Effective policies and leadership at the local, national, and international levels are necessary to drive meaningful action on sustainability’s many challenges.

Gateway Academic Programs

Academic Programs

Penn State students can engage sustainability’s biggest challenges through their coursework, service, and applied experiences. In alignment with our Climate Consortium, the Sustainability Learning Gateway’s overarching themes provide pathways to learning about sustainability challenges, diving deep into the issues inside and outside of the classroom, and developing expertise that is personally, civically, and professionally meaningful. You can also search by your level, undergraduate or graduate. We have included these academic programs for one of three reasons. The program must:

  1. Require sustainability explicitly (Ex: Renewable Energy and Sustainability Systems, Energy and Sustainability Policy, or Sustainability Leadership);
  2. Provides a track or pathway for students to easily incorporate sustainability into the program (Architecture, Public Policy, or Ethics)
  3. Affords creativity or innovation to students to integrate sustainability into their program (Ex: Art, Integrative Sciences, or Music Composition).

There is a lot of information on these pages. Even still, we know special topics come up, individual faculty create sustainability-focused sections of courses, research experiences might be hidden somewhere, and new opportunities can emerge. To make the most of the Gateway and your sustainability journey, don’t hesitate to set up an appointment with an academic adviser or a trusted mentor for assistance. If you have questions or feedback about the Gateway, please email: sustainability@psu.edu.

African Studies (B.A.)
Develop your understanding of various aspects of the African continent, including its socioeconomic conditions and global relations.

Community, Environment, and Development (B.S.)
In addressing just and sustainable development, this major incorporates climate change, statistical research, economics, and more in this multidisciplinary program focused on communities.

Earth Science and Policy (B.S)
Gain an interdisciplinary understanding of current environmental systems and issues through their social, economic, and political dimensions.

Education and Public Policy (B.S.)
An interdisciplinary approach for those who want to make a difference in society by building democratic participation, improving civic capacity in, and through educational institutions and communities.

Energy and Sustainability Policy (B.A.)
For those who desire an interdisciplinary background, this major explores energy and sustainability through the lenses of science, business, and public policy combined.

Energy and Sustainability Policy (B.S.)
For those who desire an interdisciplinary background, this major explores energy and sustainability through the lenses of science, business, and public policy combined.

Energy Business and Finance (B.S.)
For those interested in energy systems, learn about the integration of finance and business through understanding markets, risk analyses, and more.

Geography (B.S.)
Study geography with optional applications in fields such as environmental issues or urban and regional planning.

Integrative Science (B.S.)
For those who have education goals relating to scientific theory and practice across disciplinary areas, and who seek a high degree of flexibility, become knowledgeable across many disciplines.

Philosophy (B.A.)
For those who are either unsure of or restricted by current programs, explore this major to collaborate with faculty in creating your own!

Philosophy (B.S.)
For those who are either unsure of or restricted by current programs, explore this major to collaborate with faculty in creating your own!

Public Policy (B.S.)
For those interested in policy issues, politics, public administration, and related fields such as policy analysis and policy advocacy, explore the critical issues facing our communities, the nation, and the world.

Earth and Sustainability
Explore global sustainability issues in the context of marine, land, and atmospheric systems.

Environmental and Renewable Resource Economics
An introduction to how fundamental economic principles can be applied to explain and address environmental degradation and the unsustainable use of natural resources.

Environmental Inquiry
Utilize multiple perspectives to comprehend environmental issues and enhance skills in collaborating across disciplinary backgrounds to develop effective environmental solutions.

Environmental Studies
An interdisciplinary introduction to the natural environment and human interactions with it.

Food Systems
Prepare for existing and emerging careers in food systems through interdisciplinary studies of health, science, economics, business, community, agriculture, the food service industry, and policy.

Geography
Study geography with optional applications in fields such as environmental issues or urban and regional planning.

Legal Studies
An introduction to a variety of perspectives on the law, its operation, and its effects in different contexts.

Peace and Conflict Studies
Examine how human beings get into and out of violent conflicts through understanding the costs of war, the processes and challenges of peace, and the characteristics of human conflicts at all levels

Public Policy and Leadership Across Sectors
An introduction to the practice of policy analysis, the process of policymaking, and the values of public service.

Social Justice in Education
Cultivate awareness, engagement, and reflection of critical pedagogies, values, and ethics in relation to educational diversity, equity, and social justice in traditional and non-traditional educational settings.

Sustainability Leadership
Promote environmental, social, and economic sustainability in personal and professional lives through studying systems thinking, change agency, ethics, and more.

Justice, Ethics, Diversity in Space
Address how geographers approach questions concerning uneven power relations, inequalities, justice, social responsibility, and ethics across space and in place.

Keystone Certificate for Integrative Humanities
Understand how issues of intersectionality, history, interculturalism, global perspectives, democratic and ethical decision making, and other areas fundamental to the humanities relate to being better citizens at work and in local, national, and global communities.

International Affairs
Prepare for occupations involving public service, private enterprise, nonprofit organizations, and international organizations worldwide with optional concentrations including environment and resources.

Public Policy
Gain professional training for those seeking careers in the design, adoption, implementation, and evaluation of public policies.

Transdisciplinary Research in Ecology and Society
A dual-title program with tracks to focus on anthropology, energy and mineral engineering, education policy and leadership, and more.

AG160: Introduction to Ethics and Issues in Agriculture
This course examines ethical theories and the social contract to understand participation and consent in democratic decision-making, focusing on historical agricultural policy debates and ethical issues in U.S. agriculture, including non-interference rights, opportunity rights, and issues related to food, fiber, natural resources, and the environment.

AGBM470A&B: Comparing Agricultural and Food Systems in the US and France
This course compares U.S. and French food and agricultural systems by examining key topics, including policy, sustainability, GMOs, and diet, through classroom instruction and a study-abroad component in France, culminating in written and oral analyses of specific crops within both national contexts.

AGECO134N: Sustainable Agriculture Science and Policy
This inter-domain course explores the science, socioeconomics, and politics of managing food and fiber production systems, as well as the sustainability implications of current practices and future options.

ANSC332N: Science and Policy of Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Management
This course introduces the science and policy of greenhouse gas emissions from natural, energy, and food systems, with a global perspective on climate policy and mitigation strategies in both developed and developing countries.

BE392: Contextual Integration of Leadership Skills for the Technical Workplace
The primary focus of this course is on leadership, with communication, ethics, sustainability, and professional development issues presented in the context of their relationship to leadership.

CED155: Science, Technology, and Public Policy
This course examines the role of science and technology in sustainable development and public policy, focusing on the science-policy interface, theoretical frameworks, and collaborative solutions to sustainability challenges.

CED201: Introductory Environmental and Resource Economics
This course introduces economic principles and methods for analyzing environmental protection and natural resource policies, with a focus on market failures and policy tools for managing renewable and non-renewable resources.

CED309: Land Use Dynamics
This course employs economic analysis to examine land use and land use policy, considering how the spatial configuration of landscapes evolves in response to changes in land prices, population growth, human preferences, environmental factors, markets, and institutions.

CED410: The Global Seminar
This course explores critical global sustainability and environmental issues through international collaboration, emphasizing trade-offs, policy, and diverse perspectives via case studies and virtual teamwork with students worldwide.

CED429: Natural Resource Economics
This course covers the optimal management of resources, the roles of markets and other institutions, the relationship between resources and economic development, and public policy regarding natural resources.

COMM405: Political Economy of Communications
This course critically examines the structure and practices of the U.S. mass media within the global political economy, exploring how media ownership, commercialism, and digital media impact democracy and democratic communication.

EARTH107: Coastal Processes, Hazards and Society
This course provides a global overview of coastal landscapes and the dynamic processes shaping them, focusing on environmental hazards like sea level rise and exploring real-world data, community impacts, and policy and engineering responses to biophysical changes in low-elevation coastal zones.

EARTH111N: Water: Science and Society
This course examines the scarcity and distribution of Earth’s freshwater, focusing on water’s scientific properties and the political, economic, and environmental conflicts over water resources and quality, with a focus on the Western U.S.

EBF200: Introduction to Energy and Earth Sciences Economics
This course introduces economic analysis of energy and resource use decisions, exploring market advantages and failures, government interventions, and their impacts on local, national, and global development challenges.

ECON415: The Economics of Global Climate Change
This course explores evidence on climate change, economic models of the environment and market failure, cost-benefit analysis of policy options, and carbon markets.

EME432: Energy Policy
This course explores the analysis, formulation, implementation, and impacts of energy-related policies, regulations, and initiatives.

EME444: Global Energy Enterprise
This course examines the impact of public and private nonmarket actors on energy markets through case studies and guided analysis, and provides an overview of the technical, environmental, economic, and sociopolitical aspects of modern energy and international policy.

EME466: Energy and Sustainability in Society
Students in this course identify, organize, execute, and reflect on a local issue related to energy, the environment, or sustainability with particular emphasis on policy-based solutions.

EMSC302: Orientation to Energy and Sustainability Policy
This course introduces students to the goals, expectations, and resources of the Energy and Sustainability Policy program, focusing on foundational skills in energy knowledge, global perspective, analysis, communication, and ethics.

ERM411: Legal Aspects of Resource Management
This course examines environmental and natural resource law, concentrating on property rights, legal systems, and regulatory frameworks associated with land, water, and wildlife, with practical applications through case studies and simulated legal exercises.

GEOG332N: Science and Policy of Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Management
This course explores the science and policy of greenhouse gas emissions from natural, energy, and agricultural sources, examining global emission patterns and mitigation strategies in both developed and developing countries.

GEOG3N: Food and the Future Environment
This course examines the interconnection between food systems and the environment through a global and U.S.-focused lens, emphasizing sustainability, human-environment interactions, and a critical analysis of how food production, consumption, and policies influence ecological and social resilience.

GEOG431: Geography of Water Resources
This course examines the natural processes of freshwater ecosystems, the uneven global distribution of water, and the complex human, ecological, and policy challenges associated with water resource management, quality, quantity, and conflict.

GEOG432: Energy Policy
This course explores the analysis, formulation, implementation, and impacts of energy-related policies, regulations, and initiatives.

GEOG434: Politics of Environment
This course examines the political dimensions of environmental use and management, focusing on how cultural, economic, and institutional factors shape environmental governance and debates, particularly in the United States.

GEOG437W: Energy Geographies and Policy
This course explores the motivations, key concepts, and contemporary challenges of US and international energy policy through engaging with concepts of scale, place, landscape, and materiality to evaluate energy policy issues.

GEOG438W: Human Dimensions of Global Warming
This course examines the human causes and consequences of global warming, with a focus on its social, economic, and policy dimensions.

GEOG439: Property and the Global Environment
This course examines the theoretical and empirical relationships between various legal, economic, and cultural approaches to property, environmental quality, and conflicts.

HIST111: American Food System: History, Technology, and Culture
This course offers a historical analysis of U.S. agriculture and food production, examining the cultural, technological, and political dimensions of the food system while addressing its ethical and sustainability challenges.

HIST111: Introduction to U.S. Food History
This course offers a historical analysis of U.S. agriculture and food production, examining the cultural, technological, and political dimensions of the food system while addressing its ethical and sustainability challenges.

IB404: Contemporary Issues in International Business
 This course examines contemporary international business issues, analyzing how environmental laws, social norms, and economic factors influence global finance, organizational practices, and product strategies, while developing students’ research and analytical skills.

INTAG470A/470B: Comparing Agricultural and Food Systems in the US and France
This course compares U.S. and French food and agricultural systems by examining key topics, including policy, sustainability, GMOs, and diet, through classroom instruction and a study-abroad component in France, culminating in written and oral analyses of specific crops within both national contexts.

MATH33: Mathematics for Sustainability
This course introduces mathematical modeling and quantitative reasoning through the lens of sustainability, covering topics such as measurement, flow systems, networks, rates of change, risk analysis, and decision-making, with applications to environmental and economic issues like climate change, pollution, and resource use.

PLSC235: Environmental Politics
This course examines the political dimensions of climate change and resource scarcity, analyzing how environmental policies are shaped by competing values, actors, and power structures, particularly within the American political system, while exploring the broader ecological crises confronting modern civilization.

STS245:Globalization, Technology, and Ethics
This course prepares students (especially but not limited to engineering, information sciences & technology, and business students) to navigate the ethical, cultural, and professional challenges of working with technology in a globalized world through interdisciplinary learning and team-based projects.