Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 65.01
Liaison Paul Mathisen
Submission Date May 23, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Worcester Polytechnic Institute
AC-3: Undergraduate Program

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 John Orr
Professor
Liberal Arts & Computer Engineering
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Majors and Degree Programs

Does the institution offer at least one sustainability-focused major, degree program, or the equivalent for undergraduate students (I.e. an interdisciplinary academic program that concentrates on sustainability as an integrated concept)?:
Yes

Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate degree program:
BA in Environmental & Sustainability Studies

A brief description of the undergraduate degree program:
The Environmental & Sustainability Studies (ESS) program at WPI is designed to focus on diverse aspects of environmental issues and provide hands-on education in the methods of scientific, social science, and humanistic analysis. With growing public demand for greater attention on human consumption and production, and their implications on environmental sustainability, there is an increased need for professionals educated across all aspects of human-environment interactions, from the sciences to sociology to humanities. Through core courses, seminars, and projects focused on integrated approaches to environmental issues, the ESS curriculum helps students address contemporary environmental problems in creative ways that transcend disciplinary boundaries. This interdisciplinary approach also enables students to gain breadth and depth of knowledge in core disciplines such as biology, chemistry, philosophy, history, and environmental law and policy.

The website URL for the undergraduate degree program:

Additional Degree Programs (optional) 

Name of the sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program (2nd program):
BS in Environmental Engineering

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A brief description of the undergraduate degree program (2nd program):
With demands for humanity's needs increasing globally and exponentially, WPI's Environmental Engineering program prepares graduates for rewarding, groundbreaking careers in consulting, industry, research, policy-making, and business areas, such as: helping keep water supplies safe, designing processes to reduce chemical toxicity, developing new capabilities for energy production and restoring ecosystems for future generations. Students work closely with pioneers in the field to develop solutions to environmental imperatives and gain experience applicable in a wide range of careers that will improve quality of life.

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The website URL for the undergraduate degree program (2nd program):
Name of the sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
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A brief description of the undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
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The website URL for the undergraduate degree program (3rd program):
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The name and website URLs of all other sustainability-focused, undergraduate degree program(s):
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Minors, Concentrations and Certificates

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

Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate:
Minor in Environmental and Sustainability Studies

A brief description of the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate:
Students may earn the minor by completing 2 courses from the environmental studies core, 3 electives in the social sciences and humanities with an environmental focus, and an environmental studies capstone.

The website URL for the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate:

Additional Minors, Concentrations and Certificates (optional) 

Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
Economic Science Concentration in Sustainable Economic Development

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A brief description of the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
Economic Science majors may focus their studies by choosing a Concentration in Sustainable Economic Development. The sustainable development concentration examines the economic, psychological, social, political, legal, and technical issues surrounding the creation of policies aimed at establishing sustainable economics systems at the local, national, and international levels.

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The website URL for the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
Name of the sustainability-focused undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (3rd program):
Sustainability Engineering Minor

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A brief description of the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (3rd program):
The Sustainability Engineering Minor is intended for students who are interested in gaining knowledge and experience in the principles and practices of engineering design for sustainability, and of the critical role of engineering decisions on the sustainability of the resulting designs. Every engineering discipline impacts the environmental and social sustainability of the planet, and knowledge of the principles of sustainability in engineering design will contribute substantially to professional practice.

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The website URL for the undergraduate minor, concentration or certificate (3rd program):
The name and website URLs of all other sustainability-focused undergraduate minors, concentrations and certificates:
Humanities and Arts with a Concentration in Environmental Studies Humanities & Arts students who pursue the interdisciplinary Environmental Studies concentration take coursework in the social sciences, humanities, and other disciplines to explore environmental issues such as air quality management and urban planning, as well as humanistic issues as they relate to the planet we call home. It's science-meets-nature, giving students the tools they need to develop globally beneficial solutions. http://www.wpi.edu/academics/hua/environmental-studies.html Chemical Engineering with an Environmental Concentration Chemical engineering majors may choose to focus their studies by obtaining an Environmental Concentration http://www.wpi.edu/academics/che/undergradprogram-overview.html Sustainability Engineering Minor (Just Approved) - Will appear in the 2017 course catalog

Optional Fields  

Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Note: The Sustainability Engineering Minor is listed on p. 94 of the Undergraduate Course Catalog https://www.wpi.edu/sites/default/files/docs/Academic-Resources/Academic-Catalogs/WPI_UGCat17-18.pdf

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