Skip to main content
University of Nebraska Omaha logo University of Nebraska Omaha
APPLY MY UNO DIRECTORY

Students Faculty Staff Community
University of Nebraska Omaha logo
College of Arts & Sciences Sustainability
APPLY MY UNO DIRECTORY
Students Faculty Staff Community
  • About Us Backback to Main menu
    • Contact Us
    • Faculty & Staff Directory
  • Academics Backback to Main menu
    • Minor Requirements
    • Knowledge & Skills Gained
  • Community Engagement
  • Student Opportunities
  • Research
  • Support Us

Minor Requirements

  1. UNO
  2. Sustainability
  3. Academics
  4. Minor Requirements

Coursework required for the minor

This 5-course minor will allow students to incorporate sustainability principles into their studies and their lives.

Why Minor in Sustainability?

A minor in Sustainability can inspire you to:

  • Protect the planet
  • Use resources wisely
  • Identify ways to go green
  • Work for environmental justice
  • Appreciate the beauty and complexity of nature
  • Value uniqueness of the planet’s ecosystems
  • Lower your environmental footprint
  • Conserve open spaces
  • Work with nature, the most efficient and beautiful system of all

Minor Course Requirements - 15 hours

All students are required to take courses in Sustainability, Environmental Science, Economics & Public Policy, Social & Ethical Dimensions, and Resource Management as described below. Courses can only be applied to one area.

Sustainability (1 course)
SUST 1000 Introduction to Sustainability
Environmental Science (choose 1 course)
One of the following courses is required:
BIOL 1330 Environmental Biology
CHEM 1010 Chemistry in the Environment and Society
GEOL 1010 Environmental Geology
GEOL 1100 Earth System Science
GEOG 1030 Our Dynamic Planet: Introduction to Physical Geography
GEOG 1050 Human-Environment Geography
Economics & Public Policy (choose 1 course)
One of the following courses is required:
ECON 4330 Environmental Economics and Sustainability

ECON 4320

Natural Resource Economics

ENVN 4820

Introduction to Environmental Law and Regulations

GEOG 4160

Urban Sustainability

GEOG 4350

Global Climate Change

PSCI 4270

Global Environmental Politics

PSCI 4290

International Development & Sustainability

Social & Ethical Dimensions (choose 1 course)
One of the following courses is required:

ENGL 4960

Ecological Literature & Sustainability

GEOG 4160

Urban Sustainability

HIST 4390 American Environmental History
PHIL 3180 Environmental Ethics

PSCI 4290

International Development & Sustainability

SOC 4760 Environmental Sociology
Natural Resource Management (choose 1 course)
One of the following courses is required:
GEOG 3020 Health & Medical Geography
BIOL 3030 Microbial Diversity and Ecology
CHEM 3030 Environmental Chemistry
GEOG 3440 Nerbaska Natural Resources Management
BIOL 4120 Conservation Biology
BIOL 4180 Freshwater Ecology

ENVN 4310

Our Energy Future: Society, Environment, Sustainability

ENVN 4320

Ecological Sustainability & Human Health

GEOG 4330 Soil Genesis
GEOG 4350 Global Climate Change
GEOG 4010 Conservation of Natural Resources
GEOG 4230 Great Plains & Nebraska
GEOG 4340 Water Resources
GEOL 4640 Critical Zone Science

Additional courses may be substituted with the approval of the director. These include:

  • SUST 4090 | Special Topics in Sustainability
  • SUST 4800 | Internship in Sustainability
  • SUST 4900 | Independent Study

You might be interested in the Sustainability Minor if...


  • Rooftop solar panels make intuitive sense
  • You balk at paying $2.50 for bottled water
  • You were amazed the first time you saw the stars out away from the city
  • You have ever asked yourself what happens to that old iPhone you discarded
  • The summers in Omaha seem hotter than they used to
  • You prefer to see a garden outside your window rather than a parking lot
  • You suspect that climate change might be a problem
  • You want to help improve the state of the earth and be a good environmental citizen

Contact Us

  • Contact: Dr. Dana Richter-Egger
  • Email: drichter-egger@unomaha.edu
  • Phone: 402.554.3643

  • Contact: Ms. Farrah Grant
  • Email: fgrant@unomaha.edu
  • Phone: 402.554.4023

College of Arts and Sciences

Contact Us
  • 220 Arts & Sciences Hall
  • College Advising Office
Social media
College Resources
  • For Faculty and Staff
  • Math-Science Learning Center
  • The Writing Center
Arts and Sciences Hall building with large white columns in front of a pink and orange sunset.

Next Steps

  • Visit UNO
  • Request Information
  • Apply for Admission
  • The UNO Advantage
  • Our City (Omaha)

Just For You

  • Future Students
  • Current Students
  • Work at UNO
  • Faculty and Staff
  • A-Z List

Popular Services and Resources

  • my.unomaha.edu
  • Academic Calendar
  • Campus Buildings & Maps
  • Library
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Course Catalogs
  • Internships & Career Development
  • The Maverick Store
  • MavCARD Services
  • Military-Connected Resource Center
  • Speech Center
  • Writing Center
  • Human Resources
  • Center for Faculty Excellence

Affiliates

  • University of Nebraska System
  • NU Foundation
  • Buffett Early Childhood Institute
  • Daugherty Water for Food Institute
  • National Strategic Research Institute
  • Peter Kiewit Institute
  • Rural Prosperity Nebraska
  1. University Policies
  2. Privacy Statement
  3. Accessibility
  1. 402.554.2800

University of Nebraska Omaha
University of Nebraska Omaha, 6001 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE, 68182
  • ©  
  • Emergency Information Alert
  • MavsReport

Social Media


Omaha Skyline

Our Campus. Otherwise Known as Omaha.

The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation in its education programs or activities, including admissions and employment. The University prohibits any form of retaliation taken against anyone for reporting discrimination, harassment, or retaliation for otherwise engaging in protected activity. Read the full statement.