New Sustainability Minor Provides Broad Academic Path for All Stevens Undergrads

Program allows engineering and non-engineering majors to supplement their knowledge and play a future role in the sustainability space

When professor Dibs Sarkar joined Stevens' Department of Civil, Environmental and Ocean Engineering in 2016, he sought to supplement the department's sustainability offerings. At the time, there was only a Green Engineering minor and no graduate programs. Soon after, a Master of Science in Sustainability Management and a dual-degree MBA program were added at the graduate level.

Although Sarkar is pleased with the Green Engineering minor, it only serves engineering majors. Sustainability is broader a topic and he wanted something more generic that could also benefit students within the School of Business and the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. Thus, the Sustainability minor was officially implemented beginning in the fall of 2024 to offer students a more general education for those with interest in the topic.

"Sustainability is a three-legged tool. The environment is one, business is another and society is the third one," said Sarkar. "So, students from the business and society sides were getting left out. That's why I started thinking about developing a Sustainability minor."

The addition of the Sustainability minor aligns well with Stevens' new SUCCESS core curriculum plan that began in Fall 2024. Beginning this year, every undergraduate student will have to take a series of Frontiers of Technology courses. The Frontiers of Technology courses explore current and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence and machine learning, data science and analytics, biotechnology, sustainability and quantum technology. Students will select three of the five Frontiers, giving them the power to tailor their education to their interests and potential career paths.

Sarkar envisions a future in which students who select the Sustainability Frontiers option gain more interest in the subject and seek out the Sustainability minor, as well, and then perhaps one of the two graduate degree programs in Sustainability Management.

The curriculum for the Sustainability minor comprises classes that were already in the Course Catalog. There are four required courses within the Sustainability minor, including:

Students then choose two electives relating to their major. "These courses do not need to be unique," said Sarkar. "They can be part of the student's major curriculum, as well."

The broad appeal of the program is something Sarkar hopes works in its favor as it evolves. Given that many major businesses have sustainability departments in place, there is ample opportunity in that space. Furthermore, many people who lead those departments are not necessarily engineers. Stevens students can get degrees in their areas of specialty, but the education and experience gained within the Sustainability minor could open more doors going forward.

"That's the whole purpose of this program," said Sarkar. "You have to stick to the holistic nature of the topic. Sustainability is not supposed to be disciplinary or bound by silos. A sustainability specialist is someone who understands these basic areas, but also knows enough to communicate with people in other areas where they are not an expert."

Learn more about the Sustainability minor and all the Department of Civil, Environmental and Ocean Engineering's undergraduate offerings HERE.