Courses & Research

Sustainability is multidisciplinary in nature and is already a major focus of courses and research across UMD’s colleges and departments. 

Liberal Education Courses

Three credits in a sustainability-focused course are required in the liberal education curriculum at UMD. Courses in this category focus on ways in which the science of the natural environment interacts with economic, social, and political forces in a local, national and/or global context. For the current list of sustainability-focused liberal education courses, click here. 

Sustainability Portal

The UMD Sustainability Portal is a tool to find sustainability action at UMD, organized by the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. This interactive map can be filtered by Courses, Faculty, Research, and Community Organizations to help you connect interests to action. Created and maintained by the Institute on the Environment at UMD (IonE@UMD) the portal can be accessed here.

Undergraduate Research Opportunity Projects

The University of Minnesota's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) offers financial awards twice yearly to full-time undergraduates for research, scholarly, or creative projects undertaken in partnership with a faculty member. UMD undergraduate students can partner with faculty to find sustainable research projects. 

Looking for ideas for a student research project or internship? Check out this list of potential student projects.

Find a University Expert

With more than 1,000 faculty and staff members, UMD harbors a wealth of information for journalists needing facts and professional perspectives. Professors, researcher’s and other university leaders contribute resources on topics that impact the world today. These faculty and staff members have agreed to speak at community and national events and answer questions in their area of expertise. Visit the UMN Expert page to search.