Sustainability Courses
There are plenty of opportunities to jump right into the sustainability movement here at Penn. With a strong and growing variety of degrees, course work, and centers related to the environment, students have the chance to be a part of the next big sustainability breakthroughs that are happening right here at Penn, in and outside the classroom.
And it’s not just our students who are fighting the fight towards a more sustainable future! Across our 12 Schools there is a shared commitment to collaboration and impact to combat climate change. Each school has issued their own set of Academic Climate Commitments that identify opportunities for advocacy and action within their industries and communities.
Further, housed in the Office of the Provost, the Environmental Innovations Initiative is on a mission to catalyze solutions to significant real-world challenges. The Initiative works across schools and centers to facilitate innovative research, help to recruit, and retain outstanding faculty members, and develop formal and informal educational programs around critical environmental challenges of our time.
Our commitment towards sustainability is a university-wide effort that involves every member of our community. Take a look at the academic and experiential offerings you can take advantage of to join in our efforts.
Undergraduate Degrees and Concentrations
Students have the opportunity to declare a major and/or minor in areas related to the environment through all four of Penn’s Undergraduate Schools and Coordinated Degree programs. Whether you’re a business student interested in learning about the intersections of the economy and the environment, or a nursing student interested in tackling the ever-growing threats of natural disasters in the medical field, our environment related degrees and concentrations are preparing the next wave of fearless sustainability leaders.
- Anthropology Major, Environmental Anthropology (BA)
- Earth and Environmental Science Major (BA)
- Environmental Studies Major, Environmental History and Regional Studies (BA)
- Environmental Studies Major, Environmental Policy and Application (BA)
- Environmental Studies Major, General Environmental Studies (BA)
- Environmental Studies Major, Global Environmental Systems (BA)
- Environmental Studies Major, Sustainability and Environmental Management (BA)
- Environmental Science Minor
- Environmental Studies Minor
- Sustainability and Environmental Management Minor
- Science, Technology and Society, Energy and Environment (BA)
- Environmental Humanities Minor
Courses
Penn offers over 100 courses across our four schools that explore how the environment intersects with a myriad of studies and disciplines. Thanks to Penn’s commitment to interdisciplinary learning, students are free to take classes that interest them, regardless of the school to which they belong.
- African Environmental History
- Cities and Sustainability
- Earth and Life through Time
- Environmentalism and Journalism
- Food and Film
- Sustainability & Utopianism
- and so many more!
Institutes and Centers
Penn has an extensive list of specialized centers, institutes, offices, and initiatives that foster environmentally related research, experiences, and service. Some of our most impactful research, education, and collaboration opportunities stem from these centers and our community members who are part of them. From campus arboretums, orchards, and farms to our Integrated Program in Energy Research (VIPER), students have so many opportunities to engage with and contribute to sustainability at Penn and beyond.