Academics

Majors, minors and concentrations in sustainability are offered in the following departments:

· Biology department: BS in biology specializing in environmental biology or marine biology and aquaculture 

· Geography and sustainability department: environmental sustainability concentration or minor, sustainable tourism concentration or minor, certificate in sustainable tourism development, MS and certificate in geo-information sciences with a focus on environmental sustainability 

· Geological science department: applied geosciences: sustainability concentration, sustainability of earth resources minor 

· Sport and movement science: recreation, event & outdoor management concentration;
department of conservation & recreation leadership fellowship

More than a dozen departments offer sustainability-related courses in addition to related foundational courses, fieldwork, directed studies, internships, and study abroad opportunities. To make it easier for students to find sustainability content across the curriculum, the course catalog now indicates sustainability courses with the sustainability content “attribute,” beginning with the Fall 2025 semester. Sustainability courses range widely, with just a few listed below:

· Biology: Conservation Biology, , Ecology and the Environment, Environmental Problems, Marine Biology

· Chemistry and physics: Introduction to Green Chemistry

· Economics: Environmental and Natural Resource Economics 

· Education: Environmental Justice for PreK – 8th Curriculum

· English: Climate Change and Climate Fiction

· Geological sciences: Applied Environmental Geophysics, Energy and Natural Resources in the Earth, Environmental Geology, Lakes and Environment, Renewable Energy and Sustainability, The Blue Planet, Water Sustainability

· Geography and sustainability department: Conservation of Natural Resources, Environmental Justice, Environmental Sustainability and Society, Energy and Environment, Food, Drink, and the Environment, Global Climate Change

· Management: Corporate Social Responsibility

· Philosophy: Environmental Ethics

· Politics, policy and international relations: Environmental Politics, Wildlife and Public Policy

· Sport and movement science: sustainable outdoor recreation & the environment; environmental
interpretation: saving the world through communication; park management & planning

Students seeking hands-on experience with campus sustainability issues and projects are encouraged to apply to be a Campus Sustainability Council intern. Interns receive academic credit through the geography and sustainability department and work closely on campus sustainability projects with the Salem State sustainability coordinator. As part of their Campus Sustainability Council work, students are expected to bring student sustainability concerns forward and to provide suggestions and feedback on campus initiatives. To apply, contact the chairperson of the geography and sustainability department.

The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), in collaboration with SSU’s Recreation, Outdoor & Event Management concentration offers several Salem State University students paid summer fellowships. Fellows are placed with mentors in an area of interest within the agency, work on statewide issues and projects, and participate in weekly leadership seminars. Contact Professor KC Bloom, sport and movement science department, at kbloom@salemstate.edu for more information.

Salem State faculty are contributing in important ways to our understanding of pressing sustainability issues and bringing their research findings into the classroom to engage students in important scholarship opportunities. 

View a snapshot of some of the climate change research Salem State professors are engaged in.