Sustainability Academic Concentration

Sustainability is about meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

The Sustainability Concentration is interdisciplinary and focused on problem solving. For most students, no additional coursework is required beyond a 1-credit seminar. To earn the concentration, complete:

• 20 credits of sustainability-focused courses, • a 15 hour minimum service learning project, and • a 1 credit seminar course (EXPRL 195/196/197 or 198) The 20 required course credits count toward your 90 applicable transfer credits, so for many students no additional coursework is needed beyond the 1 credit seminar.

During your service learning project, you will connect with community members to solve sustainability problems and gain tangible skills to include on your resume. The 1-credit seminar will support your service learning project.

Career Opportunities

A concentration in Sustainability will enrich any future career, ranging from governmental and non-profit work to business. In 2010, the Harvard Business Review called Sustainability the next big “societal and economic shift,” which means that it will give you an extra competitive edge when it comes to getting the job that you want, regardless of your chosen career path.

Overview of Courses

Choose 10 credits from Interconnected Systems and 10 credits from Change Agent:

Interconnected Systems* (IS) Change Agent (CA)
ANTH 222 INTER 117 CMST& 220 POLS 101
ECON 250 INTER 118 CMST& 230 POLS 125
ENVS 100 INTER 130 CMST 250 SOC 122
ENVS 105 METR 211 CMST 280 SOC 201
ENVS 250 OCEA 110/ENVS 110 HIST 230/POLS 230
GEOG 105/INTST 105 SOC 278 INTER 150
GEOG 123/INTST 123 PHIL 102
GEOG 205 PHIL 122
GEOL 107 PHIL 201/POLS 201

*Students must take a minimum of 1 course from the Science Division in this category.

Take the Next Step

Contact your academic advisor to determine your coursework. Any questions that you and your advisor have about the concentration should be directed to the Sustainability Concentration Coordinator, Sonya Doucette at sonya.doucette@bellevuecollege.edu.

See Detailed Program Requirements

  • Earn a total of 20 credits from sustainability-focused courses by taking 10 credits from the Interconnected Systems category and 10 credits from the Change Agent category. Up to 10 credits can “double count” toward distribution requirement, as long as they are in different programs.


Complete a pre-approved 16 hour minimum service learning project. The project might include, but is not limited to, taking a course with a strong service learning component, completing a 299 Individual Studies course in a discipline of choice, conducting undergraduate research on topics related to sustainability, completing an EXPRL 191 internship focused on issues related to sustainability, working or volunteering for Bellevue College’s Office of Sustainability, serving in a leadership role in a chartered student club or program concerned with sustainability, or completing a service learning project of your choice in the surrounding communities served by Bellevue College.*Students must take a minimum of 1 course from the Science Division in this category.

  • Take the 1-credit Sustainability Seminar (EXPRL 195), which is focused on forming a cohort with other students around your service learning projects, discussing sustainability issues, and learning about sustainability science (an emerging field of study focused on methods for solving sustainability problems). The seminar course will be offered at various times during the academic year.

Any questions that you and your advisor have about the concentration should be directed to the Sustainability Concentration Coordinator, Sonya Doucette at sonya.doucette@bellevuecollege.edu.

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Last Updated October 4, 2019