SUS - Sustainability Studies

Prerequisites: None. This course introduces students to the concepts of sustainability science. It provides an overview of the history and principles of sustainability and then introduces the concepts of systems thinking to critically evaluate interactions among humans, societies, and nature.

Prerequisites: SUS 101 and MATH 112. This course is an introduction to the ways scientists approach and investigate problems in sustainability science, including experimental design and critical evaluation of published literature. Each semester the topic will vary according to instructor and student interest.

Prerequisites: Completion or concurrent enrollment of SUS 201

This course will introduce the basic concepts related to global energy usage and extraction. It will illuminate the interdependencies of energy, water availability and food production in the context of the water-energy-food nexus. It will highlight energy usage and extraction as a driver of global climate change. It will also survey the promises and challenges associated with the major sources of alternative energy.

Prerequisite: Completion of SUS 201 or concurrent enrollment. This course is designed to introduce students to watershed science, management, and sustainability concepts. The course will begin with an overview of watersheds and their ecology. It will also cover the chemical, biological, economic, and social factors that affect watersheds.

Prerequisite: Completion of SUS 201 or concurrent enrollment. This course will introduce the basic concepts and terminology of global, national, and local food systems. We will explore the history of our current food system, and students will use systems thinking to assess its environmental, social, and economic sustainability.

Prerequisites: SUS 301, SUS 302, SUS 303. This class is a lab-driven study of theory and practice in all sustainability program focus areas, allowing students to develop facility with fundamental techniques. The team-taught course is composed of three, five-week rotations conducted in lecture/lab format.

Prerequisite: SUS 303. Combining lecture with a lab, students will investigate the theory as well as the practical tools to implement sustainable community-based food systems. We will discuss local food policy and the role of food sovereignty and food justice in community-based solutions.

Prerequisite: SUS 301 and SUS 303. This course is designed to give an overview of the biotech industry and to teach the scientific principles that apply to the numerous biotechnology sectors. The intersection of biology and technology will be emphasized in the context of foods, biomolecules and biofuels.

Prerequisite: BIOL 201 or ENSP 300. This course introduces students to agricultural systems from an ecological perspective, exploring the interplay between abiotic and biotic factors which drive the successes and failures in crop production.

Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Laboratory, library or field investigation of a sustainability issue. Selection of topic, preparation of study plan and evaluations of results are guided by means of weekly conferences with the instructor.

Prerequisites: College-wide Internship Requirements and Permission of Sustainability Director. Students work at off-campus sites with organizations concerned with issues of sustainability. These may be, but are not limited to, government agencies; legislators; or nongovernmental organizations at local, state, regional and national levels. Grading is S/U.

Prerequisite: SUS 320. This course will provide an introduction to the use of enzymatic and microbial reactions in the production of desirable foods, beverages, biofuels and other bio-products.

Prerequisites: Completion of SUS 325 or concurrent enrollment. This course provides a solid foundation in sustainable urban agriculture and the community building process. Students will gain hands-on experience working with organizations within the Frederick Food Security Network who have, or will be installing, an urban garden.

Prerequisite: By invitation of the Biology Department. 
A department honors paper is a two-semester senior-year program designed for students who wish to pursue intensive research or special projects. Students doing departmental honors in sustainability will also present a poster during the departmental poster session spring semester.