By Mariana Ashley
In the last few decades, sustainability has become a major buzzword. While the term sustainability itself has several different meanings, since the early 1980s the term has been used to describe human sustainability on Earth. The United Nations defines sustainable development as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” In this way, sustainable development represents some of the most pressing and important matters concerning environmental, economical, and sociopolitical health. With new public interest in sustainability, sustainable development degree programs at institutions for higher learning have become an ever more prominent choice among young students.
Colleges and Universities around the world foster forward thinking minds interested in building a better future for our world and our race. Sustainability as a college study cultivates individuals who are educated on important environmental issues that drastically affect our social and economic lives. Students in these programs are well versed in the issues of global warming, renewable energy, environmental policy, sustainable agriculture, and more. Because of the nature of sustainability as a concept, a thorough understanding of sustainable issues cannot be gained through the study of one single discipline. For this reason, sustainable development degrees combine curriculum from many different fields within both the social sciences and the natural sciences. Students in these programs will complete coursework in economics, political science, engineering, and much more.
A sustainable development program seeks to educate students in all of the necessary fields to create a well-rounded individual versed on multitude of issues in sustainable development and prepared for active service in the industry. Students address the fundamental issue of how to move toward a trajectory of sustainability that will enable future generations to gain further progress in human well-being as well as ecological well-being. In addition to addressing the fundamental concept of sustainable development, students within these programs gain the skills they need to become innovators within the field.
Sustainable development degrees are available at all levels of higher education, existing at a bachelor’s level, master’s level, and as a separate PhD program at some institutions. Columbia University offers an undergraduate major in Sustainable Development that involves coursework in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Earth Science, Engineering, Economics, Politics, Anthropology, and Statistics. This particular program prepares students for careers with professional organizations across public, private, and non-profit sectors as well as graduate programs if desired. Columbia University also offers a PhD program in Sustainable Development through the School of International and Public Affairs. This program provides rigorous studies in sustainable development followed with in-depth research in the area. Students completing this doctoral program are prepared to educate the future generation with the necessary skills and insight to face the most challenging problems of future human welfare.
With sustainability being such a vital topic for our society today and for the generations to come, official sustainability degree programs in our schools for higher learning are a huge step forward. The first step towards creating a better future for ourselves and our planet is generating public discourse on the topic and educating the current generation about the important issues at hand. With vigorous programs dedicated to sustainable development and sustainable development education, great strides can be made to ensure a more promising future.
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Mariana Ashley is a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about online colleges. She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana.ashley031 @gmail.com.