Sustainability Studies (BA)
Department website: https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/geography/undergraduate-program/sustainability-studies.html
Total Hours Required: 120
Plan of Study
The Plan of Study is a suggested four-year course sequence to support academic planning and serves as a helpful guide. Currently enrolled students should meet with their academic advisor to tailor their course selections and timelines to their individual goals and circumstances.
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Semester 1 | Hours | |
| Gateway course (see options below) | 3 | |
| Visual and Performing Arts (050) | 3 | |
| American and Texas Government (070) | 3 | |
| First-Year Signature Course (090) | 3 | |
| Cultural Expression, Human Experience, and Thought (may not also be counted toward Core Curriculum) | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| Humanities and Social Science (see options below) | 3 | |
| Mathematics (020) | 3 | |
| RHE 306 | Rhetoric and Writing | 3 |
| U.S. History (060) | 3 | |
| Economics and Development (see options below) | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| Communication (see options below) | 3 | |
| Environment and Earth Science (see options below) | 3 | |
| U.S. History (060) | 3 | |
| Foreign Language other than English, Beginning Proficiency | 6 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| Concentration course | 3 | |
| Natural Science and Technology, Part II (093) | 3 | |
| Concentration course | 3 | |
| Foreign Language other than English, Beginning Proficiency | 6 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| Politics and Policy (see options below) | 3 | |
| Concentration course | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Foreign Language other than English, Intermediate Proficiency | 6 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| Concentration course | 3 | |
| Research Design and Methods (see options below) | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Semester 1 | ||
| Experimental Learning (see options below) | 3 | |
| Humanities (040) | 3 | |
| American and Texas Government (070) | 3 | |
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division | 3 | |
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| Capstone (see options below) | 3 | |
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division | 3 | |
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division | 3 | |
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
Requirements
All requirements are listed below, starting with the most specialized moving to the most general. Additional requirements may follow the table, so be sure to read the entire page. Some required courses listed below may also satisfy General Education requirements, including Core Curriculum.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Major | ||
| SUS 301 | Introduction to Sustainability Studies | 3 |
| Hours chosen from: Research and Design Methods | 3 | |
| Geographical Information Systems and Remote Sensing for Archaeology and Paleontology | ||
| Ethnographic Research Methods | ||
| Topics in Visualization and Fabrication | ||
| Spatial Data and Analysis | ||
| Applications and Ethics of Digital Spatial Technologies | ||
| Environmental Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Introduction to Remote Sensing of the Environment | ||
| Field Techniques | ||
| GIS Applications in Social and Environmental Science | ||
| Introduction to Statistics for the Behavioral Sciences | ||
| Elementary Statistical Methods | ||
| Foundations of Data Analysis | ||
| Introduction to Social Statistics | ||
| Urban Studies Research Methods | ||
| Social Research Methods | ||
| Introduction to Advertising and Public Relations Research | ||
| Research Methods in Government | ||
| Hours chosen from: Communication | 3 | |
| Communicating Sustainability | ||
| Business Communication: Oral and Written | ||
| Professional Communication Skills | ||
| Team-Based Communication | ||
| Environmental Communication | ||
| Creative Communication of Scientific Research | ||
| Communication and Social Change | ||
| Hours chosen from: Thematic Concentration (15 hours from a single themative concentration and 3 hours chosen from each of the remaining concentrations) | 24 | |
Environmental Politics and Policy (See course list) | ||
Environmental Economics, Business, and Sustainable Development (See course list) | ||
Science of Sustainability and Natural Resources (See course list) | ||
Society and Sustainability (See course list) | ||
| SUS 379L | Directed Internships in Sustainability | 3 |
| Hours chosen from: Capstone | 3 | |
| Capstone Experience in Sustainability Studies | ||
| Climate Change and Vegetation Response in the Kalahari | ||
| Enviro-Cultural Dynamics in Botswana | ||
| Subtotal | 39 | |
| Degree (see details below) | 51 | |
| Free electives: Additional coursework to reach total hours required. | ||
| Subtotal | 51 | |
| General Education | ||
| Remaining Core Curriculum (42 hours total) | 30 | |
| Foreign Language other than English, Beginning Proficiency | ||
| Subtotal | 30 | |
| College Requirements - Liberal Arts | ||
| General University Requirements | ||
| Total Hours | 120 | |
Degree - Bachelor of Arts (BA) - Liberal Arts
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Degree | ||
| Literature and Writing | ||
| RHE 306 | Rhetoric and Writing (Plan II honors requires at least a C-; may also count toward Core Curriculum) | 3 |
| Hours chosen from: Writing intensive coursework-see course list (may also count toward Core Curriculum; Plan II honors requires at least a C-) | 3 | |
| Hours chosen from: Upper-division Writing intensive coursework-see course list (may also count toward Core Curriculum; Plan II honors requires at least a C-) | 6 | |
| Choose a sequence below: | 12 | |
| Sequence 1: Plan II Honors (requires at least a C-; may also count toward Core Curriculum) | ||
| Plan II World Literature Part I | ||
or T C 303C | Plan II World Literature Part I | |
| Sequence 2: Plan I | ||
| British Literature | ||
or E 316M | American Literature | |
or E 316N | World Literature | |
| Foreign Language other than English, Intermediate Proficiency | 3 | |
| Choose a sequence below: Social Science | 3 | |
| Sequence 1: Plan II Honors (requires at least a C-; may also count toward Core Curriculum) | ||
| Honors Social Science: Methods and Theory | ||
or S S 302D | Honors Social Science: Psychology | |
or S S 302E | Honors Social Science: Anthropology | |
or S S 302E | Honors Social Science: Anthropology | |
or S S 302F | Honors Social Science: Economics | |
| Sequence 2: Plan I | ||
| Mathematics | ||
| Choose a sequence below: (M 301, M 316K, and M 316L do not count toward this requirement) | 3 | |
| Sequence 1: Plan II Honors | ||
| Modern Mathematics: Plan II | ||
| Sequence 2: Plan I | ||
Hours chosen from: Mathematics | ||
| Choose a sequence below: | 3 | |
| Sequence 1: Plan II Honors | ||
| Modes of Reasoning | ||
or PHL 313Q | Logic and Scientific Reasoning | |
| Sequence 2: Plan I | ||
| Choose a sequence below: | 15 | |
| Sequence 1: Plan II Honors | ||
Six Hours chosen from: Astronomy, biology, chemistry, geological sciences, physical science, or physics (may also count toward Core Curriculum) | ||
| Problems in Modern Biology | ||
| Modern Physics: Plan II | ||
Three Hours chosen from: | ||
Art history, music history, or history of theatre and dance | ||
Upper-division classical civilization, humanities, literature, or philosophy | ||
| Sequence 2: Plan I International Relations and Global Studies | ||
Free electives: Additional coursework to reach total hours required. | ||
| Sequence 3: Other Plan I | ||
Hours chosen from: | ||
Liberal Arts multi-disciplinary minor in the Social and Behavioral Sciences | ||
Liberal Arts multi-disciplinary minor in Cultural Expression, Human Experience, and Thought | ||
| Total Hours | 51 | |
Additional Requirements and Policies
Unless otherwise stated, students must complete at least:
- 15 upper-division degree hours
- 24 upper-division degree hours taken in residence at the University
- 36 additional degree hours taken in residence at the University.
Credit may be earned via credit by examination, extension, or transferred hours from another institution (requires dean's approval).
Major and minor required hours may also be used to fulfill degree requirements unless expressly prohibited.
A course in one degree area may not also be used to fulfill the requirements of another degree area unless specified otherwise.
Mathematics courses at the college algebra level may not count toward elective hours.
Majors
A major consists of 24 to 45 hours, with at least 15 upper-division hours unless the requirements of the major state otherwise.
Students must earn at least:
- 18 major hours taken in residence at the University.
- 6 upper-division major hours taken in residence at the University
- a 2.00 grade point average for in-residence major hours taken at the University unless a higher minimum scholastic requirement is specified for the major.
Minors
Students must get permission from their College of Liberal Arts academic advisor to pursue more than one transcript-recognized minor or certificate per major. The academic advisor will approve or deny the request after considering the student's long-term educational and professional goals and the student's ability to graduate within 4 years of entering the University.
Students should consult the department offering the course before planning to use it to fulfill the minor requirement.
Hours used to fulfill the requirements for a minor must be taken on the letter-grade basis.
Course List
See the program website for the complete list.
Thematic Concentrations
Environmental Politics and Policy
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| AMS 370.26 | American Food | 3 |
| AMS 370.34 | American Disasters | 3 |
| AMS 370 | Topics in Seminar in American Culture | 3 |
| ANS 361 | Topics in Asian Studies | 3 |
| ANT 324L | Topics in Anthropology | 3 |
| ARC 327R.28 | Sustainability: Why This Way | 3 |
| C E 370L | Climate Change Mitigation | 3 |
| CHE 359 | Energy Technology and Policy | 3 |
| E 343S | Sustainability and Representation | 3 |
| GOV 341M | Decision Theory | 3 |
| GOV 342N | Public Choice | 3 |
| GOV 347P | Politics of Protecting the Great Barrier Reef | 3 |
| GOV 365U | European Environmental Politics | 3 |
| GRG 320J | Environmental Justice | 3 |
| GRG 340D | Political Ecology of Globalization and Environmental Degradation | 3 |
| GRG 344K | Global Food, Farming, and Hunger | 3 |
| GRG 350K | Geographies of Globalization | 3 |
| LAH 350 | Topics in the Liberal Arts | 3 |
| M E 363M | Energy Technology and Policy | 3 |
| NTR 331 | International Nutrition: Social and Environmental Policies | 3 |
| MAS 374 | Special Topics | 3 |
| PHL 325D | Environmental Ethics and Philosophy | 3 |
| S W 331 | Applied Social Ethics | 3 |
| SOC 309C | Creating the Sustainable Society | 3 |
| SOC 321C | Consumption in Latin America | 3 |
| SOC 340C | Globalization | 3 |
| SOC 369K | Population and Society | 3 |
| T C 358 | Topics in Plan II Junior Seminar | 3 |
Environmental Economics, Business, and Sustainability Development
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| AMS 370 | Topics in Seminar in American Culture | 3 |
| ANT 324L | Topics in Anthropology | 3 |
| BGS 372 | Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility | 3 |
| ECO 301 | Introduction to Economics | 3 |
| ECO 304K | Introduction to Microeconomics | 3 |
| ECO 304L | Introduction to Macroeconomics | 3 |
| ECO 359M | Environmental and Natural Resource Economics | 3 |
| ECO 330T | Topics in Economics | 3 |
| ECO 330T.2 | Introduction to Law and Economics | 3 |
| GRG 337 | The Modern American City | 3 |
| GRG 339K | Environment, Development, and Food Production | 3 |
| GRG 342C | Sustainable Development | 3 |
| LAS 388 | Topics in Latin American Geography | 3 |
| PGE 301 | Engineering, Energy, and the Environment | 3 |
| PHL 325L | Business, Ethics, and Public Policy | 3 |
| TXA 365 | Advanced Topics in Textiles and Apparel | 3 |
| TXA 365 | Advanced Topics in Textiles and Apparel | 3 |
Science of Sustainability and Natural Resources
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ADV 378 | Advanced Topics in Advertising | 3 |
| BIO X37 | Selected Topics in Biology | 1-4 |
| C E 370L | Climate Change Mitigation | 3 |
| EVE 302 | Foundations of Environmental Engineering | 3 |
| GEO 302G | Earth Science and Sustainability | 3 |
| GEO 338J | Marine Geology | 3 |
| GEO 347D | Global Warming | 3 |
| GEO 347G | Climate System Modeling | 3 |
| GEO 371T | Topics in Geological Sciences: Undergraduate Seminar | 3 |
| GEO 377P | Physical Climatology | 3 |
| GRG 301K | Weather and Climate | 3 |
| GRG 306C | Conservation | 3 |
| GRG 330W | Water and Watersheds | 3 |
| GRG 331K | Nature, Society, and Adaptation | 3 |
| GRG 333C | Severe and Unusual Weather | 3 |
| GRG 334K | Soils | 3 |
| GRG 334L | Vulnerability to Natural Hazards | 3 |
| GRG 335N | Landscape Ecology | 3 |
| GRG 336C | National Parks and Protected Areas | 3 |
| GRG 338C | Rivers and Landscapes: Fluvial Geomorphology | 3 |
| GRG 339 | Process Geomorphology | 3 |
| GRG 350E | Geoprocessing | 3 |
| GRG 329S | Topics in Geography | 3 |
| GRG 356D | Water Resources in Latin America and the Caribbean | 3 |
| GRG 366C | Comparative Ecosystems | 3 |
| GRG 366K | Biogeography | 3 |
| GRG 367K | Vegetation Ecology | 3 |
| GRG 301C | The Natural Environment | 3 |
| GRG 304E | Environmental Science: A Changing World | 3 |
| MNS 307 | Introduction to Oceanography | 3 |
| MNS 308 | Humans and a Changing Ocean | 3 |
| MNS 310 | Fundamentals of Marine Science | 3 |
| MNS 320 | Marine Ecology | 3 |
| MNS 352C | Estuarine Ecology | 3 |
| MNS 354Q | Marine Environmental Science | 3 |
Society and Sustainability
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| AFR 351U | Race, Capitalism, and the Environment | 3 |
| AFR 370 | Topics in African and African Diaspora Studies | 3 |
| AMS 311S | Topics in Introductory Seminar in American Studies | 3 |
| AMS 370 | Topics in Seminar in American Culture | 3 |
| ANS 361 | Topics in Asian Studies | 3 |
| ANT 302 | Cultural Anthropology | 3 |
| ANT 324L | Topics in Anthropology | 3 |
| ARC 327G | Regenerative Architecture | 3 |
| ARC 327R | Topics in Architectural Theory | 3 |
| ARC 350R | Topics in Design Theory | 3 |
| ARC 350R | Topics in Design Theory | 3 |
| ARC 368R | Topics in the History of Architecture | 3 |
| C E 377K | Topics in Civil Engineering | 3 |
| CHE 341 | Design for Environment | 3 |
| CRW 335 | Business of Writing | 3 |
| DES 322 | Design and the Social Environment | 3 |
| E 343G | Global Environmental Literature and Film | 3 |
| E 345F | Food Writing, Culture, and Environment | 3 |
| GOV 335M | Topics in Political Thought | 3 |
| GRG 305 | This Human World: An Introduction to Geography | 3 |
| GRG 319 | Geography of Latin America | 3 |
| GRG 320M | Geography of Media | 3 |
| GRG 322D | Human Health and the Environment | 3 |
| GRG 324E | Applications and Ethics of Digital Spatial Technologies | 3 |
| GRG 325E | The Healthy, Livable City | 3 |
| GRG 334E | Children's Environmental Health | 3 |
| GRG 335D | Anthropocene | 3 |
| GRG 357 | Medical Geography | 3 |
| H S 340 | Topics in Health and Society | 3 |
| H S 340 | Topics in Health and Society | 3 |
| HIS 317L.14 | Building America: Engineering, Society, and Culture, 1868-1980 | 3 |
| HIS 322R | Biology, Behavior, and Injustice | 3 |
| HIS 350L.95 | Radical Hope and Global Environmental History | 3 |
| HIS 350L | Topics in Undergraduate Seminar in History | 3 |
| HIS 350L | Topics in Undergraduate Seminar in History | 3 |
| HIS 350R.7 | Environmental History of North America | 3 |
| J 305 | Sustainability and the News | 3 |
| J 346F | Reporting on the Environment | 3 |
| LAH 350 | Topics in the Liberal Arts | 3 |
| LAS 370S | Topics in Hispanic Literature, Culture, Civilization, and Linguistics | 3 |
| MAS 374 | Special Topics | 3 |
| MNS 308 | Humans and a Changing Ocean | 3 |
| MNS 367K | Human Exploration and Exploitation of the Sea | 3 |
| NTR 321 | International Nutrition: The Developing World | 3 |
| P A 325 | Topics in Policy | 3 |
| PBH 338 | Environmental Health | 3 |
| PHL 304 | Contemporary Moral Problems | 3 |
| PHL 316K | Science and Philosophy | 3 |
| PHL 322 | Science and the Modern World | 3 |
| PHL 325M | Medicine, Ethics, and Society | 3 |
| RHE 328 | Topics in Professional and Technical Writing for Liberal Arts Majors | 3 |
| RHE 330C | Advanced Topics in Digital Rhetoric | 3 |
| RHE 330C | Advanced Topics in Digital Rhetoric | 3 |
| R S 311 | Topics in Religious Studies | 3 |
| S S 302E | Honors Social Science: Anthropology | 3 |
| S S 302E | Honors Social Science: Anthropology | 3 |
| S W 327 | Human Behavior and Social Environment | 3 |
| SOC 302 | Introduction to the Study of Society | 3 |
| SOC 307Q | Environmental Inequality and Health | 3 |
| SOC 321V | Environmental Sociology | 3 |
| SOC 323F | Food and Society | 3 |
| SOC 336C | American Dilemmas | 3 |
| URB 301 | Introduction to Urban Studies | 3 |