In a world filled with complex social and environmental challenges, the need for informed and technically prepared Christians able to speak into these issues is greater than ever. The goal of the Certificate in Environmental Sustainability is to equip students with the theoretical and technical skills needed to engage in the analysis of sustainability issues and develop practical, implementable solutions to the issues.
The certificate program is rooted in an eight week "Summer in Sustainability" at the Wheaton College Science Station (WCSS) in the Black Hills of South Dakota (offered odd numbered summers). In this intensive program, students master the fundamental theories and principles of environmental sustainability while acquiring the needed technical skills to implement sustainability solutions. Extensive field studies, field trips and "real-world" implementation of a sustainability system at the Science Station connect theory and practice in a manner that uniquely prepares students to engage sustainability issues in a practical manner rooted in a Christian worldview.
The sustainability summer is enhanced with a series of elective courses to build on students' particular interests.
Certificate Requirements are 24 credits total:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required courses | 8 | |
| "Sustainability Summer" offered odd numbered summers during 8 weeks at WCSS. The courses are taught concurrently. | ||
| ENVR 332 | Principles of Environmental Sustainability | 4 |
| ENVR 333 | Environmental Sustainability Practicum | 4 |
| Electives | 16 | |
| 16 credits selected from the following. At least 8 credits must be from the Social Sciences and 4 credits from the Natural Sciences: | ||
| Social Sciences (Select at least 8 credits): | ||
| ANTH 342 | Food, Farms, and Culture | 4 |
| ECON 365 | Economic Growth & Development | 4 |
| ENVR 231 | Environmental Law, Justice, and Development | 2 |
| HNGR 114 | Poverty, Justice and Transformation | 4 |
| IR 318 | Environmental Politics | 4 |
| PHIL 305 | Environmental Ethics | 4 |
| URBN 114 | Social Life of Cities | 4 |
| Natural Sciences (Select at least 4 credits): | ||
| BIOL 338 | Economic Botany | 4 |
| ENVR 212 | The Dynamic Earth and Environment | 4 |
| ENVR 341 | Quantitative Methods for Environmental Analysis and Problem Solving | 4 |
| ENVR 371 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | 2 |
| ENVR 381 | Environmental Pollution and Toxicology | 4 |
| ENVR 422 | Sustainable Agriculture | 2 |
| ENVR 432 | Introduction to Environmental Engineering | 4 |
| GEOL 307 | Water: the Essential Natural Resource | 4 |
| GEOL 308 | Energy & Climate Change | 4 |
| Experiential | ||
| ENVR 395 | Independent Studies in Environmental Science | 2-4 |