Sustainability and Business

Degree

Bachelor of Science with a major in Sustainability and Business
College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)

Contact

Richard Peterson

rpeterson@une.edu 

Tami Gower

tgower@une.edu

Mission

The Sustainability and Business Program considers and applies environmental, social and financial concerns to creating a more sustainable world. You gain the knowledge, experience and ethical grounding to play a leadership role within a public or private company, nonprofit organization, or as an entrepreneur.

More specifically the program strives to:

  • Prepare students for ethically and socially responsible roles in sustainability and business professions and society;
  • Develop in students the ability to recognize, analyze, and solve problems with an awareness and appreciation of human connections with the rest of nature;
  • Help students achieve their personal and career goals; and
  • Prepare students for entry-level positions in either the private or public sector and/or to prepare students for coursework at the graduate level.

Major Description

Sustainability and Business is offered jointly by the Departments of Environmental Studies and Business in the College of Arts and Sciences. It is designed to be interdisciplinary and to offer students numerous opportunities for collaboration and experiential learning. The major will allow students to pursue interests in the non-profit, corporate and public sectors. Students may also elect to focus on sustainability and entrepreneurship. Employment opportunities include corporate or municipal sustainability officers, green business owners/managers, socially responsible investment management, and others.  The first year experience includes a Green Learning Community.

Curricular Requirements

  CREDITS

CAS CORE REQUIREMENTS

Sustainability & Business Majors must take:

ENV 100/101 - Introduction to Environmental Issues (for ENV requirement)

LIT 121/122 - Literature, Nature & the Environment (for EXP requirement)

BUEC 104/105 - Economics in Context (for EXP requirement)

BIO 105/105L - Biology I: Ecology/Evolution/Lab (for lab science requirement)

MAT 150 - Statistics for Life Sciences (for math requirement)

ENV 200 - Society, Population and Environment (for SGA requirement)

ENV 208 - Climate Change: Causes, Consequences, Solutions (for SGA requirement)

42-46
  CREDITS
Program Required Courses 44-52

BUAC 201 - Financial Accounting

3

BUEC 204 - Microeconomics

3
BUEC 390 - Environmental Economics 3
BUMG 200 - Management 3
BUMK 200 - Marketing 3

ENV 240 - Environmental Sustainability Lab

2

ENV 250 - Environmental Policy in Comparative Perspective

3

ENV 344 - Environmental Ethics

OR

BUMG 311 - Business and Society Relations

3

Environmental Studies Electives (2 courses)

(see list below)*

6

Business Electives (2 courses)

(see list below)**

6

ENV 295 - Internship

OR

BUMG 295 - Internship

3

ENV 495 - Advanced Internship

OR

BUMG 495A - Advanced Internship

3-12

ENV 499 - Senior Capstone

3

Open Electives (as needed to reach 120 credits)

(suggested Elective: ENG 317)

variable

Minimum Total Required Credits

120

*Environmental Studies Elective Suggestions

ENV 309 - Sustainability and Ecological Restoration

ENV 313 - Wetland Restoration: Science and Policy
ENV 316/316L - Land Conservation Practicum/with lab
ENV 321 - Environmental Communication: Expert Practices for Ecosystem Management
ENV 328 - Environmental Pollution: Ecosystems, Wildlife and Human Health
ENV 340 - Environmental Movements and Social Change
ENV 341 - Indigenous Ecology, Conservation Biology, and the Politics of Knowledge
ENV 348 - Environment, Health & Community Development in East Africa
ENV 357 - Sustaining Water: Social and Global Perspectives 
ENV 376 - Caribbean Sustainable Development  

**Business elective suggestions

BUEC 395 - Ecological Economics
BUMG 303 - Management of Nonprofits
BUMG 307 - Operations Management             
BUMG 312 - Entrepreneurship/Sm Bus Management
BUMG 315 - Triple Bottom Line Reporting      
BUMG 325 - Legal Environment of Business   
BUMG 410 - Creating Social Enterprises through Design Thinking & Innovation

Notes:

  1. Students may choose to tailor the last two years of course selections to their specific interests.  For example, in close consultation with their academic advisor, they may select upper level business and environmental studies electives that would result in an informal concentration in one or more areas including: Non-Profit Sector, Corporate/Public Sector Sustainability, Small Business/ Entrepreneurship.
  2. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in study abroad. Academic advisors will help tailor a student’s program to create opportunities for study abroad.

 

Students in this major can participate in the pre-health graduate school preparation tracks.

https://www.une.edu/cas/programs/pre-health-graduate-school-preparation-tracks-non-degree

Learning Outcomes

Students will: 

1. Know fundamental principles of business and ecology and apply these to sustainability initiatives within private, public, and/or civic organizations/enterprises.

2. Integrate the environmental, social, and economic aspects of sustainability and apply that integration to solve concrete challenges.

3. Identify and measure the economic, social and environmental risks and rewards (triple bottom line) of new ventures in sustainability, and compare short-term economic risks and returns with long-term expected benefits.

Transfer Credit

Admissions

Financial Information

TUITION AND FEES

Tuition and fees for subsequent years may vary. Other expenses include books and housing. For more information regarding tuition and fees, please consult the Financial Information section of this catalog.