Environmental and Sustainability Studies BA
- Major
- BA
- In-Person
- Greeley
4 Years
Program Overview
Learn to address today’s top environmental challenges, like climate change, water shortages and environmental justice. Understand how science, society and the economy connect. Develop solutions to build more sustainable communities.
Learn about sustainability by getting hands-on experience that helps you solve real environmental problems. In your classes and fieldwork, you’ll explore new ideas, ask questions, and see how people and nature are connected.
As you move through the Sustainability and Environmental Studies program, you’ll study the three pillars of sustainability: people, money, and the environment.
You’ll take courses across departments, going beyond Environmental Studies and also exploring Geography, Earth Sciences, Anthropology, Meteorology and much more.
Your 63 major credits is broken up into three parts:
Core classes: 26 credits in Environment Studies.
12 credits relating to:
- Social dimensions
- Natural resource sciences
- Economics and policy dimensions
Applied Studies and Methods:
- Master the tools and techniques scientists use to solve real-world environmental problems and make a difference for our planet!
With lots of classes across different disciplines, this major gives you a chance to build your expertise in sustainability.
Environmental and Sustainability Studies – Degree Requirements
An 18-credit minor in Sustainability lets you build your minor from the ground up. After taking an introductory class, you can select environmental studies courses that focus on what you value the most.
Classes include International Sustainable Development, Conservation of Natural Resources, Environmental Justice, Energy Policy and Economics, and many more!
See what it would look like to complete a degree in Environmental and Sustainability Studies in four years.
Courses are subject to availability. Students must consult with their major advisor to receive information on any additional graduation requirements and course sequence guidance.
Featured Alumni
Alumna
“My senior year of high school, we had to do a project, and I started learning about zero waste and how single use plastic affects the environment. And after doing research on that, it just kept snowballing into this huge issue that I wanted to learn more about and be a part of the solution."
Pennie Nichol
Environmental and Sustainability Studies
Get Involved!
By joining Student LEAF (Leadership for Environmental Action Fund) you can work with other students to help make our campus more sustainable. Submit your own project or get involved with a current one! Recently, Student Leaf worked with UNC Dining and Compost Queen to make food waste from Holmes Dining Hall into compost.
Beyond the Classroom
Faculty members and students from the University of Northern Colorado (UNC), in partnership with the River Management Society (RMS), came together to restore and restart Greeley’s River Watch water quality monitoring site, which had been out of commission since 1998.
Have Questions? We're Here to Help!
Geography, GIS & Sustainability
Welcome to the Department of Geography, GIS, and Sustainability (DoGGS)! Explore connections between people and the environment through hands-on projects, fieldwork, and teamwork. Gain real-world skills in a supportive community that values the planet, fairness, and helping each other succeed.
- DOGGS@unco.edu
- (970) 351-2715
- Candeleria Hall, Room 2200