Sustainability Degree Programs
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Students can earn a BA degree in Sustainability through Interdisciplinary Studies.
Minor
The Minor in Sustainability is for undergraduate students looking for cross-disciplinary education in sustainability.
Certificate
The Certificate in Sustainability is a predecessor of the Minor. Ask an advisor which is right for you!
Combined Degree Programs (BAM)
BA in Sustainability + MA in Geography
BAM in Interdisciplinary Studies: Sustainability + Geography and Environment (SUST-GEO BAM) allows students to earn both degrees in five years.
BA in Sustainability + Master of Urban and Regional Planning
BAM in Interdisciplinary Studies: Sustainability + Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) pathway allows students to earn both degrees in five years.
Related Undergraduate Degree, Certificate Programs and Pathways
The Bachelor of Science (BS) degree program in Global Environmental Science (GES) is administered by the Oceanography Department in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology. Students in the GES program take a scientific and quantitative approach to sustainability concepts and issues, study Earth systems holistically, and complete a faculty-mentored research experience. Recent student research experience locations include Antarctica, Costa Rica, Papua New Guinea, the Hawaiian Islands, the mainland U.S., and oceanographic cruises around the world. Students can select their own environmentally-related curricular area of focus or take advantage of the following GES tracks: Environmental Anthropology, Environmental Health Sciences, Environmental Planning, Sustainability Science, and Sustainable Tourism. The GES program also has two Bachelor’s-and-Master’s combined pathways that allow students to get a GES BS and an accredited MS (in either Planning or Public Health-Epidemiology Focus) within a total of five years. Half of GES graduates go to graduate/professional school and the other half goes into private and government environmental sectors of the workforce. Click here to learn more about the BS in Global Environmental Science.
The College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources offers a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources and Environmental Management (NREM). NREM focuses on preparing students to be natural resources managers and professionals by: developing their understanding of the biophysical aspects of natural resources within a tropical island context; using the latest information, tools, and models to effectively manage resources; teaching students the real economic value of these resources and evaluating the costs and benefits of different management options; and working with the community and stakeholders to implement practical solutions to their resource management challenges and concerns. Additionally, numerous NREM courses are cross-listed as SUST courses. Click here to learn more about the BS in Natural Resources and Environmental Management.
The College of Engineering offers a Sustainability and Innovation track for students majoring in Civil Engineering. Students who want to pursue a specialty track should refer to the curriculum checksheet for alternative senior year course work in consultation with their curriculum advisor. Click here for more information on the Sustainability and Innovation Track.
The Marine Option Program (MOP) is a certificate program open to University of Hawaiʻi students from any field of study who have an interest in the ocean. Students in the MOP certificate program have the opportunity to take marine-related coursework, and to conduct an independent research project or participate in an internship in a marine-related field. The MOP certificate program provides students with experiential education, research opportunities, networking, job opportunities, field trips, and the opportunity to pursue their passion for marine studies. Click here to learn more about the Marine Option Program.
The Certificate in Sustainable Tourism is designed to provide non-Travel Industry Management undergraduate students with an opportunity to develop knowledge and understanding of sustainable and responsible tourism principles and practices.
To be eligible to pursue the sustainable tourism certificate in Travel Industry Management, students must complete TIM 101 with a B grade or higher, have earned 54 non-TIM credits, and have a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA.
The sustainable tourism certificate is 15 credits total. The required courses are TIM 101 and TIM 420. Students will also select nine credits from the following courses: TIM 321, 324, 325, 369J, 469B.
Interested students may reach: timinfo@hawaii.edu for more information.
The Sustainability Thematic Pathway in General Education (TPGE) will ground students in understanding natural systems in relationship to society. Moreover, sustainability and resilience-focused courses in this thematic pathway foster students’ understanding that multiple knowledge systems inform processes for achieving sustainability; in doing so, students connect sustainability theory to local place-making, particularly in a Hawaiian planning context. Click here to learn more about the Sustainability TPGE. See the full list of courses.
Related Graduate Degree and Certificate Programs
The MEd-CS Interdisciplinary Education track with an emphasis in Aloha ʻĀina Education and Leadership is a 30-credit program for Aloha ʻĀina educators and leaders. The cohort focuses on Aloha ʻĀina as a foundation for relationships, education, leadership, well-being, and research in Hawaiʻi. Participating educators will critically engage with Aloha ʻĀinain various contexts to help them better understand, articulate, and respond to their kuleana to ʻāina and Lāhui. Aloha ʻĀina professors will work with participating educators to develop an interdisciplinary MEd-CS degree program specifically designed to help them address the needs, goals, and aspirations of their school, district, and/or community. Click here for more information.
The Kūʻokoʻa ʻĀina Based Leadership graduate certificate offers a culturally-grounded interdisciplinary approach to working on and with the land and natural resources, to foster collaborative decision-making, and enhance community resilience in the face of climate change. The Certificate is intended to cultivate aloha ‘āina leaders connected to and caring for Hawaiʻi’s ʻĀINA (land and resources) using interdisciplinary skills grounded in a strong foundation of ʻIKE KŪPUNA (ancestral knowledge). Kūʻokoʻa, meaning independence, refers to the ability of communities to KIAʻI (protect, care for and make decisions about) natural and cultural resources. This 16-credit certificate program is open to all UH Mānoa students who are already enrolled in a graduate program as well as community members who are seeking a professional degree. For more information please email Malia Nobrega-Olivera at kuokoa@hawaii.edu or visit their website.
The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa offers a Graduate Certificate in Renewable Energy and Island Sustainability (REIS). The REIS certificate program provides students with an opportunity to get both breadth and depth in energy and sustainability curriculum. Students will take classes in different colleges to get a broad perspective on energy sustainability. Click here for more information on the REIS.
Graduate students interested in an academic course of study aimed at building disaster risk reduction competence and professionalism can opt to enroll in the Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (DMHA) Graduate Certificate Program. Click here for more information.
The Department of Curriculum Studies in the College of Education offers a graduate certificate in Sustainability and Resilience Education (SRE). The certificate is a 15-credit program that prepares school and community-based educators to integrate real world, place-based knowledge, sustainability research, and multiple literacies into their curricula. Click here for more information.