Sustainability Studies Major & Minor

Request Info Watch Video

About

The world is increasingly grappling with complex environmental and social problems, and the need for professionals skilled in navigating these issues has never been greater. At Goshen, you’ll learn to think deeply about these issues in our society, but you’ll also have many chances to practice what you’ve been learning through real-world problem-solving. In any given semester you’ll go on a variety of field trips to learn how professionals and community members do their jobs and how they connect to sustainability, but you’ll also be learning practical skills like baking bread, preserving food and canoeing as a form of local tourism.

The Sustainability Leadership Semester, at the Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College, is for any major interested in making a positive change in the community they live in. It is also the foundation of the sustainability studies major and the sustainability minor. During this 13-week program, you will live with other students in sustainable LEED Platinum-certified “green” buildings, cook food from produce raised on site and make group decisions about limiting consumption — all while learning about societal and environmental problems. You’ll spend your days learning about the local watershed by investigating Merry Lea’s diverse 1,189-acre nature preserve — and a week canoeing on the Elkhart and St. Joseph Rivers. Much of your learning will happen outside of the classroom: in marshland, prairies, living rooms and kitchens.

Whatever you’d like to do after college — whether it’s pursuing further studies in one of many sustainability-related fields or diving right into the challenging and thrilling work of solving problems in communities — studying sustainability at Goshen will get you ready for it!

Watch Video

Learn more about the Sustainability Leadership Semester, a key part of the sustainability studies major or sustainability minor.

News & Events

Lily Kauffman ’21

August 12, 2019

Lily Kauffman, a rising junior from Mountain Lake, Minn., has a wide range of hands-on interests. She knows she enjoys being with plants and working outdoors but is still weighing her options regarding a major.

Jose Chiquito ’20: Why caring about immigration means caring about the Earth

August 1, 2019 By preemptivelove.org

José is a senior pursuing a degree in Sustainability Studies. He's also a Dreamer with a passion for sustainability, justice, and peace.

Farm as a classroom: Agroecology Summer Intensive is rich in experience

July 24, 2019

Students spent 10 weeks of the summer immersed in the lush green foliage and wild prairies at Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center as a part of the Goshen College Agroecology Summer Intensive (ASI).

Stats

1,189

Acres of land to explore at GC’s Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center

Green

One of the greenest colleges in the country – Sierra Magazine

Tree

Goshen College has been recognized as a “Tree Campus USA” school by the Arbor Day Foundation

^#3

Ranking among the 40 best college farms, according to CollegeRanker.com

Learn more about Goshen College's exceptional academic outcomes and national rankings.

Students & Alumni

Sustainable Food Systems

Ryan Miller ’19

When Ryan becomes Goshen College’s first sustainable food systems graduate in 2019, his resume will include familiarity with both small scale sustainable farming and conventional farming practices.

Ryan's story

Environmental Science major

Reena Ramos '18

Reena is an environmental science major with an ecology focus who is involved in EcoPax, the Tree Care Committee and Student Senate, and is also a stage manager in the Music Center.

Reena's story

Professor of Biology

Ryan Sensenig

"Peacemaking begins with understanding our world and our connection to it -- promoting peace is increasingly about caring for ecological systems on which humans depend."

Ryan's story

Sustainability Studies & Sociology

José Miguel Chiquito Galván '20

Jose is a multi-talented sustainability studies and sociology double major who has found ways to be a leader at Goshen College.

José's story

Environmental Science

Jess Raffel '19

Jess, an environmental science major from Indianapolis, dreams about having her own farm some day with ducks and goats and many different crops.

Jess' story

Agroecology Summer Intensive

Bekah Schrag ’18

Bekah’s major was environmental science, but she has a particular passion for food systems. Bekah helped to develop the garden outside of Goshen College’s cafeteria and led the campus composting program.

Bekah's story

Request Information

Your Address*
Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country
Program
- Undergraduate
- Adult & Continuing Studies
- Graduate
Email
Privacy Policy Agreement
By submitting this form, I give permission for my form submission and visit to this website to be tracked, to have the data I provided and information about my browser stored, and for this information to be shared with select third parties as outlined in the Privacy Policy.
- I agree

Faculty & Staff

Goshen College