University of California, San Diego
AC-1: Academic Courses

The 2024 Sustainability Course Inventory presented in this section is a compilation of all sustainability-focused courses and courses including sustainability offered during the 2023/2024 academic year.  

The methodology for identifying the total number of qualifying courses offered was improved for the 2024 inventory. For the 2024 inventory, UC San Diego staff utilized the Campus Registrar to validate any related information during the research process. To develop the initial inventory discussed herein, staff utilized advanced Python methodologies to autogenerate a working, master inventory of courses offered during the desired timeframe (containing 3,817 courses in total). Python is an open-source programming language used to automate tasks and analyze large datasets. In the context of the research described above, the size of the initial dataset(s) used to develop a working inventory warranted this technique. Broadly, the Python methodology utilized a technique called “web scraping” to obtain the desired information from the UC San Diego online catalogue. The initial inventory was then further manipulated via Python, along with manual screening, utilizing the sustainability keywords provided by AASHE STARS. Each course was then labelled as sustainability-focused or sustainability-inclusive. This resulted in the final inventory presented in this report. 

Non-applicable courses such as internships, practicums, independent study, special topics, thesis/dissertation, clinical, and performance art classes were excluded from the inventory consistent with STARS guidelines. These courses were excluded from both the count of sustainability course offerings and the count of total courses. 

During the research period, UC San Diego staff had multiple meetings with School of Medicine (SOM) representatives. These meetings allowed staff to clarify how to best represent the SOM for STARS purposes. After careful and calculated research and discussion, it was deemed best practice to represent the UC San Diego SOM as one department in the information presented herein. Within the SOM sub-departments, universal courses are offered to all medical students, spanning all SOM disciplines. Similarly, longitudinal courses allow fluidity for medical students and build upon the interdisciplinary, comprehensive education offered by the SOM. These points highlight the flexible nature of the SOM experience at UC San Diego, ultimately guiding staff to represent it as one department. 

Similarly, because of its interdisciplinary and interconnectedness between sub-departments, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) is indicated as one department herein. Students within relevant SIO departments have the same fluidity described above for SOM students, ultimately fostering an interdisciplinary, comprehensive education. Within the inventory, any sub-departments have been indicated and are expressed for detail, but ultimately fall under SIO as one department as described. 

Beyond the basic methods of data/information gathering described herein, staff also utilized and explored sources such as relevant news articles, websites, course syllabi, and the Jane Teranes Climate Change Curriculum list of approved courses to ensure key courses at UC San Diego were identified and included appropriately. Once a draft of the AC-1 inventory was completed, staff had several in-house deliberations regarding inventory quality, along with discussions with relevant contacts across campus (e.g. SOM, Registrar, and the like).  

Each unique course was counted as a single course. Courses with multiple offerings within a year or courses that are offered annually were counted as one unique course. Courses with the same general number but with unique course designations (e.g., FPM 258A and FPM 258B, for which FPM 258A is a prerequisite) were counted individually. Courses cross-listed in multiple departments with unique course numbers were counted as only one course. 

UC San Diego is constantly updating the list of course offerings, so it is worth noting that this may not be an exhaustive list based on time of reviewing this document. This is a compilation of courses as of Summer 2024. For current information, both UC San Digeo undergraduate and graduate education details can be found here: (1) https://undergrad.ucsd.edu/ and (2) https://grad.ucsd.edu/, respectively. 

The methodology used for the 2024 review of academic courses was updated from previous inventories and involved a more rigorous review of courses involving a three-tiered process of (1) automated, computational inventory generation and validation; (2) discussions with the Campus Registrar; and (3) meetings with relevant contacts in selected academic departments such as the SOM. Furthermore, due to the robust abilities of the Python methodologies discussed above, UC San Diego has established a novel technique that eliminates human error in specific areas of the research process; thus, further strengthening metrics presented within this section. 

Points of contact for credit information: 

• Mike Salisbury, Sustainability Data Analyst, Utilities & Sustainability
• Carrie Metzgar, Campus Sustainability Officer, Utilities & Sustainability