By Alyssa Gammello
Staff Writer
This fall semester, LIU Post has introduced a brand new undergraduate major: Sustainability. Dr. Scott Carlin and Dr. Margaret Boorstein, both from the Earth and Environmental Science department, are leading the classes of this new undergraduate major. They also teach in the existing master’s program as well.
The difference between the major and the minor is that the major requires you to take more credits, and you can focus more on learning about sustainability rather than having to push through core courses. Additionally, the master’s program includes an internship.
The master’s program in Sustainability has been offered for four years. What is now being added is a bachelor’s degree and a minor.
The undergraduate program is interdisciplinary, meaning it involves many different subjects, such as English, different types of sciences, and math.
For the undergraduate major, students are required to take a total of 30 credits in courses such as General Biology, Earth Science, Introduction to Economics, and Math with a strong focus on Geology and Geography. Sustainability can be fulfilled with a variety of different subjects, from Biology, to Economics.
After students complete all required classes, they will choose a certain track for their degree. The tracks include biology, geography, earth science, social sciences, arts and humanities. This includes things like how literature and the environment interact, U.S environmental history, or environmental philosophy.
Dr. Scott Carlin said that he is confident that a degree in Sustainability can open up many doors for a student. A degree in sustainability could land jobs in the government, teaching, or working for private sectors. He also said that many companies need environmental consultants for the work they do. The more aware the public becomes to climate change, the more jobs will open up for those familiar with sustainability.
In addition to the new degrees, the campus has a committee dedicated to sustainability on campus. They are responsible for most of the green additions to the campus, like the new water fountains and the rain garden.
“The goal all of this is to create a new relationship between the economy and the environment, to allow the economy and the environment is to live in harmony,” Carlin said.
Boorstein said that she believes this new degree program will help to “succeed in the world but respect the environment.” This means that you can go far and do great things, but you can also help the environment along the way.
After contacting Dr. Boorstein, she wasn’t aware of the reason why the information regarding the bachelors degree for sustainability wasn’t up on the website for Post yet, but confirmed that it is being offered this current fall semester.
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