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Fall 2025 Undergraduate Catalog
Sustainability Studies, BA
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 Return to: Majors
School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS)
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Arts in Sustainability Studies
The Sustainability Studies major, leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree, provides the skills, knowledge, and preparation for students to understand and address the environmental, social, political, economic and ethical issues related to the transformation of our current societies to ones that are sustainable. The curriculum integrates principles and methodologies from social sciences, natural sciences, and humanities.
The major prepares students for entry-level employment in the public, private, or non-profit sectors in a variety of fields including economic development, foreign aid, public administration, law, diplomacy, public policy, public health, resource and energy conservation, business, finance, international trade, or eco-tourism. The major prepares students for graduate study in social science, political science, law, management and business.
The major builds on the interdisciplinary sustainability core curriculum. Students will enroll in major-specific courses in their junior and senior year. As part of the preparation, students will work in teams with students enrolled in related majors to collaboratively solve problems. Students are encouraged to take advantage of internships, project courses, independent research, and field courses to gain real-world experience.
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Degree Requirements
Requirements for the Major in Sustainability Studies (SUS) A. Common Foundation Courses (15-17 credits)
B. Common Core Courses (12-13 credits)
C. Capstone Course (3 credits)
One course selected from the choices below: D. Tracks (Choose one, 39-40 credits)
1. Ecosystems and Human Impact
Required Foundation Track Courses:
Upper Division Track Electives
Seven courses (at least 21 credits) from the choices below: 2. Environmental Humanities
Required Foundation Track Courses:
Upper Division Track Electives
Seven courses (at least 21 credits) from the choices below: 3. Societies, Economics, and Governance
Required Foundation Track Courses:
Upper Division Track Electives
Six courses (at least 18 credits) from the choices below: Notes:
*Has a prerequisite outside of the major/track and/or requires CHE 129 , CHE 131 , or CHE 152 .
Other classes may be substituted with permission of undergraduate director. E. Communications and Writing Requirement
The advanced writing component of the major in SUS requires registration in the 0-credit SUS 459 and approval of either a term paper or a laboratory report written for an advanced course in the appropriate major at Stony Brook (including Readings and Research courses). Completion of SUS 459 with a grade of S will result in approval of the WRTD requirement. A list of preapproved courses can be obtained through the department. Students should consult with the department advisor to ensure that their plan for completing the Upper Division Writing Requirement is consistent with university graduation requirements for General Education. Students completing the Stony Brook Curriculum (SBC) must complete a course that satisfies the “Write Effectively within One’s Discipline” (WRTD) learning objective to graduate. The Upper Division Writing Requirement is consistent in most cases with the SBC learning outcomes for WRTD. Note: No more than one course (4 credits maximum) with a passing grade lower than C can be credited towards the major. Courses taken with the Pass/NC option may not be applied to the major. Study Abroad
Stony Brook University offers study abroad experiences that are focused on issues of sustainability in Cuba, Madagascar, and the Turkana Basin (Kenya). While issues of climate change, water and energy security, sustainable agriculture, environmental justice, sustainable economic development, conservation of unique and threatened ecosystems, population growth, and human health are important everywhere, viewing these issues through the lens of a different place and a different culture provides a valuable perspective. Students are encouraged to participate in study abroad experiences and to talk with their major director to determine how study abroad coursework can be used to fulfill some requirements for their major. SBC Courses
This table illustrates major courses that can also be used to fulfill SBC requirements. (See Note 1 & Note 2) | SBC Category | Required Major Courses | Optional Major Courses (see Note 3) | | ARTS | | | | GLO | | ANT 102, SOC 344, SUS 314, SUS 316, SUS 405 | | HUM | | PHI 104, PHI 105, SUS 202, SUS 203, SUS 316 | | LANG (see Note 4) | | | | QPS | AMS 102 | AMS 110, AMS 151, MAT 123, MAT 125, MAT 131 | | SBS | | ANT 102, GSS 105, ECO 108, ECO 110, ECO 111, MAR 356, POL 102, SUS 200, SUS 115 | | SNW | ENV 115 | ANP 120, ANP 307, ATM 201, BIO 201, ENS 101, GEO 102, MAR 104, SUS 111, SUS 113 | | TECH | SUS 201 | GSS 313, GSS 317 | | USA | | MAR 356, POL 102, SUS 317 | | WRT | | | | STAS | | ANP 401, BIO 371, ENS 311, ENV 301, ENV 304, ENV 339, GEO 304, GEO 313, HIS 302, HIS 352, MAR 315, MAR 340, MAR 392, MAR
394, SUS 307, SUS 323, SUS 340, SUS 343, SUS 344 | | EXP+ | | MAR 355, MAR 388, SUS 316, SUS 351, SUS 352, SUS 405, SUS 487, SUS 488 | | HFA+ | | SUS 320, SUS 321, SUS 325, SUS 328, SUS 366, SUS 390 | | SBS+ | | POL 310, POL 359, SOC 344, SUS 206, SUS 305, SUS 317, SUS 318, SUS 324 | | STEM+ | | BIO 211, BIO 351, MAR 303, MAR 320, MAR 388, SUS 204, SUS 319, SUS 322, SUS 326, SUS 351 | | CER | | PHI 104, PHI 105, SUS 203, SUS 323, SUS 366 | | DIV (see Note 5) | | POL 310 | | ESI | | ANP 401, BIO 319, BIO 352, ENV 340, GEO 313, MAR 315, MAR 355, MAR 388, MAR 394, SUS 390, SUS 401 | | SPK | SUS 301 | COM 365, ENV 301 | | WRTD | SUS 459 | SUS 203, SUS 321, SUS 323, SUS 325, SUS 328 | Note 1: Some course information may be subject to change. Please contact your major advisor for additional consultation. Note 2: For majors that require study in a related area or completion of a minor, visit the respective program’s “Major SBC Courses” page to view expanded SBC options. Note 3: Denotes any course in which students can choose from more than one option. These may include, but are not limited to, major electives, concentration/track/specialization courses, or calculus/physics/chemistry sequences. Note 4: CEAS majors, the Athletic Training major, the Respiratory Care major, and the Clinical Laboratory Sciences major are exempt from the LANG learning objective. Students enrolled in the major in Social Work are exempt from the LANG learning objective, but are required to enroll in and pass with a letter grade of C or higher the first semester of an elementary foreign language course numbered 111, or satisfy through alternate methods. Note 5: Students are responsible for completing the general education requirements published in the Bulletin that was current as of the first semester of matriculation (or rematriculation). The following student groups must satisfy the DIV learning objective as part of their degree requirements: - Freshmen who matriculate in the Fall of 2019 or later
- Transfer students who matriculate in the Spring of 2020 or later
- Students who rematriculate in the Fall of 2019 or later
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