Creation Care and People Care
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.
Program Requirements
Required Courses (8 credits)
This program is rooted in an 8-week "Sustainability Summer" with the Wheaton in the Black Hills Program at the Wheaton College Science Station in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Students take two courses (ENVR 332 and ENVR 333), which are offered in odd-numbered years.
ENVR 332: Principles of Environmental Sustainability
An introduction to principles of environmental sustainability. Includes natural scientific, cultural, and economic foundations. Practical applications as embedded in social, legal, historical, and political contexts will be emphasized. (4 credits)
ENVR 333: Environmental Sustainability Practicum
A practicum-based experience focused around the implementation of sustainability practice technology on the Wheaton College Science Station campus. Students will research, plan, and implement one project over the course of the summer. (4 credits)
Elective Courses (16 credits)
Many of the courses for the certificate include tags for the Christ at the Core curriculum. With good planning, students can complete the electives for the certificate by selecting their thematic core courses carefully. At least 8 credits must be from the Social Sciences and at least 4 credits must come from the Natural Sciences.
Social Science Options
| Course Number | Course Name | Credit Hours | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANTH 342 | Food, Farms, and Culture | 4 | DUS |
| ECON 365 | Economic Growth and Development | 4 | SP |
| ENVR 231 | Environmental Law, Justice, and Development | 2 | |
| HNGR 114 | Poverty, Justice, and Transformation | 4 | GP, SI |
| IR 318 | Environmental Politics | 4 | |
| PHIL 305/BIO 305/ENVR 305 | Environmental Ethics | 4 | PI, SIP |
| URBN 114 | Social Life of Cities | 4 | GP, SI |
Natural Science Options
| Course Number | Course Name | Credit Hours | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|
| BIOL 338 | Economic Botany | 4 | |
| ENVR 212 | Dynamic Earth and Environment | 4 | SP |
| ENVR 341 | Quantitative Methods for Environmental Analysis and Problem Solving | 4 | AAQR |
| 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 | SIP |
| GEOL 308 | Energy and Climate Change | 4 | SIP |
Experiential Option
| Course Number | Course Name | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ENVR 395 | Environmental Science Research | 2-4 |
Interested? Find out more about your Sustainability Summer at the Wheaton College Science Station in the Black Hills!