Why choose Sustainability Studies?

Over the next 50 years, the most critical challenges faced by society will be the rapidly growing ecological and social crises. Dealing with these interdisciplinary problems requires interdisciplinary solutions developed by professionals that are adaptable systems-thinkers and understand complex relationships.

Sustainability perspectives are becoming more essential in the 21st century at local, national and glocal scales. Seeing as the sustainability industry is so multi-faceted, those pursuing sustainable opportunities are rarely confined to one area of expertise. As a student enrolled in our Sustainability Studies minor, you will learn how to better draw upon a range of disciplines to determine solutions that address environmental, economic and social needs. 

Dominant themes of sustainability, notably ecology and the environment, economics and social equity are already present in undergraduate studies however they are not typically recognized as such. To better prepare graduates from all fields to work in a more sustainable world, the Sustainability Studies minor offers students the opportunity to develop an in-depth understanding of the fundamental components of sustainability across multiple disciplines while using current Ontario Tech course offerings. 

"The main reason a student might consider it: Environmental sustainability is the most pressing issue of our time. It is therefore an area of great expected need for expertise and employment in all sectors. Engineers and business people are increasingly expected to understand and remedy issues of sustainability. Sustainability requires behavioral change, so psychology students are needed to study the ways that positive change can be fostered. Some of the crimes with the most dire impacts in the present and future are environmental crimes, so there is a demand for legal and criminological experts in sustainability law and enforcement. There is an intimate relation between environment and health that healthcare professionals are increasingly having to deal with. Finally, political scientists need to have a keen awareness of sustainability issues in order to understand a world of increasing numbers of environmental refugees and international politics related to environmental policy."

- Timothy MacNeill, PhD, Director, Sustainability Studies Minor