The way we think about the environment can't be separated from the way we think about people, and vice versa. Learn the skills to cultivate a career in a growing field.
In Champlain’s Applied Sustainability major, you’ll examine the intersections of social justice, environmental health, and economic welfare, learning to take effective actions and ask the right questions. And from the beginning, you’ll develop the skills necessary for a rewarding career that protects people and the planet.
Applied sustainability combines disciplines including environmental science, economics, social sciences, and policy to build a holistic understanding of the complexities involving sustainability. It equips you with the knowledge and skills to tackle pressing global challenges, such as climate change, resource depletion, pollution, and social inequality. By majoring in applied sustainability, you can actively contribute to finding innovative solutions and creating a positive impact on the environment and society.
Our Applied Sustainability program is an optimal pathway into a career that makes you proud; this major is centered on the professional skills you’ll rely on in any field you choose. Working with your faculty advisor and career coach, you’ll explore careers you might enjoy (some of which you’ve never even heard of!) and create the educational experience to set you up for success.
You’ll be well qualified to work with nonprofits and activist organizations, and the career opportunities don’t end there: More and more businesses, from small companies to large corporations, are recognizing the need to make their operations sustainable. This is “the career field for those who wish to pursue a degree in sustainability is vast,” reports the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Live your values in Burlington, one of the first cities to source 100% renewable energy and an incubator for new practices in sustainable futures.
Access to change agents is one-of-a-kind with small classes and close ties to the Statehouse. Our students have even helped pass climate laws.
The Applied Sustainability program isn’t just one thing – you can adapt your own studies by choosing from a list of concentrations ranging from Data Science for Sustainability to Environmental Policy.
Champlain College is among more than 100 institutions implementing the student Eco-Reps program, advocating, modeling, and educating peers on environmentally responsible living.
Funds established by the Green Revolving Fund in 2013 to invest in proposals and projects that support energy efficiency, renewable energy, and other sustainability efforts at Champlain College.
With endless ways to tailor your studies through a minor and electives, you can forge your own path to a career in whatever you want.
As part of Champlain’s Upside-Down Curriculum, you’ll take classes in your major right away. Take a look below for a sampling of some of what you’ll learn in the program.
A concentration in data science uses knowledge of statistics, business and social sciences to collect and manage data responsibly as a way to make informed decisions. Dive into the data that inspires real change towards a more sustainable future with our concentration in Data Science for Sustainability.
Discover the complexities and interdependencies of our environments, communities, governments, and economies with a concentration in Dialogue and Consensus Building.
The next generation of caretakers of a sustainable future need you. Be the inspiration for tomorrow’s leaders, change-makers, and community members with our concentration in Education for Sustainability.
Dive deep into environmental issues and solutions from different angles including environmental communication, environmental law, and environmental policy assessment and development. Build a toolkit of skills in each of these areas to prepare for a career that makes an impact.
In this broad concentration, you’ll explore the topics of climate change, energy policy, and environmental law. Further specialize your learning by digging deep into topics you’re passionate about.
Sustainability is the future of business – and it’s far more than being “less bad”. Create change by tailoring your degree with topics like corporate social responsibility in our Reinventing Business Through Sustainability Concentration.
Based on your interest in the Applied Sustainability major, we thought you also might like to check out these other academic programs and opportunities.
Be a digital pioneer. Bring the fullness of your human self to the study of emerging technology, including Artificial Intelligence, and make sure the digital future is humane as well as human.
Use data to find solutions for the world’s most pressing problems. Champlain’s Data Analytics major is about real-world application, giving you skills for any field that uses data. And all fields use data.
Develop personal and professional leadership abilities through a variety of different thinking styles and problem-solving skills. Discover the confidence to be a leader and innovator in your field.
The collection and analysis of data is one of the largest markets in the world. Learn how to analyze, manipulate, and integrate this data successfully and become part of the data-driven marketplace.
See your work through the lens of social justice. Learn how social, economic, and political issues influence each other and affect an individual’s or community’s essential rights.
Drive change at the intersection of information and impact.
The born educator, the team player, the change maker, the advocate.
Learn what you love, and love what you learn.
Uphold a system of justice through meaningful public service.
Applied Sustainability graduates are well qualified to work for nonprofits and activist organizations, and many businesses are recognizing the need to make sustainable choices—that’s where you enter.
Year after year, the Princeton Review includes Champlain College on its Guide to Green Colleges list. In Champlain’s Center for Service & Sustainability, you’ll find many ways to serve the community and take on leadership roles. You can become an Eco-Rep, participate in Sustain Champlain initiatives, take care of bees in our campus apiary, grow vegetables in the community garden, and find all kinds of volunteer work both on and off campus.
The way we think about the environment can't be separated from the way we think about people, and vice versa. Learn the skills to cultivate a career in a growing field.
Your career in applied sustainability begins now with Champlain’s Upside-Down Curriculum. Discover the difference that doing on day one has on your success.
Our Applied Sustainability faculty go above and beyond to inspire your curiosity, learning, and growth. Small class sizes foster personal connections and mastery.