Northland College
AC-3: Undergraduate Program

Whether you aspire to be an activist, planner, or advocate, the sustainable community development (SCD) program presents you with the toolbox to create effective community change. Our SCD major is one of the first of its kind in the nation. Through an interdisciplinary approach we examine the three pillars of sustainability—environmental, social, and economic—in a comprehensive and holistic manner, melding the concepts of community organizing, urban/rural/regional planning, local and international economic development, and ecological restoration. Innovative interdisciplinary courses introduce you to the theory and practice of sustainable community development. Outside of the classroom you have the opportunity to apply theory, acquire additional skills, and gain work and research experience through volunteering, internships, study-abroad opportunities, and employment in the Center for Rural Communities. The SCD major’s disciplinary range makes it attractive to employers in a variety of sectors. Past graduates have found immediate employment in governmental services, environmental consulting, urban and rural land-use planning, economic development, community development, business, and sustainability director positions. Coursework and applied research experience prepares students for graduate programs in sustainable development, public policy, agriculture, land use and transportation planning, and business as well as other more traditional programs in the social sciences and humanities.

This major mixes the liberal arts with the environmental crunchiness that so many students want. With humanity and nature studies, you can craft your major from a menu of courses—from the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences to create a major that matches your interests. Your studies combine the cultural with the natural to shape well-rounded individuals ready to engage in issues like global climate change. During your four years, you will develop a sophisticated understanding of how humans continue to conceive, construct, and fulfill their relationships to the natural world. Upon completion, you will be prepared for graduate or professional studies in fields such as environmental law and environmental humanities, the Peace Corps, or for a variety of environmentally focused careers in business, education (“green teaching” before and afterschool programs), government, industry, advertising, public policy, community planning, nature therapy, or the non-profit sector. Students majoring in humanity and nature studies can choose from three emphases: global cultural perspectives, leadership and a new future, or reviving a natural history.

Sustainable entrepreneurship is about tapping into consumers wanting to take responsibility for their health and for society. More and more entrepreneurs have started businesses based on increased scientific evidence about the effects of ecological disruption on human populations—changes that are disruptive to the business environment and global society. In this major, you will build on the basics of entrepreneurship and ecological and social concerns through the creation of new enterprises and innovation in existing enterprises. Through coursework and case studies, you will learn to recognize change by understanding that the consuming public is becoming increasingly concerned about these challenges to a sustainable world and to recognize market opportunities for sustainability-focused businesses. You will leave college prepared to enter the world of socially responsible startups.

Ecological Restoration: https://www.northland.edu/study/academics/majors/natural-resources/

The field and practice of environmental education refers to both formal and non-formal efforts to teach about how natural environments function, how human behaviors shape and influence those natural functions, and how we can change our behaviors in order to sustain a healthy environment for the future of all living things. Students with an environmental education minor are prepared to effectively teach participants of all ages and abilities, in outdoor as well as indoor settings.

The Climate Science minor helps students become informed citizens as they understand and articulate why climate change is happening. Students will study the interactions between Earth's atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere and learn how these interactions drive climate. They will also learn how climate is modeled and better understand policy and economics associated with climate change. Finally, students will consider what citizens can do to minimize and mitigate climate change.