Curriculum and Research
Classes, Majors, and Minors
The Sustainability Office collaborates with a large number of students from a wide range of majors and minors. More important than your field of study is your interest, passion, and dedication to sustainability for you to get involved with our projects! You can find courses available across a number of academic departments and programs.
If you are interested in sustainability as a career path, the major most closely aligned with environmental sustainability topics in the Environmental Science major. Most Sustainability Office interns are from the Geography, Geology, and Environmental Science Department and many graduate and work in careers related to sustainability.
Sustainability Course and Research Inventory
There are a number of courses at UW-Whitewater that incorporate sustainability. In some courses, sustainability is a primary focus of the class or used as a lens to understand a particular subject area. In other courses, sustainability is not the primary focus but the class includes one or more sustainability activities or integrates sustainability issues throughout the class. Sustainability content is either identified through the course catalog or self-reported by faculty.
If you want to explore research with faculty that specialize in sustainability-related topics, you can explore the research tabs of our inventory as well.
For access to the inventory of sustainability-focused courses at UW-Whitewater, please view our sustainability course and research inventory.
Audience
Sustainability Course and Research Inventory
There are a number of courses at UW-Whitewater that incorporate sustainability. In some courses, sustainability is a primary focus of the class or used as a lens to understand a particular subject area. In other courses, sustainability is not the primary focus but the class includes one or more sustainability activities or integrates sustainability issues throughout the class. Sustainability content is either identified through the course catalog or self-reported by faculty.
If you want to explore research with faculty that specialize in sustainability-related topics, you can explore the research tabs of our inventory as well.
For access to the inventory of sustainability-focused courses at UW-Whitewater, please view our sustainability course and research inventory.
Majors and Minors
UW-Whitewater’s Environmental Science major prepares you to face the challenges of a changing world by offering a strong, diverse foundation for a rewarding "green career." Our students graduate as broadly trained environmental scientists equipped with both strong technical and communication skills that are eady to pursue environmental science jobs in Wisconsin and beyond. To help you tailor your education to your career goals, you can choose from one of three concentration areas:
- Environmental Science - Sustainability & Environmental Management Emphasis (BA/BS) - Explore environmental ethics, sustainable development, policy issues, and best practices in sustainability.
- Environmental Science - Geosciences Emphasis (BA/BS)- Build GIS skills and deepen your understanding of geology and geography.
- Environmental Science - Natural Science Emphasis (BA/BS)- Study wildlife and environmental health through courses in ecology, toxicology, botany, and oceanography.
Major Planning Guides and track checksheets are available to help you review and compare each emphasis area to find the best fit for your interests. At UW-Whitewater, you’ll find an ideal learning environment to launch a successful and impactful environmental science career.
This minor is based in the Geography-Geology-Environmental Science Department offers students with a solid foundation of understanding the natural environment and how humans interact with it and allows students to choose areas of interest among Physical and Human Environment courses. The minor is rounded out with courses on techniques for examining and measuring the environment.
The Integrated Science-Business Major combines the disciplines of science and business into an interdisciplinary program. The ISBM provides a strong foundation in the sciences as well as a basic background in business to have a broader understanding of business and management issues as well as science and technology. This major can be taken either as a Bachelor of Science or as a Bachelor of Business Administration.
Definition of Sustainability Research at UW-Whitewater
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater's Sustainability Council, which includes at least three faculty members from different departments who conduct research, developed the following definition of sustainability research:
- Sustainability is defined by the Brundtland Commission as "the ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." This is achieved through a focus on the three key principles of sustainability: environmental stewardship, economic opportunity, and social equity.
- Sustainability research can focus on one or more key principles or concepts of sustainability, offer a practical solution to real-world socioeconomic and environmental challenges (such as climate change or poverty), or further our understanding of the interconnectedness of societal and environmental challenges. Sustainability research leads toward solutions that support environmental stewardship, economic opportunity, and/or social equity.