Program Overview

Introduction to the Sustainability Studies Major

The Sustainability Studies Major is an interdisciplinary program that approaches environmental changes as social issues, covering sustainability as a broad subject. This major is housed in the Department of Gender and Sexuality Studies, which has a critical mass of faculty members with research and teaching interests in sustainability.

Program Description

Sustainability is the pursuit of a livable world for all life at present and in the future. The program takes a social justice approach to analyze social, environmental, and economic issues, including how climate change impacts different groups in different ways. Students who major in Sustainability Studies will investigate the historical and contemporary ways environments change and are changed by human activity, explore comparative, interdisciplinary, transnational, feminist approaches to the theories and practices of building a sustainable future, and study coursework ranging from gender and sustainability to health and medicine, media, and policy.

Major Requirements

The major requirements include:

1. Lower-division requirement (four courses, 14-16 units)

• GSST 001
• GSST 021
• Two courses from the following list of courses in natural, earth, and environmental sciences:
  • BIOL 003, BIOL 005C, BIOL 040, BPSC 011, BPSC 021, ENTM 010, ENTM 020, ENTM/BPSC 050, GEO 002, GEO 004, GEO 009, GEO 010, GEO 011, GEO 012, CEE 010, ENGR/NAS/HASS 096, ENSC 001, ENSC 002, ENSC 006/ECON 006, ME 004, PHYS 007, PHYS 010, PHYS 016, PHYS 018, PHYS 024, PHYS 037

2. Quantitative method requirement (one course, four units)

• One of the following courses or sequences: SOC 001/004/005, STAT 048, STAT 100A, PSYC 011, POSC 114, ECON 101, GEO 157

3. Upper-division requirements (nine courses, 36 units)

• GSST 100
• Two GSST courses, of which at least one is from the following courses on gender and sustainability: GSST 104, GSST 131, GSST 147, GSST 161, GSST 171, GSST 173, GSST 181, GSST 183
• Four courses from any of the following lists:
  • Environmental policy and politics: PBPL 129, POSC 106, POSC 127, POSC 137, POSC 139, POSC 160, POSC 180, POSC 189
  • Health and medicine: ANTH 143/GSST 185, ANTH 158, ANTH 160, ANTH 162, ANTH 166, ESTS 116, HIST 107
  • Science, technology, and related topics: ANTH 110, ANTH 132, ANTH 140T, ANTH 164/LNST 164/GSST 164, AST 107, ESTS 183, HIST 105, HIST 106, HIST 109/ENGR 109, MCS 122, PHIL 117, RLST 164, SOC 137, SOC 161, SOC 184
  • Internship or honors thesis focusing on sustainability: GSST 195, GSST 198-I
  • Up to two courses for this requirement may be replaced by any of the following CNAS courses: BIOL/ENTM 100, BIOL/PBSC 165, ECON/ENSC 143A, ENSC 101, ENSC 102, ENSC 141, ENSC 174, ENTM 124, ENTM 125, ENTM 126, GEO 160, GEO 161, GEO 167, GEO 169

4. Capstone course sequence (required for all seniors): GSST 191A + GSST 191C

Frequently Asked Questions

• Why is sustainability studies housed in the Gender and Sexuality Studies Department?
  • There are institutional and substantive reasons. The institutional answer is that the Gender and Sexuality Studies Department is home to a critical mass of faculty members with research and teaching interests in sustainability. Substantively speaking, sustainability is inherently a gendered issue in many parts of the world because of how environmental changes affect women based on their division of labor and social statuses.
• What is the difference between the sustainability studies major and the environmental science major?
  • The sustainability studies major is within the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (CHASS), while the environmental science major is offered by the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (CNAS). The environmental science major focuses on the scientific study of the environment and environmental issues, while the sustainability studies major approaches environmental changes as social issues and covers sustainability more broadly as a subject.
• What can I do with a degree in sustainability studies?
  • Careers that require a rigorous understanding of broader issues around sustainability are increasing in government, industry, education, and nonprofit sectors. A sustainability studies degree prepares you with a solid foundation to enter a career or pursue a graduate degree in related fields.
• What is the curriculum like?
  • The curriculum has been put together with specific goals in mind, including equipping students with research methods, analytical tools, and social theories developed within the field of gender studies to reinforce the social justice approach to sustainability.
• Are internships encouraged?
  • Yes, many sustainability professions are action-driven jobs that require creative problem-solving and critical thinking skills built by internships. Students can earn academic credit for their internship when they enroll in GSST 198.
• I am transferring from CNAS and have taken a lot of science courses. Would I be able to apply some of them to this major?
  • Yes, this major is designed to accommodate transfers from CNAS to CHASS. On a case-by-case basis, the program director may substitute one or more requirements with a course taken in CNAS. If you have fulfilled the prerequisites for upper-level CNAS courses related to sustainability issues, you may use up to two courses from the approved list to substitute the major's upper-level course requirements.