Urban and Environmental Sustainability

Humans are rapidly urbanizing the planet, with half the Earth’s population already living in cities. At the same time, our thirst for natural resources is stronger than ever. Managing population expansion, urbanization, and resource demand in a sustainable manner will be humankind’s primary challenge in the decades to come. The major in Urban and Environmental Sustainability (UES) prepares students for careers finding sustainable solutions to environmental problems in a rapidly urbanizing world.

The UES program is holistic and interdisciplinary, requiring coursework in the natural and social sciences as well as the humanities. You will get to know faculty across the College. Your courses will take you all over NYC, using the city as a learning laboratory. With the UES degree, you will be equipped to work towards greater food security, biodiversity safeguards, climate resilience, and positive changes in how humans interact with our environment. This program produces environmentally literate graduates who can enter the workforce to tackle these critical issues.

Urban and Environmental Sustainability makes an ideal double major, as many of its course requirements can simultaneously satisfy general education requirements. We also offer a minor in Urban and Environmental Sustainability that can complement any degree program.