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Sustainability

Contact

Ramapo College Office of Admissions

McBride House 505 Ramapo Valley Road Mahwah, NJ 07430

p: (201) 684-7300
e: admissions@ramapo.edu
f: (201) 684-7964

About Sustainability

The socio-ecological challenges of the 21st century require individuals who understand ecological, economic, and social complexities and can implement a holistic perspective to engaging with problems at local, regional and global scales. The Sustainability Major at Ramapo College equips students to apply a supra-disciplinary approach to address complex problems in ways that transcend the conventional disciplinary mindset.

Businesses, governmental agencies, educational organizations and community groups increasingly recognize the need for sustainability practitioners. This requires individuals with expertise in a systems approach to the triple bottom line that integrates society, ecology and economy. By combining theory with projects and experiential learning, the major provides students with depth in Sustainability thinking and practice, which can be applied to any field.

Students who complete this major are equipped to apply integrative skill sets to their careers in ways that provide meaningful contributions to our social and ecological well-being. The Major empowers students to incorporate civic engagement, social justice and personal transformation into their lives.



This BA in Sustainability is designed to provide a uniquely cross-disciplinary foundation that allows students to apply the principles and practices of sustainability within the context of particular areas of interests, such as business, science, social science, humanities and other areas of study. Students are encouraged to either double-major with other fields, or to choose two or more minors of intense interest. The curriculum includes foundational courses that focus on sustainability from social, business, and ecological perspectives, an integrative seminar that synthesizes across the foundational areas, core courses where students engage in in-depth exploration of sustainability. Students also take three courses chosen from one of a select group of majors, as well as a capstone course that serves as the culminating experience for the major.

  • Business and Sustainability
  • Sustainable Natural Resources
  • World Sustainability
  • Environmental Policy
  • World Literature and the Environment
  • Energy and Society
  • Leadership in Sustainability

See Full Program Requirements

Career Opportunities

BLS data: Most recent information (from May 2016) indicates that there are 1,023,900 employed nationally in the SOC grouping 13-1199 (Business Operations Specialist). There is no specific data for the sub code .05 (Sustainability Specialist).

Vocational Consultants have estimated that there are probably 341,300 jobs in the Energy and Sustainability subgroupings. The projected growth from 2016-2026 in the subgrouping are probably in the neighborhood of 9%.

There are an estimated 30,400 employed in this grouping in the Bergen County metropolitan statistical area (known as the New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division which covers the large geographical area of Bergen, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Passaic Counties NJ; Bronx, Kings, New York, Orange, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, and Westchester Counties, NY).

  • Sustainability Specialist
  • Environmental Specialist
  • Healthcare Sustainability Specialist
  • Corporate Governance and Sustainability Specialist
  • Sustainability Education Coordinator
  • Sustainability Forester
  • Sustainability and Social Responsibility Specialist
  • Sustainability Coordinator
  • Sustainability Strategist
  • Product Stewardship and Environmental Specialist
  • Sustainability Analyst

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