Undergraduate Education
Found in each campus’ liberal education requirements, also called general education, all undergraduate students at the University of Minnesota are required to take course(s) relevant to the sustainable development goals. Below is a summary of how the sustainable development goals are incorporated into the requirements for each undergraduate learner.
- Crookston: Students must fulfill graduate requirements in ten goal areas. Relevant to the sustainable development goals, students must take at least one course under the goal area Global Perspectives, at least one course under the goal area Ethical and Civic Responsibility, and at least one course under the goal area People and the Environment. To view the complete liberal education requirements for baccalaureate degrees, click here.
- Duluth: Students must fulfill graduation requirements in key topic areas. Relevant to the sustainable development goals, students must take at least one course under the topic Global Perspectives and at least one course under the topic Sustainability. To view the complete liberal education requirements for baccalaureate degrees, click here.
- Morris: Students must fulfill graduation requirements under the umbrella Expanding Perspectives. Relevant to the sustainable development goals, students must take at least two courses under the theme The Global Village, which includes courses on People and Environment, International Perspectives, and Ethical and Civic Responsibility. To view the complete liberal education requirements for baccalaureate degrees, click here.
- Rochester: Students must fulfill graduate requirements under general education themes. Relevant to the sustainable development goals, students must take at least one course in each of the following themes: Civic Life and Ethics, the Environment, and Global Perspectives. To view the complete liberal education requirements for baccalaureate degrees, click here.
- Twin Cities: Students must fulfill graduate requirements under liberal education themes. Relevant to the sustainable development goals, students must take Race, Power and Justice, and at least one course in three of the following four themes: Civic Life and Ethics, the Environment, Global Perspectives and Technology and Society. To view the complete liberal education requirements for baccalaureate degrees, click here.
In addition to the liberal education requirements for all students, students on all five campuses have options to earn a minor in sustainability. The Twin Cities, Duluth, Morris and Crookston campuses each offer a sustainability minor for residential students and Crookston offers an on-line sustainability minor. Rochester students are able to complete a sustainability minor through the Twin Cities campus or online.
These Minors all immerse students in learning the principles of sustainability, systems thinking and multiple ways of knowing and offer them experiential learning and leadership opportunities Students get to explore real-world problems from a variety of academic perspectives, reflecting the breadth and wide-ranging applicability of the principles of sustainability. For more information about the Twin Cities campus Sustainability Studies Minor, click here. For the Morris campus Sustainability Leadership Minor, click here. For the Duluth campus Environmental, Sustainability and Geography Minor, click here. For the Crookston campus Sustainability Minor, click here or for the online version, Sustainability Minor Online.
Graduate Education
Three of the five University of Minnesota campuses, Twin Cities, Duluth and Rochester offer graduate degree programs. Many of these programs focus on SDGs within the departments, with the system-wide Institute on the Environment (IonE) ensuring that an opportunity for sustainability and SDG education is available to all graduate and professional students in any program.
The Institute on the Environment offers a number of interdisciplinary programs, workshops, courses and resources including coaching and mentoring to help graduate, professional students, and postdocs play a critical role in creating a sustainable future for Minnesota and the world. The Institute’s Graduate Scholars are cohorts drawn from across disciplines to collaboratively engage in interdisciplinary research that effectively addresses complex sustainability and environmental issues. Topics and scope change each year, generally focusing on themes connected to specific SDGs. For example, the theme of agriculture and energy connects to SDG 15, Life on Land. The Institute’s faculty and staff affiliates provide topics and guide the cohorts
Another example of the offerings for graduate students is the Acara Graduate Changemakers, an interdisciplinary cohort focused on creating change through projects that bring together environment and equity, that are local with global impact. Acara’s interdisciplinary courses help students gain the knowledge and skills they need to create innovative solutions for social and environmental change in the US and internationally. All Acara courses are intended for graduate, professional and upper level undergraduate students and there are no prerequisites required.
The Institute seeks to empower graduate and professional students, as well as postdocs, to create the impact they want to see in the world. Our programs focus on equipping students with critical leadership skills they will need to be effective changemakers, as well as helping them develop the interdisciplinary academic community needed to address complex interdisciplinary environmental challenges. Students from all disciplines are welcome to participate in all programs.