Cornell Sustainability Courses
Cornell's commitment to sustainability in its education curriculum is evidenced by the broad course list below. These courses have been identified by instructors, college administrators, or by an independent review of course content. We encourage faculty, departments, schools, and colleges to bring other sustainability courses to our attention, by emailing atkinson@cornell.edu.
The following 886 courses are categorized as sustainability-focused and sustainability-related according to nationally recognized STARS v2.1 guidelines. Some of these courses are cross-listed in multiple departments and will appear more than once in the list.
Interested students should review course websites, contact the instructor, and discuss options with their advisor.
We update this list as a courtesy to the Cornell community, but we may not capture the most recent course changes. Please refer to the authoritative Courses of Study and check with the relevant department.
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| Dept | Course # | Title | F | Sp | Su | Credit | Level* | Pre Reqs | Faculty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AEM | 2110 | The Business of Biofuels | X | ~ | ~ | 1.5 | Focused | ECON 1110 | de Gorter |
| AEM | 4515 | Business and Economics of Energy | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Related | MATH 1110, AEM 2100, AEM 2600 or equivalent | Gerarden, Rudik |
| AEP | 4130 | Introduction to Nuclear Science and Engineering | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Related | PHYS 2214 and MATH 2940 | Hammer |
| AEP | 4840 | Introduction to Controlled Fusion: Principles and Technology | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Related | PHYS 1112, PHYS 2213, and PHYS 2214, or equivalent background | Hammer |
| AEP | 5500 | Applied Solid State: Physics of Renewable Energy | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Focused | a course in thermodynamics, statistical mechanics or physical chemistry | Muller |
| AMST | 4646 | Indigeneity and Energy in Native America | ~ | X | ~ | 4 | Focused | Powell | |
| AMST | 4647 | The Energy Transition in the Nineteenth Century | ~ | X | ~ | 4 | Related | Ron | |
| ANSC | 4880 | Global Food, Energy, and Water Nexus- Engage the US, China, and India for Sustainability | X | ~ | ~ | 3-4 | Focused | Lei, Li, Miller, Pingali, Test | |
| ANTHR | 4145 / 7145 | Indigeneity and Energy in Native America | ~ | X | ~ | 4 | Focused | Powell | |
| BEE | 2220 | Bioengineering Thermodynamics and Kinetics | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Related | MATH 1920, PHYS 2213, and chemistry course | Hunter |
| BEE | 3710 | Physical Hydrology for Ecosystems | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Related | MATH 1920 | Walter |
| BEE | 4010 | Renewable Energy Systems | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Focused | BEE 2220, ENGRD 2210, BEE 3310, or CEE 3310 | Timmons |
| BEE | 4870 | Sustainable Bioenergy Systems | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Focused | BEE 2220 or equivalent thermodynamics course | Hunter |
| BEE | 6740 | Ecohydrology | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Related | ecology or hydrology course | Walter |
| BEE | 4270 | Water Measurement and Analysis Methods | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Related | CEE 3310 or hydrology course | Richards, Steenhuis, Walter |
| BEE | 4350 | Principles of Aquaculture | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Related | one semester of physics and chemistry, at least junior standing | Timmons |
| BEE | 3500 | Heat and Mass Transfer in Biological Engineering | X | ~ | X | 4 | Related | MATH 2930 and fluid mechanics course | Datta |
| BEE | 4940 | Special Topics in Biological and Environmental Engineering | X | X | ~ | 1-4 | Spec | Staff | |
| BEE | 4550/6550 | Biologically Inspired Microsystems Engineering | X | ~ | ~ | 2-3 | Related | 1 year of biology, BEE 2220 or an equivalent thermodynamics course, or co-registration in BEE 3500 | Wu |
| BEE | 6640 | Sustainable Bioenergy Production on Marginal Lands of New York and the Northeast | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Focused | graduate students and upper level undergraduate students | Richards |
| BEE | 3800 | Sustainability and Sustainable Energy Systems | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Focused | basic physics, basic mathematics. | Scott |
| CEE | 3510 | Environmental Quality Engineering | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Related | MATH 2930 | Richardson |
| CEE | 6550 | Transport, Mixing, and Transformation in the Environment | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Related | CEE 3310 | Albertson |
| CEE | 3410 | Introduction to Geotechnical Engineering | X | ~ | ~ | 4 | Related | ENGRD 2020 | Stewart |
| CEE | 3610 | Introduction to Transportation Engineering | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Related | Vanek | |
| CEE | 4650/6650 | Transportation, Energy, and Environmental Systems for Sustainable Development | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Focused | CEE 3610 or permission of instructor | Vanek |
| CEE | 4110 | Applied Remote Sensing and GIS for Resource Inventory and Analysis | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Related | Laba | |
| CEE | 6667 | Transportation Energy Systems Module | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Focused | Co-requisite: CHEME 6660. | Daziano |
| CEE | 6055 | Special Topics in Environmental Engineering | X | X | ~ | 1-6 | Spec | Staff | |
| CEE | 3090 | Special Topics in Civil and Environmental Engineering | X | X | ~ | 1-6 | Spec | Staff | |
| CEE | 1130 | Sustainable Engineering of Energy, Water, Soil, and Air Resources | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Focused | Reid | |
| CEE | 6364 | Hydrokinetic and Aerodynamic Energy Module | X | ~ | ~ | 1 | Related | CHEME 6660 | Barthelmie |
| CHEME | 3130 | Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Related | physical chemistry II | Varner |
| CHEME | 6610 | Air Pollution Control | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Related | Steen | |
| CHEME | 6661 | Bioenergy and Biofuels Module | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Focused | CHEME 6660 | Posmanik, Tester, Staff |
| CHEME | 6660 | Analysis of Sustainable Energy Systems | X | ~ | ~ | 2,3 | Focused | engineering thermodynamics or equivalent recommended | Tester |
| CHEME | 5207 | Hydrocarbon Resources | ~ | X | ~ | 2 | Related | Center | |
| CHEME | 6662 | Solar Energy Module | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Focused | CHEME 6660 | Hanrath, Tester |
| CHEME | 6664 | Hydrokinetic and Aerodynamic Module | X | ~ | ~ | 1 | Related | CHEME 6660 | Barthelmie |
| CHEME | 5208 | Renewable Resources from Agriculture | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Focused | Somaiya | |
| CHEME | 5430 | Bioprocess Engineering | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Related | CHEME 3900 | DeLisa |
| CHEME | 6440 | Aerosols and Colloids | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Related | Koch | |
| CHEME | 6670 | Fossil Fuels Module | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Focused | Corequisite: CHEME 6660 | Tester, Weill |
| CHEME | 6672 | Electric Power Systems Module | X | ~ | ~ | 1 | Focused | Corequisite: CHEME 6660 | Anderson, Bitar, staff |
| CHEME | 6671 | Nuclear Energy Module | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Focused | Corequisite: CHEME 6660 | Hammer, staff |
| CHEME | 4130 | Introduction to Nuclear Science and Engineering | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Related | PHYS 2214 and MATH 2940 | Staff |
| CHEME | 5870 | Energy Seminar I | X | ~ | ~ | 1 | Related | Tester, Hammer | |
| CHEME | 5880 | Energy Seminar II | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Related | Tester, Hammer | |
| CHEME | 6663 | Geothermal Energy Module | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Focused | CHEME 6660 | Tester |
| CHEME | 6673 | Tools for Analyzing Energy and Society Module | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Related | CHEME 6660 | Doing |
| CHEME | 6675 | Energy Life Cycle Assessment Module | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Related | CHEME 6660. Enrollment limited to graduate students or permission of instructor | Anderson, Gerber, Tester |
| CHEME | 6678 | Water - Energy Nexus Module | X | ~ | ~ | 1 | Related | Corequisite: CHEME 6660 | Albertson, Reed, Riha |
| CHEME | 6679 | Energy Storage Module | X | ~ | ~ | 1 | Related | Archer, Hanrath, Tester | |
| CHEME | 5440/7770 | Advanced Principles of Biomolecular Engineering | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Related | Varner, Paszek | |
| CHEME | 6676 | Energy Markets and Regulations Module | X | ~ | ~ | 1 | Related | Moore | |
| CHEME | 6680 | Special Topics in Sustainable Energy | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Focused | Staff | |
| CHEME | 6800 | Computational Optimization | X | ~ | ~ | 4 | Related | You | |
| EAS | 1101 | Climate and Energy: a 21st Century Earth Science Perspective | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Focused | Ault, Pritchard | |
| EAS | 4010/5010 | Fundamentals of Energy and Mineral Resources | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Focused | course in geology recommended | Olson Hoal |
| EAS | 2550 | Observing the Earth: Remote Sensing and GIS | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Related | Lohman | |
| EAS | 1600 | Environmental Physics | X | X | ~ | 3 | Related | mathematics through high school trigonometry | Fall: Riha, Spring: Wysocki |
| EAS | 6920 | Special Topics in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (Graduate Level) | X | X | ~ | 1-6 | Spec | Staff | |
| EAS | 2250 | The Earth System | X | ~ | ~ | 4 | Related | MATH 1110 or MATH 1910 | Lohman |
| EAS | 4120 | Community Wind Energy Research | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Focused | MAE 4020/MAE 4021/MAE 5020, or EAS 2500 or permission of instructor. | Staff |
| EAS | 4050 | Active Tectonics | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Related | EAS 4260 or equivalent | Pritchard |
| ECE | 5880 | Energy Seminar II | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Related | Hammer, Tester | |
| ECE | 4510 | Electric Power Systems I | X | ~ | ~ | 4 | Related | ECE 3250 | Chiang |
| ECE | 4520/5520 | Power Systems and Market Operations | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Related | ECE 2100, ECE 3100, ECE 4510 or equivalent | Tong |
| ECE | 4840 | Introduction to Controlled Fusion: Principles and Technology | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Related | PHYS 1112, PHYS 2213, and PHYS 2214, or equivalent background | Hammer |
| ECE | 5870 | Energy Seminar I | X | ~ | ~ | 1 | Related | Archer, Hammer, Zhang | |
| ECE | 4320 | Integrated Micro Sensors and Actuators: Bridging the Physical and Digital Worlds | X | ~ | ~ | 4 | Related | ECE 2100 | Lal |
| ECE | 4130 | Introduction to Nuclear Science and Engineering | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Related | PHYS 2214 and MATH 2940 | Staff |
| ECE | 5510 | Tools for Analyzing Energy and Society Module | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Related | CHEME 6660 | Doing |
| ECE | 4340 | Power Semiconductor Devices | ~ | X | ~ | 4 | Related | ECE 3150 | Staff |
| ECE | 5010 | Professional Seminar for M.Eng. Students | X | ~ | ~ | 1 | Related | M.Eng. students | Jessel |
| ECE | 5570 | Compound Semiconductors Materials Science | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Related | MSE 2620 or equivalent | Jena |
| ENGRD | 2210 | Thermodynamics | X | ~ | X | 3 | Related | MATH 1920 and PHYS 1112 | Pepiot |
| ENGRD | 2510 | Engineering Processes for Environmental Sustainability | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Focused | CHEM 2070, CHEM 2090 or AP Chem; MATH 2930 | Goldfarb |
| ENGRD | 2250 | The Earth System | X | ~ | ~ | 4 | Related | MATH 1110 or MATH 1910 | Lohman |
| ENGRG | 2500 | Technology in Society | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Related | Staff | |
| ENGRI | 1110 | Nanotechnology for Global Health and a Sustainable World | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Related | Umbach | |
| ENGRI | 1130 | Sustainable Engineering of Energy, Water, Soil, and Air Resources | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Focused | Reid | |
| ENGRI | 1140 | Materials: The Future of Energy | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Focused | Knowledge of calculus, physics, and chemistry | Umbach |
| ENGRI | 1220 | Earthquake! | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Related | Brown | |
| ENGRI | 1165 | Climate Change and You, the Engineer | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Focused | Ingraffea | |
| FDSC | 4880 | Global Food, Energy, and Water Nexus- Engage the US, China, and India for Sustainability | X | ~ | ~ | 3-4 | Focused | Junior, senior, or graduate student status, or permission of instructor | Lei, Li, Miller, Pingali, Test |
| HIST | 4647 / 6647 | The Energy Transition in the Nineteenth Century | ~ | X | ~ | 4 | Related | Ron | |
| MAE | 3240 | Heat Transfer | ~ | X | X | 3 | Related | MAE 3230 | Fisher |
| MAE | 4020/4021/5020 | Wind Power | X | ~ | ~ | 3-4 | Focused | MAE 3230, MAE 3050, or MAE 3250 | Barthelmie |
| MAE | 5010 | Future Energy Systems | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Focused | ENGRD 2210; MAE 3230 and MAE 3240 recommended | Barthelmie |
| MAE | 5430 | Combustion Processes | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Related | Avedisian | |
| MAE | 6510 | Advanced Heat Transfer | X | ~ | ~ | 4 | Related | Avedisian | |
| MAE | 6160 | Advanced Composite Materials | ~ | X | ~ | 4 | Related | S. Phoenix | |
| MAE | 6560 | Nanoscale Energy Transport and Conversion | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Focused | Tian | |
| MAE | 4120/4121 | Community Wind Energy Research | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Focused | MAE 4020/MAE 4021/MAE 5020 or EAS 2500 or permission of instructor | Barthelmie |
| MAE | 4580 | Introduction to Nuclear Science and Engineering | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Related | PHYS 2214 and MATH 2940 | Staff |
| MAE | 4590 | Introduction to Controlled Fusion: Principles and Technology | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Related | PHYS 1112, PHYS 2213, and PHYS 2214, or equivalent background | Hammer |
| MAE | 5459 | Energy Seminar I | X | ~ | ~ | 1 | Related | Clancy, Hammer | |
| MAE | 5469 | Energy Seminar II | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Related | Clancy, Hammer | |
| MAE | 2210 | Thermodynamics | X | ~ | X | 3 | Related | MATH 1920, PHYS 1112 | Pepiot |
| MSE | 4330/5330 | Materials for Energy Production, Storage, and Conversion | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Focused | Robinson | |
| MSE | 5150 | Structures and Materials for Sustainable Energy Systems | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Focused | Petrina | |
| MSE | 5460 | Compound Semiconductors Materials Science | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Related | MSE 2620 or equivalent | Jena |
| MSE | 1110 | Nanotechnology for Global Health and a Sustainable World | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Focused | Umbach | |
| MSE | 1140 | Materials: The Future of Energy | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Focused | Knowledge of Calculus, Physics, and Chemistry at the high school level | van Dover |
| NSE | 4130 | Introduction to Nuclear Science and Engineering | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Related | PHYS 2214 and MATH 2940 | Staff |
| NSE | 4840 | Introduction to Controlled Fusion: Principles and Technology | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Related | PHYS 1112, PHYS 2213, and PHYS 2214, or equivalent background | Hammer |
| NTRES | 3030 | Introduction to Biogeochemistry | X | ~ | ~ | 4 | Related | CHEM 2070 or equivalent, MATH 1120, and a course in biology and/or geology | Derry, Yavitt |
| PLSCS | 4110 | Applied Remote Sensing and GIS for Resource Inventory and Analysis | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Related | Laba | |
| SHUM | 4645 / 6645 | Indigeneity and Energy in Native America | ~ | X | ~ | 4 | Related | Powell | |
| SHUM | 4647 / 6647 | The Energy Transition in the Nineteenth Century | ~ | X | ~ | 4 | Related | Ron | |
| STS | 6321 | Inside Technology | X | ~ | ~ | 4 | Related | Pinch | |
| STS | 6647 | The Energy Transition in the Nineteenth Century | ~ | X | ~ | 4 | Related | Ron | |
| STS | 4647 | The Energy Transition in the Nineteenth Century | ~ | X | ~ | 4 | Related | Ron |