Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 68.50
Liaison Derek Nichols
Submission Date May 17, 2022

STARS v2.2

University at Buffalo
AC-3: Undergraduate Program

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Ann Bisantz
Dean of Undergraduate Education
Undergraduate Education
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Majors, degrees and certificate programs

Does the institution offer at least one ​sustainability-focused​ major, degree, or certificate program for undergraduate students?:
Yes

Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate degree program:
Environmental Studies Major, BA in Department of Environments and Sustainability

A brief description of the undergraduate degree program:
Designed for students who are passionate about the environment, the BA in Environmental Studies examines how human society and culture intersects with the natural environment. The interdisciplinary major encompasses the study of natural sciences, social sciences and humanities in order to understand environmental problems and processes.

Fieldwork and internships are a required part of the curriculum, and have provided our students with smooth transitions into meaningful careers. Specialty tracks provide a body of course work and experiences that prepare a student for a defined area within the field of environmental and sustainability studies.

Website URL for the undergraduate degree program:

Additional degree programs (optional) 

Name of the sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program (2nd program):
Environmental Design, BA

None
A brief description of the undergraduate degree program (2nd program):
Environmental Design addresses the arrangement, appearance, and functionality of neighborhoods, towns, and communities. In addition, environmental design is concerned with the way these places are experienced and used, as well as other aesthetic elements that contribute to the quality of community environments. Environmental design promotes the best use of a community's land and physical resources for residential, commercial, institutional, and recreational purposes.

Environmental Design provides students with the skills to understand, analyze, and solve development problems with a view toward community planning and the design of sustainable urban environments. The purpose of environmental design is to gain a better understanding of community environments, and then apply that knowledge to improve physical surroundings.

Website URL for the undergraduate degree program (2nd program):
Name of the sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
Environmental Engineering, BS

None
A brief description of the undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
Among the top priorities of the profession are the delivery of safe water to drink and clean air to breathe, and the restoration of water quality in the Great Lakes, the Hudson River and natural water systems throughout the nation. Today, environmental engineers face issues that are changing the world. With their unique combination of environmental science and engineering, environmental engineers are the linchpins in defending the global public health, water supplies and ecosystem viability.

Website URL for the undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
None
The name and website URLs of all other sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program(s):
https://arts-sciences.buffalo.edu/environment-sustainability/undergraduate/environmental-geosciences.html

There is a large (and increasing) demand for scientists with quantitative, interdisciplinary training in environmental sciences to address, mitigate, and manage many complex environmental problems facing society. The program has three specialization tracks: Ecology and the Environment, Water and the Environment, and Environmental Monitoring and Analysis. Environmental Geoscience graduates will have a solid foundation in biological, physical, and natural sciences, mathematics and statistics, and analytic and geospatial techniques, as well as the specialized training necessary for integrated analysis of environmental systems.

Minors and concentrations

Does the institution offer one or more sustainability-focused minors or concentrations for undergraduate students?:
Yes

Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor or concentration:
Minor in Environmental Studies

A brief description of the undergraduate minor or concentration:
The Environmental Studies Minor is designed to broaden students’ knowledge base and provide them with a strong foundation in both the natural and social sciences. This minor, focused on experiential learning and field studies, prepares students to incorporate environmental work into their chosen field of study in order to enhance their professional potential in a world increasing defined by environmental problems and sustainable solutions.

Website URL for the undergraduate minor or concentration:

Additional minors and concentrations (optional) 

Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor or concentration (2nd program):
Global Gender Studies

A brief description of the undergraduate minor or concentration (2nd program):
Global Gender Studies is an interdisciplinary degree-granting program that offers courses in three areas: Cultures and Identities, Women and Global Citizenship, and Gender and Public Policy. The courses within each area recognize developing trends in studies of gender in many countries. Our objectives include challenging our students to integrate local and global knowledge and to link theory and practice across a wide range of issues. Our courses analyze the many ways in which gender is affected by the intersectionality of race, class, sexuality, nationality, ethnicity, geography, history, and religion.
https://catalog.buffalo.edu/academicprograms/global_gender_studies_minor_requirements.html

Website URL for the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor or concentration (3rd program):
Social Justice Minor

A brief description of the undergraduate minor or concentration (3rd program):
The Minor in Social Justice focuses on the causes and consequences of social injustices and gives students the knowledge to analyze social injustices and to work to combat them. Career fields such as legislative advocacy, politics, government service, human services, human rights, community organization, social work and law are areas for post-graduation employment. It is also an appropriate area of concentrated study for students whose plans include graduate training in sociology, social work, or law or who are interested in pursuing advanced training in any of the wide range of public policy, law, or justice professions.

https://catalog.buffalo.edu/academicprograms/social_justice_minor_requirements.html

Website URL for the undergraduate minor or concentration (3rd program):
The name and website URLs of all other sustainability-focused undergraduate minors and concentrations:
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Optional Fields  

Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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