College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Sustainability Courses
Coming Fall 2025, the departments of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences (GSS) and Earth and Environmental Sciences (EES), along with the Environmental Sciences program, will combine in a new School of Earth, Environment, and Sustainability to build on and strengthen the areas of climate, environmental, and sustainability science and policy at the University of Iowa.
The University of Iowa has set a goal for one hundred percent of undergraduate students to complete at least one sustainability-related course before graduating. Some colleges have already begun to implement work towards this goal.
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences students entering UI Summer 2022 and after must complete at least one Sustainability course before graduating.
Courses That Meet The CLAS Sustainability Course Requirement
College of Public Health and College of Education have also adopted a sustainability requirement.
More Sustainability Courses
| Subject | Course | Course Title | Department | Course Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABRD | 3049 | Sustainable Chemistry | Study Abroad | Undergraduate |
| ABRD | 3325 | CIEE Monteverde Sustainability and the Environment | Study Abroad | Undergraduate |
| ABRD | 3429 | CIEE Shanghai Global Sustainability and Environment | Study Abroad | Undergraduate |
| ABRD | 3445 | India Winterim | Study Abroad | Undergraduate |
| ABRD | 3604 | SIT Australia Sustainability and Environmental Action | Study Abroad | Undergraduate |
| AFAM | 2770 | Black and White Community Politics | African American Studies | Undergraduate |
| AFAM | 4770 | Environmental Justice | African American Studies | Undergraduate |
| ANTH | 3103 | Environment and Culture | Anthropology | Undergraduate |
| BUS | 2013 | Introduction to Sustainability | College of Business | Undergraduate |
| CBE | 2030 | Energy and Society | Chemical and Biochemical Engineering | Undergraduate |
| CBE | 2040 | Environment, Energy, and Climate Change | Chemical and Biochemical Engineering | Undergraduate |
| CEE | 3790 | Resilient Infrastructure and Emergency Response | Civil and Environmental Engineering | Undergraduate |
| CEE | 4107 | Sustainable Systems | Chemical and Biochemical Engineering | Undergraduate |
| CPH | 2200 | Climageddon: Understanding Climate Change and Associated Impacts on Health | College of Public Health | Undergraduate |
| CPH | 4200 | Agriculture, Food Systems, and Sustainability | College of Public Health | Undergraduate |
| EES | 1115 | The History of Oil | Earth and Environmental Sciences | Undergraduate |
| EES | 3150 | Sustainability Project | Earth and Environmental Sciences | Undergraduate |
| ENTR | 1800 | Innovation in Action: Sustainability | Entrepreneurial Management | Undergraduate |
| ENTR | 3700 | Sustainable Product Innovation and Management | Entrepreneurial Management | Undergraduate |
| ENVS | 1085 | Fundamentals of Environmental Science | Environmental Sciences | Undergraduate |
| EVNT | 3180 | Sustainable Events | Event Management | Undergraduate |
| GEOG | 1020 | The Global Environment | Geography & Sustainability Sciences | Undergraduate |
| GEOG | 1070 | Comtempory Environmental Issues | Geography & Sustainability Sciences | Undergraduate |
| GEOG | 2110 | Eight Billion and Counting: Introduction to Population Dynamics | Geography & Sustainability Sciences | Undergraduate |
| GEOG | 2950 | Environmental Conservation | Geography & Sustainability Sciences | Undergraduate |
| GEOG | 3300 | Envisioning Future Worlds: Sustainable Development and Its Alternatives | Geography & Sustainability Sciences | Undergraduate |
| GEOG | 4200 | Sustainability as a System Science | Geography & Sustainability Sciences | Undergraduate |
| GEOG | 4310 | Climate Change | Geography & Sustainability Sciences | Undergraduate |
| IALL | 1010:0EX1 | Earth, Air, and Sky Introduction to Environmental Geology |
University College | Undergraduate |
| IALL | 3034:0EXA | Topics in Ecology and Sustainability Making Kin With(in) Place: Literature and Multispecies Kinship |
University College | Undergraduate |
| IALL | 3032:0EXL | Topics in Ecology and Sustainability Environmental Nonfiction |
University College | Undergraduate |
| IALL | 3099:0EX1 | Earth and Environmental Science for Educators | University College | Undergraduate |
| IALL | 5113:0EX1 | Literature and Multispecies Kinship | University College | Graduate |
| IGPI | 4520 | GIS for Environmental Studies: Applications | Informatics | Graduate |
| ISE | 5520 | Renewable Energy | Industrial and Systems Engineering | Undergraduate |
| LLS | 1690 | Gardening: Vegetables and Herbs | University College | Undergraduate |
| LLS | 1691 | Gardening: Designing Edible Forests | University College | Undergraduate |
| MGMT | 9091 | Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability | Management and Entrepreneurship | Graduate |
| MKTG | 4250 | Marketing and Sustainability | Marketing | Undergraduate |
| PBAF | 6258 | Systems and Scenario Thinking | Planning and Public Affairs | Graduate |
| POLI | 1510:0EXW | Intl Politics of Environmental Issues | Political Science | Undergraduate |
| RHET | 3700 | Advocacy and Sustainability: Crafting Stories of People, Place, and Resilience | Rhetoric | Undergraduate |
| SDG | 4000 | The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: A Blueprint for a Sustainable Future | Sustainable Development | Undergraduate |
| SDG | 4000 | The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: A Blueprint for a Sustainable Future | Sustainable Development | Graduate |
| SDG | 5100 | Building Future Leaders in Sustainable Development | Sustainable Development | Graduate |
| SIED | 4115 | Directed Study: Environmental Science | Teaching and Learning | Undergraduate |
| SOC | 1040 | Energy, Sustainability, and Society | Sociology and Criminology | Undergraduate |
| URP | 2020 | Environment and Society: Sustainability, Policy, and Politics | Planning and Public Affairs | Undergraduate |
| URP | 3001 | Planning Livable Cities | Urban and Regional Planning | Undergraduate |
| URP | 3001 | Planning Livable Cities | Planning and Public Affairs | Graduate |
| URP | 3135 | Environmental and Natural Resource Economics | Planning and Public Affairs | Graduate |
| URP | 4170 | Megacities Seminar | Planning and Public Affairs | Undergraduate |
| URP | 4170 | Megacities Seminar | Planning and Public Affairs | Graduate |
| URP | 4253 | Designing Sustainable and Healthy Cities | Planning and Public Affairs | Undergraduate |
| URP | 6209 | Sustainable Communities Lab I | Planning and Public Affairs | Graduate |
| URP | 6210 | Sustainable Communities Lab II | Planning and Public Affairs | Graduate |
| URP | 6270:0EXW | Transportation Planning Studio | School of Planning and Public Affairs | Graduate |
| ABRD | 3170 | SIT Iceland Renewable Energy, Technology, and Resource Economics | Study Abroad | Undergraduate |
| ABRD | 3725 | SIT Tanzania Wildlife Conservation and Political Ecology | Study Abroad | Undergraduate |
| ABRD | 3726 | SIT Tanzania: Coastal Ecology and Natural Resource Management | Study Abroad | Undergraduate |
| ABRD | 3757 | SIT Jordan Engineering and Design for Sustainable Environments | Study Abroad | Undergraduate |
| ABRD | 4438 | Business and Culture in China | Study Abroad | Undergraduate |
| AFAM | 2500:0EXW | Black Culture and Experience | African American Studies | Undergraduate |
| AMST | 1290 | Native American Food and Pathways | American Studies | Undergraduate |
| AMST | 7559 | Race, Science, and Nature in Latin America | American Studies | Graduate |
| ANTH | 2100 | Anthropology and Contemporary World Problems | Anthropology | Undergraduate |
| ANTH | 2103 | Introduction to Global Health Studies | Anthropology | Undergraduate |
| ANTH | 2261 | Human Impacts on the Environment | Anthropology | Undergraduate |
| ANTH | 2320 | Origins of Human Infectious Diseases | Anthropology | Undergraduate |
| ANTH | 3123 | Making a Living: Perspectives on Economic Anthropology | Anthropology | Undergraduate |
| ARTH | 4941 | American Art and the Environment | Art and Art History | Undergraduate |
| BAIS | 3000 | Operations Management | Business Analytics | Undergraduate |
| BAIS | 3005 | Information Systems | Business Analytics | Undergraduate |
| BIOL | 2374 | Biogeography | Biology | Undergraduate |
| BIOL | 2673 | Ecology | Biology | Undergraduate |
| BUS | 3000 | Business Communication and Protocol | Business Administration | Undergraduate |
| CBE | 2050 | Severe and Unusual Weather | Chemical and Biochemical Engineering | Undergraduate |
| CBE | 5405 | Green Chemical and Energy Technologies | Chemical and Biochemical Engineering | Undergraduate |
| CBE | 5425 | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics | Chemical and Biochemical Engineering | Undergraduate |
| CEE | 1010 | Introduction to Careers in Environmental Engineering | Civil and Environmental Engineering | Undergraduate |
| CEE | 3155 | Principles of Environmental Engineering | Civil and Environmental Engineering | Undergraduate |
| CEE | 3430 | Water Treatment | Civil and Environmental Engineering | Undergraduate |
| CEE | 4102 | Groundwater | Civil and Environmental Engineering | Undergraduate |
| CEE | 4119 | Hydrology | Civil and Environmental Engineering | Undergraduate |
| CEE | 4157 | Environmental Engineering Design | Civil and Environmental Engineering | Undergraduate |
| CEE | 4159 | Air Pollution Control Technology | Chemical and Biochemical Engineering | Undergraduate |
| CEE | 4371 | Water Resources Engineering | Civil and Environmental Engineering | Undergraduate |
| CEE | 4374 | Water Resource Design | Civil and Environmental Engineering | Undergraduate |
| CEE | 4762 | Design of Transportation Systems | Civil and Environmental Engineering | Undergraduate |
| CEE | 5096 | Water, Energy, and Food Nexus Seminar | Civil and Environmental Engineering | Undergraduate |
| CEE | 5310 | Informatics for Sustainable Systems | Civil and Environmental Engineering | Undergraduate |
| CEE | 5350 | Watershed Hydrology and Ecosystem Processes | Civil and Environmental Engineering | Undergraduate |
| CEE | 5410 | Politics and Economics of the Food, Energy, Water Nexus | Civil and Environmental Engineering | Undergraduate |
| CEE | 6599 | Advanced Topics in Infrastructure Systems | Civil and Environmental Engineering | Graduate |
| CHEM | 1050 | Chemistry of Our World | Chemistry | Undergraduate |
| CHEM | 4760 | Radiochemistry: Energy, Medicine, and the Environment | Chemistry | Undergraduate |
| CPH | 2220 | Building a Healthier Tomorrow: Public Health Methods to Minimize Disease and Pollutant Exposures | College of Public Health | Undergraduate |
| CPH | 2230 | Finding Patient Zero: The Exploration of Infectious Disease Transmission and Pandemic Threats | College of Public Health | Undergraduate |
| CPH | 3500 | Global Public Health | College of Public Health | Undergraduate |
| CPH | 3900 | Fundamentals in Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response | College of Public Health | Undergraduate |
| ECON | 1100 | Principles of Microeconomics | Economics | Undergraduate |
| ECON | 1200 | Principles of Macroeconomics | Economics | Undergraduate |
| ECON | 3625 | Environmental and Natural Resource Economics | Economics | Undergraduate |
| ECON | 3650 | Policy Analysis | Economics | Undergraduate |
| ECON | 3750 | Transportation Economics | Economics | Undergraduate |
| EDTL | 3166 | Elementary Science Methods II | College of Education: Teaching and Learning | Undergraduate |
| EES | 1400 | Natural Disasters | Earth and Environmental Sciences | Undergraduate |
| EES | 2010 | Interdisciplinary Environmental Seminar | Earth and Environmental Sciences | Undergraduate |
| EES | 2020 | Earth's Climate System | Earth and Environmental Sciences | Undergraduate |
| EES | 3070 | Marine Ecosystems and Conservation | Earth and Environmental Sciences | Undergraduate |
| EES | 3080 | Introduction to Oceanography | Earth and Environmental Sciences | Undergraduate |
| EES | 3390 | Integrated Watershed Analysis | Earth and Environmental Sciences | Undergraduate |
| EES | 4630 | Hydrogeology | Earth and Environmental Sciences | Undergraduate |
| EES | 4790 | Applied Environmental Geology | Earth and Environmental Sciences | Undergraduate |
| EES | 6390 | Advanced Watershed Analysis Seminar | Earth and Environmental Sciences | Graduate |
| ENGL | 1510 | Introduction to Environmental Literature | English | Undergraduate |
| ENGL | 3165 | Literature and the Environment | English | Undergraduate |
| ENTR | 3500 | Social Entrepreneurship | Entrepreneurial Management | Undergraduate |
| ENTR | 4100 | International Entrepreneurship, Culture, and Social Impact | Entrepreneurial Management | Undergraduate |
| ENTR | 9620 | STEM Innovator II: Skills, Mindsets, Practices, and Academic Knowledge of Problem-Based Learning | Entrepreneurial Management | Graduate |
| ENTR | 9630 | STEM Innovator III: Lean Start-Up, Data Analysis, Prototyping, and Project Development1- | Entrepreneurial Management | Graduate |
| ENVS | 1080 | Introduction to Environmental Science | Environmental Sciences | Undergraduate |
| ENVS | 3230 | Special Topics | Environmenal Sciences | Undergraduate |
| FIN | 4040 | Bloomberg Market Concepts (BMC) and Environmental Social Governance (ESG) Certificates | Finance | Undergraduate |
| FIN | 9390 | Applied Financial Analysis: Industry Project | Finance | Graduate |
| GEOG | 1021 | The Global Environment Lab | Geography & Sustainability Sciences | Undergraduate |
| GEOG | 1030 | Our Ditigal Earth | Geography & Sustainability Sciences | Undergraduate |
| GEOG | 1090 | Globalization and Geographic Diversity | Geography & Sustainability Sciences | Undergraduate |
| GEOG | 2910 | The Global Economy | Geography & Sustainability Sciences | Undergraduate |
| GEOG | 3020 | Earth Surface Processes | Geography & Sustainability Sciences | Undergraduate |
| GEOG | 3340 | Ecosystem Services | Geography & Sustainability Sciences | Undergraduate |
| GEOG | 3350 | Urban Ecology | Geography & Sustainability Sciences | Undergraduate |
| GEOG | 3400 | Iowa Environmental Policy in Practice | Geography & Sustainability Sciences | Undergraduate |
| GEOG | 3520 | GIS for Environmental Studies | Geography & Sustainability Sciences | Undergraduate |
| GEOG | 3780 | U.S. Energy Policy in Global Context | Geography & Sustainability Sciences | Undergraduate |
| GEOG | 3800 | Environmental Economics and Policy | Geography & Sustainability Sciences | Undergraduate |
| GEOG | 4150 | Health and Environment: GIS Applications | Geography & Sustainability Sciences | Undergraduate |
| GEOG | 4750 | Environmental Impact Analysis | Geography & Sustainability Sciences | Undergraduate |
| GHS | 3570 | Poverty Policy | Global Health Studies | Undergraduate |
| GHS | 3720 | Contemporary Issues in Global Health | Global Health Studies | Undergraduate |
| GWSS | 1046 | Environmental Politics in India | Anthropology | Undergraduate |
| GWSS | 3138 | Writing to Change the World | Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies | Undergraduate |
| HHP | 4030 | Social Determinants of Health | Health and Human Physiology | Undergraduate |
| HIST | 3128 | Topics in Global Environmental History | History | Undergraduate |
| HIST | 3131 | Unnatural Disasters: A Global History | Geography & Sustainability Sciences | Undergraduate |
| HIST | 3539 | Environmental (In)Justice in Latin America | History | Undergraduate |
| HIST | 7137 | Readings in Global Environmental History | History | Graduate |
| HRTS | 2115:0EXW | Introduction to Human Rights | University of Iowa Center for Human Rights | Undergraduate |
| IALL | 3034:0EXE | Topics in Ecology and Sustainability Acoustic Ecology |
University College | Undergraduate |
| IALL | 3125 | Prairie Ecology II | Iowa Lakeside Laboratory | Undergraduate |
| IALL | 3131 | Ecology | Iowa Lakeside Laboratory | Undergraduate |
| IGPI | 3500 | Introduction to Environmental Remote Sensing | Informatics | Undergraduate |
| IGPI | 3500 | Introduction to Environmental Remote Sensing | Informatics | Graduate |
| IGPI | 3520 | GIS for Environmental Studies | Informatics | Graduate |
| IGPI | 4159 | Air Pollution Control Technology | Informatics | Graduate |
| IGPI | 5311 | Informatics for Sustainable Systems | Informatics | Graduate |
| IS | 2000 | Introduction to International Studies | International Studies | Undergraduate |
| IS | 2020 | World Events Today! | International Studies | Undergraduate |
| JMC | 1800 | Twenty-first-Century Science: Environmental Communication in the Digital Age | Journalism & Mass Communication | Undergraduate |
| JMC | 3116 | Media and Global Cultures | Journalism & Mass Communication | Undergraduate |
| LAW | 8433 | Environmental Law | College of Law | Graduate |
| LAW | 8434 | Wildlife and Habitat Conservation Law | College of Law | Graduate |
| LAW | 8437 | Environmental Disaster Law and Policy | College of Law | Graduate |
| LAW | 8992 | Water Law | College of Law | Graduate |
| LAW | 9834 | Transportation Law & Policy | College of Law | Graduate |
| LLS | 1100 | Introduction to Camping | University College | Undergraduate |
| LLS | 1110 | Exploring Iowa's Natural Wonders | University College | Undergraduate |
| LLS | 1115 | Hiking: Devil's Lake State Park |
University College | Undergraduate |
| LLS | 1120 | Backpacking: Yellow River State Forest | University College | Undergraduate |
| LLS | 1130 | Basic Orienteering | University College | Undergraduate |
| LLS | 1131 | Expedition Orienteering Spring Break Outdoor Adventure Course |
University College | Undergraduate |
| LLS | 1150 | Leadership in the Outdoors | University College | Undergraduate |
| LLS | 1200 | Introduction to Rock Climbing | University College | Undergraduate |
| LLS | 1231 | Introduction to Bouldering | University College | Undergraduate |
| LLS | 1300 | Bicycle Touring Iowa City Area Roads and Trails |
University College | Undergraduate |
| LLS | 1320 | Mountain Biking | University College | Undergraduate |
| LLS | 1400 | Flat Water Canoeing | University College | Undergraduate |
| LLS | 1401 | River Canoeing | University College | Undergraduate |
| LLS | 1403 | Expedition Canoeing | University College | Undergraduate |
| LLS | 1410 | Sea Kayaking | University College | Undergraduate |
| LLS | 1430 | Stand Up Paddleboarding | University College | Undergraduate |
| LLS | 1500 | Winter Camping | University College | Undergraduate |
| LLS | 1510 | Snowshoeing | University College | Undergraduate |
| LLS | 1520 | Cross-Country Skiing | University College | Undergraduate |
| MBA | 8240 | Operations and Supply Chain | Masters of Business Administration | Graduate |
| ME | 4048 | Energy Systems Design | Mechanical Engineering | Undergraduate |
| MED | 8132 | Medicine and Society II | College of Medicine | Graduate |
| MGMT | 2000 | Introduction to Law | Management and Entrepreneurship | Undergraduate |
| MGMT | 2100 | Introduction to Management | Management and Entrepreneurship | Undergraduate |
| MKTG | 3000 | Introduction to Marketing Strategy | Marketing | Undergraduate |
| NURS | 3111 | Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Health Professions | College of Nursing | Undergraduate |
| NURS | 3650 | Community and Public Health Nursing | College of Nursing | Undergraduate |
| NURS | 3732 | Global Health Nursing | College of Nursing | Undergraduate |
| NURS | 5007 | Applied Epidemiology | College of Nursing | Graduate |
| NURS | 6811 | Social Determinants of Health & Health System Inequities | College of Nursing | Graduate |
| OEH | 4240 | Global Environmental Health | College of Public Health | Undergraduate |
| OEH | 4260 | Global Water and Health | Global Health Studies | Undergraduate |
| OEH | 4920 | Solid and Hazardous Wastes | Occupational and Environmental Health | Undergraduate |
| PHAR | 8793 | Introduction to Global Health Studies | College of Pharmacy | Graduate |
| POLI | 1400 | Introduction to Comparative Politics | Political Science | Undergraduate |
| POLI | 1500 | Introduction to International Relations | Political Science | Undergraduate |
| POLI | 2417 | Comparative Environmental Policy | Political Science | Undergraduate |
| POLI | 2500 | Politics of Natural Disasters | Political Science | Undergraduate |
| POLI | 3424 | Global Development | Political Science | Undergraduate |
| SCLP | 3840 | Robotic Art Studio | Art and Art History | Undergraduate |
| SCLP | 3895 | Topics in Sculpture: Art at the Edge of the Landfill | Art and Art History | Undergraduate |
| SCLP | 4835 | Electronic Objects and Spaces | Art and Art History | Undergraduate |
| SIED | 4102 | Societal and Educational Applications of Earth Science and Environmental | College of Education: Teaching and Learning | Undergraduate |
| SIED | 4110 | Exploring the Geology, Mining History, and Environmental Issues of the Colorado Rockies | College of Education: Teaching and Learning | Undergraduate |
| SOC | 1030:0EXW | Contemporary Social Problems | Sociology and Criminology | Undergraduate |
| SOC | 2810 | Social Inequality | Sociology and Criminology | Undergraduate |
| SOC | 3630 | The Racial Wealth Gap: Black Debt, White Debt | Sociology and Criminology | Undergraduate |
| SPST | 2170 | Sports and Globalization | Sports Studies | Undergraduate |
| SRM | 1085 | Introduction to Travel and Tourism | Health and Human Physiology | Undergraduate |
| SSW | 6500 | Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice I | Social Work | Graduate |
| SSW | 7500 | Social, Economic, and Environmental Justice II | Social Work | Graduate |
| TDSN | 2210 | Introduction to 3D Design | Art and Art History | Undergraduate |
| TDSN | 3200 | Product Design | Three-Dimensional Design | Undergraduate |
| TDSN | 3260 | Design for Production | Three-Dimensional Design | Undergraduate |
| THTR | 2690 | Sound Excursions: The Evolving Soundscape and the Reverberations of Human Activity | Theatre Arts | Undergraduate |
| URES | 1000 | First-Year Seminar: Sustainable Urbanism | Undergraduate Research Experiences Courses | Undergraduate |
| URP | 3350 | Transportation Economics | Planning and Public Affairs | Graduate |
| URP | 4266 | Transportation, Urban Form, and Sustainability | Planning and Public Affairs | Undergraduate |
| URP | 5679 | Landscape Planning and Design | Planning and Public Affairs | Graduate |
| URP | 6203 | The Making of Cities: Histories and Theories of Planning | Planning and Public Affairs | Graduate |
| URP | 6266 | Transportation, Urban Form, and Sustainability | Planning and Public Affairs | Graduate |