Sustainability and Business, B.S.
Contact
Jeremy Pare, LP.D.
Program Director, Sustainability and Business
Assistant Professor, College of Business
jpare@une.edu
Mission
The Sustainability and Business program considers and applies environmental, social, and financial concerns to create 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 an entrepreneur.
More specifically the program:
- Prepares you for ethically and socially responsible roles in sustainability and business professions and society.
- Develops your ability to recognize, analyze, and solve problems with an awareness and appreciation of human connections with the rest of nature.
- Helps you achieve personal and career goals.
- Prepares you for entry-level positions in either the private or public sector and/or to prepares you for coursework at the graduate level.
Major Description
The B.S. with a major in Sustainability and Business is offered by the College of Business. It is designed to be interdisciplinary and to offer students numerous opportunities for collaboration and experiential learning, and for applying their skills in real-world settings. The first-year experience includes an opportunity to participate in the Blue Green Learning Community.
The Blue Green Learning Community
All entering first-year Sustainability and Business Students, together with other environmental students, participate in a year-long learning community focused on the fundamental themes of environmental studies. The Blue Green Learning Community integrates courses as follows: four credits of biology, three credits of literature (or an appropriate substitute), three credits of economics, and three credits of environmental issues for a total of 13 credits over two semesters. This interdisciplinary approach enables students to understand more clearly the complexity of environmental issues and at the same time improve skills in critical thinking, writing, oral communication, research, and the use of computers. Experiential learning activities are central.
For more information, the application, important deadlines, and orientation dates, please visit the Division of Student Affairs webpage
Internships and Careers
Internships provide students with an opportunity to practice learned skills in an actual work environment with the guidance of the Internship Coordinator, who helps students match their interests with a work experience that might take place locally, regionally, nationally, or internationally. Internships provide career exploration and can help establish professional networks that lead to career opportunities upon graduation. The particularly applied focus of the Sustainability and Business majors requires students to do two internships during their four-year undergraduate degree. The interdisciplinary nature of the Sustainability and Business major is reflected in the wide variety of careers open to graduates in the non-profit, corporate, and public sectors. Employment opportunities include Corporate or Municipal Sustainability Officer, Green Business Manager, Community Economic Development Manager, Environmental Affairs Officer, Green Entrepreneur, and Sustainability Program Developer.
Transfer Credit
See Undergraduate Admissions for more information.
Admissions
See Undergraduate Admissions for more information.
Financial Information
Tuition and fees for subsequent years may vary. Other expenses include books and housing. For more tuition and fee information, please consult this catalog’s Financial Information section.
Curricular Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Nor'easter Core Requirements | ||
| Nor'easter Core Requirements | 40 | |
| COB Foundation Courses | ||
| BUEC 203 | Macroeconomics | 3 |
| BUEC 204 | Microeconomics | 3 |
| BUMG 120 | Innovation through Technology | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Statistics | ||
| Statistics for Life Sciences | ||
| Statistics for Environmental Sciences | ||
| Other COB Foundation Courses | ||
| BUAC 201 | Financial Accounting | 3 |
| BUFI 315 | Business Finance Concepts and Skills | 3 |
| BUMG 200 | Management | 3 |
| BUMG 325 | Legal Environment of Business | 3 |
| BUMG 495 | Business Internship | 3 |
| BUMG 498 | Strategic Management | 3 |
| BUMK 200 | Marketing | 3 |
| Sustainability and Business Major Required Courses | ||
| BIO 105 | Biology I: Ecology/Evolution | 4 |
| BUEC 390 | Environmental Economics | 3 |
| BUFI 205 | Intro to Data Analysis & Model | 3 |
| or DSC 225 | Programming 1 | |
| BUMG 101 | Introduction to Business | 3 |
| BUMG 295 | Business Internship | 3 |
| BUMG 313 | Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| BUMG 315 | Triple Bottom Line Reporting | 3 |
| BUMG 371 | The Sustainable Business | 3 |
| BUMG 411 | Creating Social Enterprises Through Change Leadership | 3 |
| ENV 105 | BGLC: Sustainability for a Healthy Planet | 3 |
| ENV 124 | Lit, Nature & the Environment | 3 |
| ENV 200 | Environment and Society: A Global Perspective | 3 |
| ENV 208 | Climate Change: Causes, Consequences, and Solutions | 3 |
| ENV 240 | Env Sustainability Lab | 2 |
| ENV 250 | Envir Policy Compar Perspect | 3 |
| ENV 499 | Senior Capstone in Envtl Studi | 3 |
| Six Credits of Environmental Studies Elective | 6 | |
| Open Elective Courses (Students complete open elective credits as necessary to meet the University’s 120-credit minimum for graduation. The total number of elective credits required will depend on the student’s completed program, core, and other degree requirements.) | ||
| Total Hours | 127 | |
Program-Specific Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Studies Electives | ||
| ENV 204 | Urban Forestry (Urban Forestry) | 3 |
| ENV 309 | (Sustainability and Ecological Restoration) | 3 |
| ENV 313 | Wetland Rest: Science & Policy | 3 |
| ENV 316 & ENV 316L | and (Land Conservation Practicum w/Lab) | 4 |
| ENV 321 | Environmental Communication: Expert Practices for Ecosystem Management | 3 |
| ENV 328 | (Environmental Pollution: Ecosystems, Wildlife and Human Health) | 3 |
| ENV 340 | Environ Movemnts/Social Change | 3 |
| ENV 341 | Ind Eco,Con Bio/Pol of Nature | 3 |
| ENV 348 | (Environment, Health & Community Development in East Africa) | 3 |
| ENV 357 | (Sustaining Water: Social and Global Perspectives) | 3 |
| MAF 200 | Intro to Marine Pollution | 3 |
| MAF 210 | Intro to US Ocean Governance | 3 |
| MAR 316 | Science in Society | 3 |
Please note: While some courses can fulfill both core and program requirements, the credits earned do not count twice towards the minimum total required credits for the degree.
Additional Information
- 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.
Learning Outcomes
The Sustainability and Business learning outcomes are as follows:
- Apply data-driven technologies and business principles to solve business challenges.
- Evaluate ethical frameworks to make responsible business decisions.
- Demonstrate effective teamwork characterized by professionalism and accountability.
- Present sustainable business solutions that integrate global awareness and social responsibility.
- Apply business and ecological principles to sustainability initiatives in private, public, or civic organizations.
- Integrate environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability and communicate solutions to real-world challenges.
- Identify and measure the economic, social, and environmental risks/rewards of sustainability ventures, balancing short-term returns with long-term benefits.