Mar 28, 2024  
2022-2023 Graduate Studies Bulletin 
    
2022-2023 Graduate Studies Bulletin [ARCHIVED BULLETIN]

Sustainability Studies (BS) and Sustainability (MA), Dual-degree Program


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Qualified undergraduate students may elect to enroll in a dual-degree program, combining their undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree in sustainability studies with a Master of Arts degree in sustainability. The dual-degree program requires successful completion of a total of 145 s.h., including at least 115 s.h. at the undergraduate level and 30 s.h. at the graduate level.  The dual-degree program can be completed in five years, including at least one summer session. Students who are admitted to the MA portion of the dual-degree program may apply the graduate courses SBLY 201 , SBLY 206 , and GEOL 251  toward both the BS and MA degree requirements. These 9 s.h. will apply to the undergraduate degree in addition to the required 115 s.h. of undergraduate coursework, for a total of 124 s.h. for the BS.

Direct admission to the dual-degree program (BS and MA)


Incoming first-year students may apply for direct admission to this dual-degree program. For those who choose to submit a standardized test score, an 1170 or better on the critical reading and mathematics sections of the SAT (or an ACT score of 25) is recommended.  Applicants must have an overall high school GPA of 3.5 (or be in the top 15 percent of their high school graduating class) in order to be considered for admission. First-year students admitted directly to the dual-degree program will be admitted automatically to the MA program in sustainability at the end of their junior year provided they fulfill the following requirements:

  1. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and a GPA of 3.0 in sustainability and geology courses at the time of application to the MA program, or upon completion of 92 s.h. of course work toward their BS degree in sustainability studies;
  2. Successful completion of SBLY 001, SBLY 002, GEOL 005, and two other required or elective SBLY or GEOL courses by the end of the semester in which they apply for admission to the dual-degree program.

Admission to the dual-degree program for current Hofstra students


Qualified Hofstra students taking the BS major in sustainability studies may apply for admission to the dual-degree program prior to completing 92 s.h. of undergraduate coursework. Students applying to the dual-degree program should note that admission requires they fulfill the following requirements:

  1. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 and a GPA of 3.0 in sustainability and geology courses at the time of application to the MA program, or upon completion of 92 s.h. of course work toward their BS degree in Sustainability Studies;
  2. Successful completion of SBLY 001, SBLY 002, GEOL 005, and two other required or elective SBLY or GEOL courses by the end of the semester in which they apply for admission to the dual-degree program.

All students admitted to this program must complete a total of 145 s.h.: 30 s.h. of graduate work and 115 s.h. toward their undergraduate degree. Graduate courses SBLY 201 , SBLY 206 , and GEOL 251 , taken in the senior year, are credited to both the BS and MA degree requirements.

Students accepted into the dual-degree program who have attained senior standing may begin taking graduate courses.

Undergraduate Program Requirements


  • Students should apply to the department as soon as possible after making the decision to major in sustainability studies. The department encourages interested students to speak with one of their faculty before declaring a major. A departmental adviser will be assigned when the student applies for acceptance as a major.The complete requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree, as specified in the Undergraduate Bulletin;
  • The following undergraduate major requirements for the BS in Sustainability Studies, as specified in the Undergraduate Bulletin:

Completion of 58-60 s.h. of course work as outlined below, consisting of 24 s.h. of required courses in sustainability, geology, geography, and technology and public policy (see below); 17-19 s.h. of science requirements (see below); 6-8 s.h. of mathematics requirements (see below); and 9 s.h. of electives, selected from the list of courses specified below. Courses with grades lower than a C- do not count toward the total number of hours required for the sustainability studies major.

At least 15 s.h. must be completed in-residence.

At least 65 s.h. must be completed in liberal arts course work. The humanities and social science electives must be satisfied with distribution courses:

  • WSC 001 - Composition Semester Hours: 3-4
  • WSC 002 - Composition Semester Hours: 3
  • Humanities Electives - Semester Hours: 6
  • Social Science Electives - Semester Hours: 6

A. Sustainability Core - Semester Hours: 24


  • SBLY 001 - (IS) Our Sustainable World Semester Hours: 3
  • SBLY 002 - (IS) Sustainability Planning and Policy Semester Hours: 3
  • SBLY 105 - Seminar on Sustainability Semester Hours: 3
  • SBLY 110 - Sustainability Studio Semester Hours: 3
  • GEOL 005 - (NS) Environmental Geology and Natural Hazards Semester Hours: 3
  • SBLY 180 - Sustainability Internship Semester Hours: 1-6 (must take for a minimum of 3 semester hours)
  • One other 3 s.h. SBLY course
     
  • GEOG 060 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems Semester Hours: 3

or

  • TPP 060 - Introduction to Geographic Information Systems Semester Hours: 3

B. Science Requirements - Semester Hours: 17-19


  • CHEM 003A - (NS) General Chemistry I Semester Hours: 3-4
  • CHEM 003B - (NS) General Chemistry Laboratory I Semester Hours: 1
  • CHEM 139 - Foundations of Inorganic Chemistry Semester Hours: 3
  • CHEM 140 - Foundations of Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory Semester Hours: 1
  • 6-8 credits of BIOLOGY, chosen under advisement from the Director of Sustainability Studies.

AND ONE OF THE FOLLOWING COURSES: 

  • GEOL 033 - Environmental Geomorphology Semester Hours: 3
  • GEOL 121 - Hydrology Semester Hours: 3
  • GEOL 132 - Geochemistry Semester Hours: 3
  • GEOL 140 - Paleoclimatology Semester Hours: 3

C. Mathematics Requirements - Semester Hours: 6-8


Complete 6-8 s.h. of course work, chosen from the following:

  • MATH 008 - Elementary Mathematical Statistics Semester Hours: 3

or

  • MATH 050 - (MA) Precalculus Semester Hours: 4

or

  • MATH 137 - (MA) Mathematical Probability and Statistics Semester Hours: 3

or

  • BIO 100 - Biostatistics Semester Hours: 4

AND

  • MATH 061 - (MA) Basic Calculus with Applications Semester Hours: 4 *

or

  • MATH 061A - (MA) Basic Calculus Semester Hours: 3 *

or

  • MATH 071 - (MA) Analytic Geometry and Calculus I Semester Hours: 4 *

 *BIO 100 may be used to satisfy an elective requirement for the degree OR a math requirement, but not both. Students without a background in high school calculus are strongly advised to take MATH 050 - (MA) Precalculus before continuing on to calculus.

Graduate Program Requirements - Semester Hours: 30


Required Core Courses – Semester Hours: 9


Internship or Thesis – Semester Hours: 6


Electives Courses – Semester Hours: 15


15 semester hours of graduate-level course work selected, under advisement from the director of Sustainability Studies, from the curricula of the Departments of Biology; Computer Science; Engineering; Geology, Environment, and Sustainability; Health Professions, Management; Philosophy; or Sociology. Graduate courses in other departments may be applied towards the 15 semester hours of electives with the approval of the graduate program director.

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