Saint Joseph's College - ME
AC-3: Undergraduate Program

Leadership for Sustainable Communities (LSC) is a next-generation degree program that combines immersive hands-on learning, career development, liberal arts principles, and Mercy values to transform learners into skilled 21st Century leaders. The LSC degree program explicitly acknowledges that sustainable management of natural systems requires an understanding of how social and economic systems interact with natural systems and with each other, and how all systems must be managed sustainably together. Students learn to solve real-world problems, and prepare for a lifetime of community leadership. The program goes far beyond traditional academic barriers to dig into real-world challenges — preparing students to sustain and improve critical systems in areas of Justice, the Environment, Business & Economics, and Healthcare. Working closely with a range of internship employers and community partners, graduates will be well-prepared for graduate school, government, nonprofit and for-profit organizations, and poised to make a positive difference in the world.

The Environmental Science B.S. major incorporates the principles of ecology, biology, chemistry, and traditional liberal arts via the core curriculum, to develop scientists who will apply their skills and knowledge to solving 21st century environmental challenges. Much of the curriculum is field-based, with opportunities to earn credits through completely off-campus, immersive study. An important focus of Saint Joseph’s environmental program is on aquatic ecosystems such as Sebago Lake and the nearby Gulf of Maine. A majority of the courses required for the major are sustainability-related (SR) or sustainability-focused (SF).

The Marine Science B.S. is related to the Environmental Science B.S, sharing many required courses, but with a particular focus on marine system function and sustainable management. Through independent study, internships, and senior research, students work on important local issues. From cataloging the diversity of Gulf of Maine waters, to studying the causes and effects of red tide outbreaks, or researching how the chemical environments affects juvenile clam survival (crucial to proper fishery management), the marine science program is making a difference today and developing the scientists and leaders of tomorrow.

"The interdisciplinary minor in Sustainability Studies prepares students engaged in different majors to 1) address the important problem of how we, as a society, can best live on the planet, 2) enroll in core curriculum courses in a connected, integrated fashion while obtaining real world experience and 3) develop skills and knowledge in sustainability that is specifically tailored to be useful to their major field of study. In addition, this minor fosters integration of knowledge and better enables students to fulfill the college’s mission statement calling for its community to “advocate for justice and peace in recognition of each person's responsibility for the welfare of both humankind and the environment.”


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The minor in Environmental Science serves students with solid backgrounds in science, who wish to incorporate environmental problem-solving into their career trajectory. All courses in the minor are designated sustainability-focused (SF).