PSU's sustainability minor prepares you to think critically about the challenges facing society and help effect change.
Our program helps you understand the many concepts and practices integral to sustainable living by making connections between a healthy environment, just societies and a vibrant economy to meet the needs of today and the future. Organizations and communities are looking for ways to operate and live more sustainably.
Add PSU's sustainability minor to any degree program to learn how to understand, analyze and implement sustainable solutions — and give yourself a competitive edge in today's job market no matter what career you choose.
PSU’s sustainability minor will provide you with a foundation in the concepts, theories, and methods related to sustainability and end with a capstone course, where you'll apply your skills to a real-world setting with a community partner. In between, you'll choose electives from economics, urban planning, architecture, geology, history, political science, sociology, philosophy, systems science, and environmental science and management.
Portland State’s unique and nationally recognized core curriculum provides the framework for the sustainability capstone project, which gives you hands-on experience putting sustainability concepts and measures into practice.
Past projects have worked with Indigenous communities, Learning Gardens Laboratory, local government agencies, Portland's Community Cycling Center, the Northwest Earth Institute, and the Center for Earth Leadership. We also offer opportunities to study abroad and work on projects in rural Nicaragua, Argentina, and Mexico.
There is a demand for employees and leaders who know what sustainability is, understand how to approach problems and solutions, and know-how to draw from different fields. PSU's sustainability minor prepares you to launch a rewarding career in a variety of settings, from government to corporations, including:
- Corporate sustainability
- Corporate social responsibility
- Research and development
- Consulting
- Policymakers, government, and regulatory agencies
- NGO or other nonprofit
- Education
- Waste and recycling
- Food and agriculture