Courses Related to Sustainability Solutions
Course offerings are subject to change. We will try to keep this list updated but please verify information in the Undergraduate Catalog if you see a course that is of interest.
Courses listed on this page focus on topics related to environmental, technological, organization, management, agricultural, and energy innovations throughout society which help reduce environmental impacts and improve overall sustainability. These courses may focus on broader interdisciplinary solutions or those which are specialized within certain fields.
Civil and Environmental Engineering
CIE 210 – Sustainability in Engineering
Introduction to sustainability and sustainable development concepts, the role of engineers in sustainable development, ethical dimensions of sustainable development-engineers, technology and ethics, measuring sustainability, green and sustainable materials, and engineers as problem solvers and curators of the planet. No specialized background in engineering, sciences or social sciences is required.
CIE 480 – Wind Energy Engineering
This course presents the theory and design of modern wind turbines. Theoretical aspects of the course cover the fundamentals of assessing the aerodynamic loads and efficiency of a wind turbine. Design procedures for wind turbines are outlined with an emphasis on maximizing performance, assuring structural integrity and minimizing the cost of energy. Current trends in offshore wind are also covered as well as the social and environmental issues of a burgeoning wind energy industry.
Construction Engineering Technology
CET 412 – Sustainable Population and Environmental Design and Construction
This course provides instruction in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), green building design, environmental favorability rating, and progressive leadership toward the goal of reducing the population footprint (i.e., development sprawl and resource consumption) through innovative construction practices.
Electrical and Computer Engineering
ECE 467 – Solar Cells and their Application
This course is concerned with electricity generation direction from solar energy using photovoltaic solar cells. The solar spectrum is discussed, solar cell types are introduced, and efficiency factors are discussed. Techniques for efficiency improvement are reviewed. Photovoltaic electricity generation system design methods are introduced. Economic analysis, such as life cycle costing, and environmental impact of PV systems are discussed.
Electrical Engineering Technology
EET 460 – Renewable Energy and Electricity Production
An overview of renewable energy resources, energy conversion and storage for stationary, and transportation applications. Topics include: Basics of electrical energy and power generation, load specification, history of electric utilities, distributed generation, the economics of energy, biomass fuels, wind and solar power.
Mechanical Engineering
MEE 433 – Solar-Thermal Engineering
Introduces solar energy collection and use as process thermal energy. Includes performance analysis of solar collectors and thermal energy storage devices both separately and as a combined system.
MEE 480 – Wind Energy Engineering
This course presents the theory and design of modern wind turbines. Theoretical aspects of the course cover the fundamentals of assessing the aerodynamic loads and efficiency of a wind turbine. Design procedures for wind turbines are outlined with an emphasis on maximizing performance, assuring structural integrity and minimizing the cost of energy. Current trends in offshore wind are also covered as well as the social and environmental issues of a burgeoning wind energy industry.
MEE 491 – Offshore Wind Farm Engineering
This course introduces the basics of offshore wind farm engineering and design. A broad introduction is provided on the topics of offshore climate, turbine selection criteria, substructure design, installation processes, operation, maintenance, electrical infrastructure, environmental impacts, and decommissioning aspects of offshore wind farms. The basic theory together with state-of-the-art industrial practices and future technologies driving the offshore wind farm development will be addressed.
Peace Studies
PAX 370 – Building Sustainable Communities
Explores the essential ideas and necessary institutions for building sustainable communities including social, cultural and physical environments. Specific examples of sustainable communities and eco-villages worldwide will be highlighted.
PAX 380 – Ecovillages and Ecocities: Models of Global Restoration
This course explores the essential ideas for a transition to an environmental century by investigating global ecovillages and ecocities as guides to sustainable communities.
Plant, Soil, and Environmental Science
PSE 105 – Principles of Sustainable Agriculture
Basic design principles and examples of environmentally and economically sustainable agricultural systems. Describes the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, but emphasis will be placed on identifying management practices that a) biologically improve soil structure, organic matter content, and fertility; and b) minimize or eliminate the need for chemical interventions for control of insect pests, pathogens, and weeds.
PSE 264 – Introduction to Composting
This course provides students with tools to understand the composting process including biology, feedstocks, recipe development and types of composting systems. Other topics include managing and troubleshooting compost piles, analyzing compost, and appropriate use are considered.
PSE 265 – Soil Health for Farm Resilience and Climate Mitigation
This course provides students with tools to understand the concepts and practices of soil health in different scales and types of systems. The importance, goals, and challenges of managing soil health are emphasized. Both agronomic and environmental outcomes for soil health practices are considered. Students will build their understanding of, and ability to use, course information through weekly discussions and will critically evaluate the use of soil health practices for climate mitigation.
PSE 312 – Sustainable Food Systems: Challenges and Opportunities
This course is an examination of food systems through a sustainability lens, including the evolution of food systems over time, supply and value chains, food justice, food sovereignty, hunger, food and agriculture policy at the federal and state level.
PSE 360 – Agroecology and Sustainable Cropping Systems
Students will learn about and discuss various aspects of transdisciplinary agroecology and sustainable cropping systems. This will include a synthesis of fundamental topics (e.g. tillage, irrigation, crop genetic resources, diversity) in the context of social and economic realities of contemporary U.S. agriculture. We will explore agronomic and horticultural cropping systems using local, regional, national, and global examples. Students will work collaboratively in on-farm context to assess an agroecology system, understand its complexities, practice research and practical farm management skills (e.g. biodiversity assessment, soil sampling) and make recommendations for improving sustainability.
School of Forest Resources
SFR 108 – Introduction to Arboriculture and Community Forestry
Introductory course in arboriculture (study of trees on an individual basis) and community forestry (management of trees in a community/urban setting). The student studies the management of the urban/community forests, people’s interactions and dynamics when dealing with community trees, and the development and purpose of a community forestry management plan. The course includes identifying valuable features, growth habits, and cultural requirements of urban trees and shrubs.
SFR 215 – Introduction to Sustainable Materials and Technology
Introduction to sustainable materials and products (including energy) derived from the forests and other renewable resources as well as processes and technology to produce, process, and convert such materials into useful products. The fundamentals of production systems will be described through required raw material forms and processing systems. The attributes and use of these products will be described from physical, chemical, mechanical, biological, and lifecycle perspectives.
SFR 455 – Bioenergy Sources, Systems, and Environmental Effects
A detailed introduction to the use of biomass for bioenergy and includes a broad review of biomass sources, processing systems, human health effects, potential environmental damage, pollution abatement, energy generating systems and the general effects of using renewable and non-renewable sources of energy on the human population. Common definitions, units and the basic thermodynamics of biomass use are discussed. Environmental issues including greenhouse gas emissions are examined along with the benefits and environmental concerns related to using renewable sources of bioenergy. Specific examples, volatile organic chemical release and energy use in drying forest resources are included. Scheduled labs involve field trips.
SFR 456 – Physical and Mechanical Properties of Sustainable Materials
The physical and mechanical properties of plant-based materials, including wood and wood composites, as related to basic processing techniques and their use in structural, packaging, and other applications are described. The objectives of the course are to develop a sound understanding of the physical and mechanical properties of plant-based materials in relation to ultrastructure, environmental effects, and their application to simple structural systems. Topics related to the physical properties of wood include moisture content, moisture sorption, swelling/shrinkage of hygroscopic materials, density, porosity, thermal properties, friction, electrical properties, etc. Topics related to the mechanical properties covered include axial, flexural, shear, and impact performance, the influence of moisture, temperature, biological agents, and time on mechanical properties. Laboratory demonstrations are arranged to conduct the measurement of these properties according to ASTM standards. SFR 456 and SFR 556 cannot both be taken for degree credit.
SFR 460 – Sustainable Materials and Technology Manufacturing Tour
One-week inspection trip to representative manufacturers of bioproducts selected for demonstration of typical plant and forest operations. A written report is required.
SFR 493 – Sustainable Tourism Planning
The course provides a basis for a tourism destination service learning project involving natural and cultural attractions. The project will involve developing, facilitating, evaluating and documenting the tourism destination planning process. Specific topics include tourism potential evaluation, tourism sociocultural and environmental impacts, community-based tourism planning, tourism regional and site planning, and strategic tourism planning. The course requires field trips within and outside of scheduled class periods. (Because of overlap SFR 493 and SFR 593 cannot both be taken for degree credit).