Online Bachelor of Arts in Sustainability (BASUS)
Geography & Sustainability
Program Overview
The online Bachelor of Arts in Sustainability at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, prepares you to tackle today’s most urgent environmental and social challenges. This program provides a strong foundation in the science, policy, and economics behind sustainability, empowering you to understand and lessen human impact on the natural world. You will develop essential skills in systems thinking, environmental science, policy analysis, and sustainable business practices. The program emphasizes solving problems within communities, enabling you to analyze real-world issues and develop effective data-driven solutions.
Topics studied include:
- Climate variability
- Land-use change
- Biodiversity
- Water resources
- Natural resource management
- Sustainable development at the local and global scales
Why Choose Sustainability?
The sustainability major provides an overview of scientific, socioeconomic, and philosophical backgrounds for understanding and mitigating human impact on the natural environment. Students are empowered to focus on areas of interest, such as environmental sustainability, sustainable development, or sustainability and policy, enabling them to deepen their understanding of the issues and topics they care about while developing the foundational skills they need to make an impact. As organizations prioritize climate resilience and ethical resource management, the skills you gain will be in high demand. You will learn to communicate effectively across different sectors, preparing you for a wide range of career paths, including:
- Corporate Sustainability
- Environmental Consulting
- Community and Urban Planning
- Conservation
- Nonprofit Leadership
- Government Agencies
Admission Requirements
- Minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA
- Minimum of 24 transfer credit hour (must be earned post-high school graduation)
- Applicants who have earned fewer than 24 credit hours must also submit a high school transcript.
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Featured Courses
This course is focused on techniques for effective public scholarship to diverse audiences. Students will learn a variety of written and oral communication forms through individual and group assignments on communicating technical science, managing public messaging, and responding to topical themes that Geography and Sustainability professionals will encounter.
This course is an introduction to theories and practices in sustainability. The course explores the connections between environmental, social, and economic systems at local, regional, and global scales. This course provides a foundational discussion into various systems including water, energy, waste, food and agriculture, pollution and production, and the built environment.
Placement of students in campus, community, government agencies, or businesses where concepts and principles of sustainability can be learned experientially and put into practice. Course introduces students to different types of methods and techniques used in Sustainability.
