Sustainability Practices (Professional Certificate)
Award: Professional Certificate
Program of Study: Sustainability Practices
Program Code: 1464
About This Program . . .
“Sustainability” is a way of living that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In order to achieve sustainability, we must examine our approach to energy, food, shelter, transportation, and other aspects of everyday life. Can we continue our current approach indefinitely? What changes need to occur to make our approach sustainable? What can we do to make those changes?
Through the Certificate in Sustainability Practices, students learn the principles of sustainability along with specific ways to implement them. Anyone seeking to understand and practice this approach will benefit from completion of the program. For some, the program can serve as a first step toward a more in-depth knowledge that may lead to a career. Earning this certificate helps professionals to improve their business practices and community leaders to understand trends in community planning. Any citizen will learn ways to improve the environment through their personal choices.
For more information on what you can do with this major, visit Career Services’ What to Do with a Major? resource.
Each section below contains details about the requirements for this program. Select a header to expand the information/requirements for that particular section of the program's requirements.
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Institutional Certificate Requirements
The following institutional requirements apply to all CMU Professional Certificates. Specific programs may have different requirements that must be met in addition to institutional requirements.
- Consists of 5-59 semester hours.
- Primarily 300-400 level courses.
- At least fifty percent of the credit hours must be taken at CMU.
- 2.00 cumulative GPA or higher in all CMU coursework.
- A grade lower than “C” in the program of study will not be counted toward meeting the certificate’s requirements.
- A course may only be used to fulfill one requirement for each degree/certificate.
- Pre-collegiate courses (usually numbered below 100) cannot be used for graduation.
- Capstone exit assessment/projects (e.g., Major Field Achievement Test) requirements are identified under Program-Specific Certificate Requirements.
- The Catalog Year determines which program sheet and certificate requirements a student must fulfill in order to graduate. Visit with your advisor or academic department to determine which catalog year and program requirements you should follow.
- See “Requirements for Undergraduate Degrees and Certificates” in the catalog for a complete list of graduation requirements.
Program Specific Certificate Requirements
(9 semester hours, must earn a "C" or better in each course.)
| Code | Title | Semester Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| Select one of the following courses: | 3 | |
| Introduction to Environmental Science-GTSC2 1 | ||
| Environmental Science: Global Sustainability 1 | ||
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 3 | |
| Code | Title | Semester Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Restricted Electives | ||
| Select 6 hours of electives from the following list approved by department head: | 6 | |
| Renewable Energy | ||
or GEOL 370 | Renewable Energy | |
| Sustainable Building | ||
| Ecological Design and Technology | ||
| Systems Thinking in Environmental Science | ||
| Permaculture Design and Permaculture Design Laboratory | ||
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 6 | |
Advising Process and DegreeWorks
Documentation on the pages related to this program is intended for informational purposes to help determine what courses and associated requirements are needed to earn a certificate. Some courses are critical to complete in specific semesters while others may be moved around. Meeting with an academic advisor is essential in planning courses and discussing the suggested course sequencing. It is ultimately the student’s responsibility to understand and fulfill the requirements for their intended certificate.
DegreeWorks is an online degree audit tool available in MAVzone. It is the official record used by the Registrar’s Office to evaluate progress towards a certificate and determine eligibility for graduation. Students are responsible for reviewing their DegreeWorks audit on a regular basis and should discuss questions or concerns with their advisor or academic department head. Discrepancies in requirements should be reported to the Registrar’s Office.
Graduation Process
Students must complete the following in the first two months of the semester prior to completing their certificate requirements (for one-semester certificates, complete in the first week of class):
- Review their DegreeWorks audit and create a plan that outlines how unmet requirements will be met in the final semester.
- Meet with their advisor and modify their plan as needed. The advisor must approve the final plan.
- Submit the “Intent to Graduate” form to the Registrar’s Office to officially declare the intended graduation date and commencement ceremony plans.
- Register for all needed courses and complete all requirements for each degree sought.
Submission deadlines and commencement details can be found on the Graduation web page.
If a student's petition for graduation is denied, it will be their responsibility to apply for graduation in a subsequent semester. A student's “Intent to Graduate” does not automatically move to a later graduation date.