty committee, the program provides an opportunity for students in any academic major to develop key competencies that will be the foundation for their growth as sustainability leaders in their civic and professional endeavors. Students cultivate these sustainability leadership competencies in the context of thematic tracks that allow them to focus on particular topics within sustainability studies. The competencies cut across all thematic tracks so that all students in the minor will develop capabilities in: systems thinking; application of sustainability concepts, metrics and analysis; ethics; self-knowledge and leadership; change agency; and collaboration. While these competencies are developed in the context of a specific thematic track, they are transferrable to numerous settings and problems, and graduates of the Sustainability Leadership program will be able to apply them to ethical, social, business and civic issues that they encounter after leaving the University.
All students in the minor are required to take the introductory course, Foundations of Leadership in Sustainability (SUST 200). Within each thematic track, students select 12 credits related to the chosen theme in sustainability leadership. These must include three credits of approved leadership coursework (scholarly explorations of leadership concepts related to the chosen theme) and three credits that offer an immersive experience in sustainability (that is, an opportunity to engage, observe and learn in depth about sustainability challenges and solutions related to the student’s chosen theme). The final three credits for each student in the minor is the 400-level Sustainability Leadership Capstone experience. Capstone selection is in consultation with the student’s major advisor, the minor advisor or coordinator, and the course instructor. The capstone coursework must be relevant to the chosen theme, must have an approved capstone project that includes scholarly applied or theoretical research on a current issue in sustainability leadership, and must include a critical synthesis of the student’s minor curriculum and an articulation of its crosscutting themes.
Interested students should declare the SUSLD minor via Lionpath and select one of the tracks in the above tabs to follow. With prior approval of SUSLD faculty-in-charge Dr. Carter Hunt (cah59 [at] psu [dot] edu), other pathways to completing the minor are possible. Click here to schedule an office appointment with Dr. Hunt to discuss how the requirements of the Sustainability Leadership Minor can be fulfilled in ways that mesh with your career goals.
Requirements
18 credits
Prescribed Courses (3 credits)
SUST 200(3) (Sem: 2-6)
Additional Courses (6 credits)
Take the following 6 credits, or approved substitutions, in consultation with the minor advisor:
SUST 295 or 495, or approved substitution that provides an immersive sustainability experience (3) (Sem: 5-7)
SUST 496 or approved substitution that offers a capstone project in sustainability leadership (3) (Sem: 7-8)
Supporting and Related Course Area (9 credits)
Allowable courses in this area vary by Sustainability Leadership Thematic Track. See Specifics below.
The City Semester Pittsburgh program offers up to 9 supporting and related course credits that have been approved as supporting the minor. The credits come via the 497 Urban Sustainability course and a 495 immersive internship with a Pittsburgh community partner.
At least three credits from the Additional Courses or the Supporting Courses must be from outside the student’s major department.
See tabs above for thematic tracks requirements.
Track: Design for Sustainable Communities
Additional Courses (6 credits)
The following 6 credits, or approved substitutions, must be related to the theme of Design for Sustainable Communities:
SUST 495 or approved substitution that provides immersive sustainability experience (3) (Sem: 5-7)
SUST 496 or approved substitution that offers a capstone project in sustainability leadership (3) (Sem: 7-8)
Supporting and Related Course Area (9 credits)
(Allowable courses in this area vary by Sustainability Leadership Thematic Track. See specifics below.)
Select 6 credits from the following course list, or approved substitutions (6 credits)
C E 410W Sustainable Residential Land Development (3)
CED 152 Community Development Concepts and Practice (3)
CED 309 Land Use Dynamics (3)
CED 409 Land Use Planning and Procedure (3)
CED 427W Society and Natural Resource (3)
ENVE 460 Environmental Law (3)
GEOG 120 (GS;US;IL) Urban Geography: A Global Perspective (3)
GEOG 429 (US;IL) Geographic Perspectives on Global Urbanization (3)
GEOG 436 Ecology, Economy, and Society (3)
GEOG 439 Property and the Global Environment (3)
LARCH 065 (GA;US;IL) Built Environment and Culture (3)
LARCH 241 Ecological Principles for Landscape (3)
LARCH 311 Design and Theory III: Regional Planning and Landscape Systems (4)
SOILS 422 Natural Resources Conservation and Community Sustainability (3)
Select one of the following leadership courses or approved substitutions, in consultation with the SUSLD advisor (3 credits)
AEE 465 Leadership Practices: Power, Influences, and Impact (3)
ARCH 412 Integrative Energy and Environmental Design (3)
CED 375H Community, Local Knowledge, and Democracy (3)
CEDEV 452 Community Structure, Processes and Capacity (3)
Interested students should declare the SUSLD minor via Lionpath and select one of the above tracks to follow. With prior approval of SUSLD faculty-in-charge Dr. Carter Hunt, other pathways to completing the minor are possible. Click here to schedule an office appointment with Dr. Hunt to discuss how the requirements of the Sustainability Leadership Minor can be fulfilled in ways that mesh with your career goals.
Track: Educating for Sustainability
Additional Courses (6 credits)
The following 6 credits, or approved substitutions, must be related to the theme of Educating for Sustainability:
SUST 495 or approved substitution that provides immersive sustainability experience (3) (Sem: 5-7)
SUST 496 or approved substitution that offers a capstone project in sustainability leadership (3) (Sem: 7-8)
Supporting and Related Course Area (9 credits)
(Allowable courses in this area vary by Sustainability Leadership Thematic Track. See specifics below.)
Select 6 credits from the following course list, or approved substitutions (6 credits)
AEE 350 Teaching Methods for Agricultural and Environmental Laboratories (3)
AEE 400 Global Agriculture Education (3)
AEE 412 Methods of Teaching Agriculture and Environmental Science (4)
AEE 450
EDTHP 435. Child Labor and Education in the Global Economy (3)
EDTHP/CIED440. Introduction to Philosophy of Education (3)
RPTM 325. Principles of Environmental Interpretation (3)
RPTM 430. Environmental Education Methods and Materials (3)
Select one of the following leadership courses or approved substitutions, in consultation with the SUSLD advisor (3 credits)
AEE 201 Interpersonal Skills for Tomorrow’s Leaders (3)
ARCH 311 Developing Youth Leadership through Organization and Program Structure (3)
AEE 360 Leadership Development for Small Groups (3)
AEE 460 Foundations in Leadership Development (3)
AEE 465 Leadership Practices: Power, Influences, and Impact (3)
EDLDR 409 Leadership Studies in Popular Film (3)
EDLDR 480 Introduction to Educational Leadership (3)
PHIL 119 Ethical Leadership (3)
RPTM 236. Leadership and Group Dynamics in Recreation Services (3)
SOC 469 Advanced Theory and Practice in Small Group Facilitation (3-4)
Interested students should declare the SUSLD minor via Lionpath and select one of the above tracks to follow. With prior approval of SUSLD faculty-in-charge Dr. Carter Hunt, other pathways to completing the minor are possible. Click here to schedule an office appointment with Dr. Hunt to discuss how the requirements of the Sustainability Leadership Minor can be fulfilled in ways that mesh with your career goals.
Track: Humanistic Understanding of Sustainability
Additional Courses (6 credits)
The following 6 credits, or approved substitutions, must be related to the theme of Humanistic Understanding of Sustainability Track:
SUST 495 or approved substitution that provides immersive sustainability experience (3) (Sem: 5-7)
SUST 496 or approved substitution that offers a capstone project in sustainability leadership (3) (Sem: 7-8)
Supporting and Related Course Area (9 credits)
(Allowable courses in this area vary by Sustainability Leadership Thematic Track. See specifics below.)
Select 6 credits from the following course list, or approved substitutions (6 credits)
CMLIT 435 Cultures of Globalization (3)
CMLIT 455 Ethics, Justice, and Rights in World Literature (3)
ENGL 180 Literature and the Natural World (3)
ENGL 181A Adventure Literature: Exploring the Chesapeake Bay (3)
ENGL 181B Adventure Literature: Exploring Cape Cod (3)
ENGL 181C The Beach: Exploring the Literature of the Atlantic Shore (3)
ENGL 181D Adventure Literature: Exploring the Literature of American Wilderness (3)
ENGL 424 Creative Writing and the Natural World (3)
ENGL 430 The American Renaissance (3)
HIST 109 Introduction to U.S. Environmental History (3)
HIST 110 Introduction to Global Environmental History (3)
HIST 111 Introduction to U.S. Food History (4)
HIST 151 Technology and Society in American History (3)
HIST 453 American Environmental History
PHIL 13 Nature and Environment
PHIL 118 Environmental Philosophy
PHIL 403 Seminar in Environmental Ethics
Select one of the following leadership courses or approved substitutions, in consultation with the SUSLD advisor (3 credits)
CAS 404 Conflict Resolution and Negotiation (3)
CAS 409 Democratic Deliberation (3)
PHIL 119 Ethical Leadership (3)
PLSC 112 Ethics in Citizenship, Politics, and Government (3)
PUBPL 305 Leadership Studies
Interested students should declare the SUSLD minor via Lionpath and select one of the above tracks to follow. With prior approval of SUSLD faculty-in-charge Dr. Carter Hunt, other pathways to completing the minor are possible. Click here to schedule an office appointment with Dr. Hunt to discuss how the requirements of the Sustainability Leadership Minor can be fulfilled in ways that mesh with your career goals.
Track: Sustainability and Food Systems
Additional Courses (6 credits)
The following 6 credits, or approved substitutions, must be related to the theme of Sustainability and Food Systems:
SUST 495 or approved substitution that provides immersive sustainability experience (3) (Sem: 5-7)
SUST 496 or approved substitution that offers a capstone project in sustainability leadership (3) (Sem: 7-8)
Supporting and Related Course Area (9 credits)
(Allowable courses in this area vary by Sustainability Leadership Thematic Track. See specifics below.)
Select 3 credits from the following course list, or approved substitutions (3 credits)
FDSC 406W Physiology of Nutrition (3)
NUTR 251 Introductory Principles of Nutrition (3)
Select 3 credits from the following course list, or approved substitutions (3 credits)
AGBM 102 Economics of the Food System
AGECO 134 Sustainable Agriculture Science and Policy
AGECO 144 Principles and Practices of Organic Agriculture
ERM 210 Environmental Factors and Their Effect on Your Food Supply
HIST/NUTR 111 Introduction to U.S. Food History
NUTR 430
Select one of the following leadership courses or approved substitutions, in consultation with the SUSLD advisor (3 credits)
AEE 201 Interpersonal Skills for Tomorrow’s Leaders (3)
AEE 465 Leadership Practices: Power, Influences, and Impact (3)
PHIL 119 Ethical Leadership (3)
PLSC 112 Ethics in Citizenship, Politics, and Government (3)
RPTM 236 Leadership and Group Dynamics in Recreation Services (3)
Interested students should declare the SUSLD minor via Lionpath and select one of the above tracks to follow. With prior approval of SUSLD faculty-in-charge Dr. Carter Hunt, other pathways to completing the minor are possible. Click here to schedule an office appointment with Dr. Hunt to discuss how the requirements of the Sustainability Leadership Minor can be fulfilled in ways that mesh with your career goals.
