ASU now requiring all students to take a course in sustainability

ASU’s School of Sustainability was the first of its kind in the nation when it was established in 2006. 

Arizona State University is now requiring all students to take a course in sustainability before graduating. 

The school’s updated general studies curriculum that includes the requirement is now in effect for newly admitted students starting school this fall. Other students will continue with the old curriculum.

“We’re quite excited about the new governance and civic engagement requirement because it’s emphasizing the importance of how informed citizens can engage in society and solve problems; how to be part of a group and participate in collective decision-making; and how to develop the skills to engage in civic society constructively,” Anne Jones, vice provost for undergraduate education, said in a press release. 

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Jones led the three-year project to revise the curriculum, the first overhaul of the general studies requirements since the 1980s. Over 500 faculty members participated in the revision process. 

Jones said ASU is one of the first major research institutions to include the sustainability course requirement. 

ASU’s School of Sustainability was the first of its kind in the nation when it was established in 2006. 

José Lobo, a School of Sustainability professor, said the new requirement is not just about sustainability being good for the planet—it’s about society grappling with the effects of human-caused climate change. 

“ASU is saying, in effect, ‘An undergraduate education in the 21st century in the United States must include an appreciation of the challenges and opportunities of sustainable development.’ It’s pretty substantial,” he said. 

Some examples of the classes that fulfill the requirement include:

• The Sustainable Plate, in the College of Global Futures
• Wilderness and Parks in America, in the Watts College of Public Service and Community
• Society, Supply Chains and You, in the WP Carey School of Business

ASU brought in 17,000 first-year students this fall, with over 9,000 of those being Arizona residents.