Academics
Sustainability Opportunities
Florida Tech offers multi-disciplinary opportunities via a Bachelor of Science degree in Sustainability Studies or a Minor in Sustainability. A STEM- and Business-based sustainability program can open the door to some of the most important career paths in the emerging century. We use innovative courses, systems thinking skills, and applied final research internships, often-paid, to build real-world expertise in your areas of interest. See the Planning Guides on the right side bar. What over 750 global CEOs think: future prospects in sustainability.
Bachelor of Science Degree in Sustainability Studies
Florida Tech's major program in Sustainability Studies expands on our science and technology strengths with customized business and social science courses to produce graduates who can operate across multiple disciplines. Concentrations include: Technology & Engineering; Business & Economics; Environmental Sciences; and Social Sciences. Student sustainability research projects with partners are spearheading major initiatives on-campus and around the Space Coast region.
Program information is available at Major Planning and Elective Guide. The major planning form (top right) is used to plan courses among four concentration areas: Environmental Science, Business & Economics, Technology & Engineering, and Social Science. All major and minor students do an applied capstone research project, many with regional nonprofits, governments or businesses. Please contact Sustainability@fit.edu for more information.
Sustainability Courses and Minor Program
Primary SUS courses are summarized below. The Minor in Sustainability is available to undergraduates from any Florida Tech college. Since 2010, students from over 30 majors have completed this program. The minor consists of five courses: 3 required SUS courses, 7-9 cr total, and 3 elective courses, 9 cr total. With planning, most students can use most or all of their minor courses as electives for their major program.
Introduction to Sustainability (SUS 1500, 3 cr) In this fall semester gateway course, best practices in sustainability are examined among diverse disciplines at international through local scales (SUS 1500 syllabus). No prerequisites.
Systems, Governance and Sustainability (SUS 3250, 3 cr) is a systems science course for majors and minors in the spring semester. We examine diverse innovations that advance sustainability by decomposing complexity. The prerequisite is SUS 1500. This is not a required course for the minor. More information in the SUS 3250 Syllabus
Sustainability Project Design (SUS 3999, 1-3 cr) This course is required for all major and minor students as part of the two-semester capstone research project. The focus on building marketable project management skills applies far beyond this specific course and project. Available in fall semesters. Prerequisite: SUS 1500. SUS 3999 syllabus
Applied Sustainability (SUS 4000, 3 cr) Taken during the spring semester of the junior or senior year, students synthesize and apply what they have learned in SUS 3999 and other courses to a sustainability capstone research project on or off-campus, with a focus on their areas of interest. Prerequisites: SUS 1500, SUS 3999. SUS 4000 syllabus
Electives for the Sustainability Minor For the remaining 3 electives, students take 1 course within each of these 3 topic areas (9 cr total): Environmental Sciences, Business, and Technology and Engineering. Florida Tech has over 80 eligible courses among the sustainability topic areas: Minor Planning and Elective Guide. Programs with courses that have student learning outcomes involving sustainability issues include: Programs with sustainability learning outcomes.
Questions? Sustainability Major or Minor Programs
Contact us anytime with questions on our sustainability degree, minor program, or anything else. E-mail sustainability@fit.edu, call 321.674.7370, set up a Zoom, or visit our Instagram and Facebook and LinkedIn pages.
Florida Tech's Sustainability Degree and Minor Programs have five primary objectives:
- increase student knowledge of concepts and best practices associated with sustainability;
- improve student understanding of the relevance of sustainability within their areas of study;
- increase awareness of systems analysis involving environment, social, and economic solutions to select problems across scales;
- synthesize and apply an understanding of sustainability through transdisciplinary research projects on and off-campus; and
- generate STEM scholars and entrepreneurs who are prepared to innovate improved sustainability practices across systems.
