Shaping the Future Through Sustainability Education
At Michigan Tech, we are committed to preparing students to lead in a rapidly changing world. Our sustainability curriculum spans immersive first-year experiences, interdisciplinary coursework, project-based learning, and new pathways for academic exploration. Students engage with real-world sustainability challenges while developing the knowledge, tools, and values needed to shape a more sustainable future.
First-Year Entry Point: TreeHouse Sustainability Learning Community
The TreeHouse Sustainability Learning Community is a living-learning experience for first-year students who want to make a difference. Located on the fifth floor of East Wadsworth Hall, TreeHouse brings together students from diverse majors and personal backgrounds to live and learn collaboratively around the theme of sustainability.
TreeHouse residents benefit from:
- Interactive seminars and discussion-based programming
- Service learning and community engagement
- Immersive field trips throughout the Keweenaw Peninsula
- Communal meals and shared living experiences
- A supportive, interdisciplinary peer community
This community helps students build a strong foundation in sustainability literacy and systems thinking early in their college careers.
Applied Learning: Green Campus Enterprise
The Green Campus Enterprise (GCE) offers long-term, project-based learning opportunities focused on real-world sustainability issues affecting campus and the local region.
Students in GCE:
- Work on multiyear interdisciplinary projects
- Apply science, engineering, and systems thinking to sustainability challenges
- Develop solutions in areas like energy, materials, water, and carbon management
- Practice effective communication and leadership with a range of audiences
GCE prepares students for careers in sustainability-focused industries, engineering, research, and public service.
New Sustainability Studies Minor
Students now have the option to pursue a Sustainability Studies Minor through Michigan Tech’s Essential Education Minor Pathway. This interdisciplinary minor allows students to:
- Build a foundational understanding of sustainability topics through multiple lenses
- Customize their learning with courses across departments and colleges
- Strengthen their ability to think critically about sustainability issues in a global context
The minor is open to all majors and complements a wide range of academic and career goals.
Climate Change Curriculum
In order to prepare our students to be changemakers ready to address society's most pressing issues, Michigan Tech is developing a new climate change curriculum supported by a generous alumni donation. This innovative suite of courses will allow students to explore climate change from multiple perspectives and prepare them to take informed action in their careers and communities.
Key components include:
- An introductory climate change course launching in Spring 2026, developed by an interdisciplinary faculty panel
- A tiered suite of follow-up courses exploring climate-related issues across a range of disciplines; from physics to mineral systems to policy - there are courses for every interest
- Curriculum designed for students of all majors, reflecting the cross-cutting nature of climate challenges
A Campus-Wide Commitment to Inclusive Sustainability Education
At Michigan Tech, we believe sustainability education should be:
- Accessible to students of all disciplines
- Rooted in real-world, experiential learning
- Inclusive of diverse perspectives and lived experiences
Whether through coursework, minors, living-learning communities, or hands-on projects, our sustainability programs are designed to meet students where they are—and help them grow into leaders capable of shaping a sustainable future for all.
Studying Sustainability
There are many ways for students to incorporate sustainability into their academic careers at Michigan Tech. For undergraduate students, there are over 80 courses and 14 programs that have a significant sustainability component, and for graduate students there are more than 50 courses and 13 programs with sustainability at their core. See some examples below or our full listing of sustainability programs.
Examples of Academic Programs:
- Sustainability Science and Society (BS, Social Sciences)
- Environmental Science and Sustainability (BS, CFRES)
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (BS, Biological Sciences)
- Alternative Energy Technology (Minor, Chemical Engineering)
- Sustainable Bioproducts (CFRES)
- Sustainable Communities (MS, Social Sciences)
- Environmental Engineering (BS/MS/PhD, CEGE)
- Forest Ecology and Management (MS, CFRES)
- Environmental and Energy Policy (MS/PhD, Social Sciences)
For current students, checking in with your academic advisor is a great first step to finding out the options that work best for your major. Current and prospective students may also reach out to the Office of Sustainability and Resilience to discuss how to weave sustainability into their Michigan Tech experience.