Learn about Sustainability

At Rowan you can learn about sustainability from many different perspectives. Everyone from artists to engineers, businesspeople to field scientists, has something valuable to contribute to the sustainability conversation. That's why we offer classes and degree programs that focus on sustainability from a wide range of disciplines and backgrounds. We offer majors, minors, and certificates in sustainability at Rowan as well as some graduate programs. While we just present a list of programs and brief descriptions here, you can click through to the main page for each program to learn more.

Degree Programs (BA/BS, and 4+1)

Environmental & Sustainability Studies 
Environmental and Sustainability Studies (ESS) explores humanity's relationship with the natural world in order to help solve environmental problems. ESS is a big field of study that offers the chance to examine environmental issues and relationships with nature from the perspectives of the social sciences, policy, humanities, education, communication, and the arts. ESS is for people who want to be well-rounded problem solvers, and who understand that environmental problem-solving happens in cultural, political, economic, and historical contexts.

4+1: BA Environmental & Sustainability Studies / Master's in Business Administration (MBA)
This "4+1" program combines our BA in Environmental & Sustainability Studies with a Masters' in Business Administration at the Rohrer College of Business here at Rowan. In this program, you will combine your passion for the environment and solving environmental problems with the professional skill set offered through undergraduate and graduate courses in business administration. Understanding how businesses function and how business decisions are made is an essential component of effective environmental advocacy in the 21st century. Furthermore, more companies everyday are choosing to ‘go green’ for both financial and ecological reasons. Graduates of this 4+1 will be well-positioned to lead the emerging generation of decision-makers working at the intersection of business and sustainability advocacy.

Civil & Environmental Engineering
The discipline of Civil and Environmental Engineering, which is the oldest engineering profession, has taken a center stage in the 21st century as infrastructure construction and maintenance along with energy and the environment become our nation's priority.

Environmental Science
Environmental scientists are on the front line of documenting environment change and developing solutions to modern problems that impact everyone on Earth. Rowan University's Environmental Science programs prepare students to be leaders for positive change.

Geology
Geology is a physical science major composed of foundation courses in science and mathematics; core courses in geology; and upper-level geoscience electives. Both the BA and BS programs are designed to prepare students to enter the geoscience workforce in consulting firms or government agencies; pursue professional studies; or undertake advanced graduate studies in geoscience disciplines.

Geography
The Discipline of Geography focuses on understanding the human in the environment utilizing natural science and humanistic epistemology and methods.  Geographers study the human impact in both natural and built environments, across scales from local to global.  Geography is an integrative science that explores the spatial relationships and functional systems of the natural and human world, with an effort to increase the sustainability of human society.  

4 + 1: BA Geography / MS Urban and Regional Planning
The master’s in Urban and Regional Planning helps students focus the skills they learned while an undergraduate in Geography while simultaneously maintaining the flexibility and dexterity needed to be competitive for a variety of different geography-related positions.   Our students often find work in government planning offices, non-profit organizations, engineering firms, and advocacy organizations.

Community & Environmental Planning
Urban and regional planners directly influence how cities and towns form and continue to develop. They work with the public to determine the best uses for valuable land how to effectively connect citizens with the necessary resources for daily life. The discipline of planning is inclusive of a wide range of topics including land use decisions, development patterns, urban and community design, environmental conservation and protection, transportation, infrastructure, public welfare and many other topics concerned with the interaction of humans and the environment.

4 + 1: BS Community & Environmental Planning / MS Urban and Regional Planning
While Rowan’s undergraduate program in Community and Environmental Planning offers excellent preparation for a range of planning (and planning-related) jobs, an advanced master’s degree can both make a student more competitive in the marketplace and expand vocational opportunities within the planning discipline. Many traditional planning positions in the public and private sector require advanced academic training and encourage successful completion of the field’s professional certification (AICP).  A completed graduate degree in planning reduces the number of years of professional experience needed to take the AICP exam.  

Biological Sciences (Ecology focus)
The Biological Sciences curriculum spans all biological disciplines, emphasizing connections among and integration of different aspects of biology, across all levels of organization and the full spectrum of biodiversity. We investigate basic and applied questions in biology and value increasing our understanding of the natural world as much as how that understanding directly benefits humanity. The Biological Sciences degree programs give students a firm foundation for pursuing science related careers, science teaching, and more.

Geographical Information Science (GIS)
The Bachelor of Science in Geographic Information Science (GIS) is a professional degree program that prepares students for a range of careers in the technological study of sustainability solutions, include policy analysis, environmental monitoring, and enforcement of environmental regulations among many others.  GIS utilizes geospatial technologies, modeling, and spatial problem solving to advance societal sustainability across many fronts.  Spatial analysis facilitates the study of complex data sets to see how many environmental factors can impact a place. Visualization tools that are a part of GIS software allow students to explore data in 3D and across time periods.

Health and Science Communication
The Health and Science Communication (HSC) program is a unique, interdisciplinary program made up of students and faculty who are curious about health and science, who facilitate public engagement with complex information, and who advocate for life-saving and sustaining change. Our undergraduate programs will provide you with the skills to meet the demands of the moment, whether that means communicating the risks of COVID-19 or helping enact sound climate policy.

Minors

Sustainable Built Environments 
The Minor in Sustainable Built Environments is shared between the Dept. of Geography, Planning & Sustainability and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Students in the Minor take classes from both departments that emphasize the environmental dimensions of building and site design, and offer students the chance to learn and apply skills relating to the booming 'green building' industry.

Environmental & Sustainability Studies 

Civil & Environmental Engineering

Community & Environmental Planning

Biological Sciences

Geology

Geography

Geographic Information Science

Environmental Science

Sustainability Science

Certificates of Undergraduate Study ("CUGS")

Environmental Policy & Economics
This program is shared between the Department of Political Science and Economics and the Department of Geography, Planning & Sustainability. This program provides students with an interdisciplinary approach to understanding, designing, and assessing the impacts of environmental regulations and policies. 

Environmental Humanities
This program is shared between the Department of English and the Department of Geography, Planning & Sustainability, with courses contributed also from History, Philosophy & Religion, and Writing Arts. This program introduces students to the methods of the Humanities for interrogating the human contexts of environmental issues, which are crucial for effectively applying STEM findings and developments in complex cultural worlds. Also, this program offers students opportunities to explore how the critical thinking and communication skills they have developed in Humanities courses can be applied to STEM fields and career paths.

Sustainable Urbanism
This program emphasizes the social and place-based dimensions of sustainability, from issues of social equity to the role of communication technologies and aesthetics. This certificate in sustainable urbanism will position students from diverse disciplines for employment in the burgeoning green economy.

Writing for the Environment
This 12-hour Certificate of Undergrad Studies (CUGS) allows students to combine knowledge about and advocacy for environmental issues with the reading, writing, and communication skills necessary for success in a variety of academic fields and professional careers. This program empowers students to forge connections between the sciences, social sciences, humanities, and creative arts and nurture the skills they need to advocate for environmental issues that are important to them and their communities.

Food Systems Planning
The Food Systems Planning CUGS is a way to obtain certification and thorough knowledge in the field of food systems. How we eat determines a large part of how we use the world. With this CUGS you come to understand the social, economic, and environmental benefits of a strong local/regional food system. You will learn where food comes from, how it is cultivated, processed and shipped, and how it interferes with many of the global challenges we are facing on Earth today. While gaining this knowledge you’ll understand the dynamic relationship between food and how it affects ecosystems, health equity, power structure, and society in cities or rural areas.

Health and Science Communication

Graduate Programs

Sustainability Studies (Certificate of Graduate Study, "COGS")
This program is aimed at helping students in diverse graduate disciplines understand avenues for implementing comprehensive sustainability solutions. The Sustainability Studies COGS builds on the existing expertise in the Department of Geography, Planning & Sustainability in the School of Earth & Environment at Rowan. While the courses comprising the program are housed in the Department, the program should be attractive from graduate programs in STEM, business, education, social sciences, humanities, and communication arts departments at the University.

Civil & Environmental Engineering (Master's of Science, M.S.)

Civil & Environmental Engineering (Doctorate, Ph.D.)

Urban and Regional Planning (Master's of Science, M.S.)
This proposed program will focus on all areas of the planning profession, but highlight the global significance as they are related to climate change, environmental degradation, sustainability, resiliency, and diversity. As we move to an era of decreased reliance on fossil fuels and rapidly diminished available land for development, efficiency in the use of the remaining land and in the sustainability of every dimension of our lifestyles will become ever more critical. In this environment, wise planning will become increasingly necessary. Planners are in demand to fill positions in consulting, industry, government, and non-profit organizations. 

Urban and Regional Planning (Certificate of Graduate Study, "COGS")
The Certificate of Graduate Study (COGS) introduces students to theory and practice of Urban and Regional Planning. Students will survey the discipline’s history and major theoretical advancements before achieving an in-depth understanding of environmental and community planning practices. Students will also learn the major regulatory frameworks operating in the State of New Jersey as well as nationally recognized ethical principles to guide a successful career in planning.