Sustainability, Environmental Conservation Concentration, BS
Sustainability majors at Shippensburg University benefit from small class sizes that allow for close interactions and mentoring with faculty. At Ship, we combine excellent interdisciplinary training across all dimensions of sustainability while providing state-of-the art technical training that will advantage our graduates. Additionally, our department has strong, long-standing relationships with many employers in the region that are eager to hire skilled workers in sustainability-related fields.
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What Will I Learn?
Sustainability majors will learn to help businesses, government agencies, educational institutions and others develop and implement ways to be better stewards of our natural and living resources, while facilitating enhancement of our collective human resources and economies by solving challenges on a planet with a growing population. The core courses focus on understanding how Earth (including humans) functions as a system, with social, economic, ecological, geological, hydrologic and atmospheric processes interacting and affecting one another. You will learn about the complex drivers of our current sustainability challenges, how to think systematically and geographically about sustainability problems and solutions, and how to take action to realize a better future.
What are the requirements for this degree?
The major has 60 credits of required courses, including core sustainability courses, electives in sustainable systems, human sustainability, techniques courses (GIS, statistics, remote sensing, etc.), and courses in allied natural and social sciences.
What Types of Careers Could I Get With This Degree?
Many careers are available at all levels of government in planning, environmental conservation, resource management, and community development. Many graduates in sustainability will also pursue careers in the non-profit sector with conservation organizations, and in industry as environmental consultants, GIS analysts, among many others. Students will also be well prepared to move on to graduate and professional school in a wide range a fields in law, planning, public policy, and many natural and social sciences.
What Kinds of Experiences Could I Have?
As a sustainability major, you will gain broad experience in the physical and social sciences, and gain technical skills in GIS and geotechnologies. Hands-on field research experience and service learning is also available at the Center for Land Use and Sustainability (CLUS), the Chincoteague Bay Field Station, the Campus Community Farm, as well as through our student club, The Green League, which organizes Earth Day, among other events on campus. Additionally, all our students gain internship experience through our many strong relationships with employers in the region.