Sustainability

Sustainability Minor

Sustainability is the minimal use of natural resources and the process of replacing used resources to meet the current needs of society without compromising the needs of future generations. Sustainability touches upon many fields of study, from social sciences to natural sciences to engineering to business. The concept has applications in the management of natural resources, such as energy and agriculture, and also in the development of business and engineering solutions. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the topic, Missouri S&T created a special sustainability minor program for students interested in this field of study.

Any undergraduate student at Missouri S&T can pursue a sustainability minor. The requirements for the minor include 15 hours of approved classes. One class, ENV ENG 5642/CIV ENG 5642 Sustainability, Population, Energy, Water, and Materials (3 hours), is required of all students. Students also take at least two approved classes from each of two general categories: social science classes and science/technical classes. Classes that meet the minor requirements in each category span many departments on campus, given the interdisciplinary nature of sustainability. At least 9 credit hours counting toward the minor must be from outside the student’s home degree program.

The curricula criteria for the minor, including lists of approved courses in the two general categories, are maintained by the Sustainability Program Board and can be found on the sustainability minor homepage (https://care.mst.edu/academic-programs/sustainabilityminor/). Interested students can contact a Sustainability Program Board representative (listed on the website) to apply for the minor and to receive help with deciding which classes to take to meet the requirements.