Sustainable Systems Engineering Minor

About the Program

Sustainable systems engineering is a technical, transdisciplinary field focusing on how to design, integrate, and manage complex systems over their life cycles, with the goal of addressing climate change, energy, environmental, and economic sustainability. The discipline of sustainability grows from the recognition that the current trajectory humans are on cannot be sustained unless the problem is understood and actions are implemented. This minor gives the foundation in sustainability, climate change, and energy from a systems engineering perspective, and creates a foundational understanding of local and global problems from a social, economic, and environmental perspective as well.

Solutions for many of the complex, large-scale sustainability issues we currently face, such as social injustice, economic inequity, environmental destruction, energy shortages, and climate change, require an understanding of these issues. The topics on energy are inherently multidisciplinary and intertwined with climate change and substantiality, and it is imperative to understand the economics and policy driving their nexus. 

Minors must be completed in conjunction with a bachelor's degree. Additional specifications may apply.

Program Opportunities

The minor in sustainable systems engineering offers an attractive complement to many undergraduate majors. This minor is open to all majors, and especially appropriate for students in the natural sciences, computational sciences, information technology, finance, economics, mathematics, engineering, or computer science programs.

This information is being provided here for your planning purposes only.