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 739 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 |
| AEP | 5500 | Introduction of Materials Physics | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Focused | AEP 4230, AEP 4500 or equivalent | Staff |
| AEP | 4130 | Introduction to Nuclear Science and Engineering | X | ~ | ~ | 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 |
| 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 | |
| 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 | 4730 | Watershed Engineering | X | ~ | ~ | 4 | Related | CEE 3310 or hydrology course | Walter |
| BEE | 4760 | Solid Waste Engineering | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Related | BEE 3500 or CEE 3510 | Haith |
| 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 | 4880/6880 | Applied Modeling and Simulation for Renewable Energy Systems | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Focused | senior in engineering, graduate standing, or permission of instructor | Anderson |
| BEE | 4270 | Water Measurement and Analysis Methods | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Related | CEE 3310 or hydrology course | Geohring, Steenhuis |
| BEE | 4350 | Principles of Aquaculture | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Related | one semester of physics and chemistry, at least junior standing | Timmons |
| BEE | 4710 | Introduction to Groundwater | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Related | fluid mechanics or hydrology course | Cathles, Steenhuis, Walter |
| BEE | 7710 | Soil and Water Engineering Seminar | X | X | ~ | 1 | Related | graduate standing | Steenhuis, Walter |
| BEE | 3500 | Heat and Mass Transfer in Biological Engineering | X | ~ | X | 3 | 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 | ~ | 1-2 | Focused | graduate students and upper level undergraduate students | Richards |
| CEE | 3510 | Environmental Quality Engineering | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Related | MATH 2930 | Helbling |
| CEE | 4630 | Future Transportation, Technologies and Systems | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Related | CEE 3610 | Vanek |
| 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 | X | 3 | Related | Vanek | |
| CEE | 4650/6650 | Transportation, Energy, and Environmental Systems for Sustainable Development | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Focused | CEE 3610 or permission of instructor | Gao |
| 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 | Staff |
| CHEME | 6650 | Energy Engineering | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Related | CHEME 6640 and permission of instructor | Quraishi |
| CHEME | 6661 | Bioenergy and Biofuels Module | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Focused | CHEME 6660 | Posmanik, Tester, Staff |
| CHEME | 6660 | Analysis of Sustainable Energy Systems | X | ~ | ~ | 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 | 6666 | Unconventional Natural Gas Development from Shale Formations Module | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Focused | CHEME 6660 or permission of instructor | Evans, Jordan, Moore |
| CHEME | 5208 | Renewable Resources from Agriculture | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Focused | Somaiya | |
| CHEME | 5430 | Bioprocess Engineering | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Related | CHEME 3900 | DeLisa |
| CHEME | 6670 | Fossil Fuels Module | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Focused | Corequisite: CHEME 6660 | Tester, staff |
| CHEME | 6672 | Electric Power Systems Module | X | ~ | ~ | 1 | Focused | Corequisite: CHEME 6660 | Anderson, Bitar, staff |
| CHEME | 6641 | Energy Value Chain Module | X | ~ | ~ | 1 | Related | Quraishi | |
| CHEME | 6671 | Nuclear Energy Module | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Focused | Corequisite: CHEME 6660 | Hammer, staff |
| CHEME | 6642 | Energy Policy Module | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Related | Quraishi | |
| CHEME | 4130 | Introduction to Nuclear Science and Engineering | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Related | PHYS 2214 and MATH 2940 | Hammer |
| CHEME | 5870 | Energy Seminar I | X | ~ | ~ | 1 | Related | Clancy, Hammer | |
| CHEME | 5880 | Energy Seminar II | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Related | Clancy, Hammer | |
| CHEME | 6663 | Geothermal Energy Module | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Focused | CHEME 6660 | Tester |
| CHEME | 6669 | Earth Energy Science and Engineering Module | X | ~ | ~ | 2 | Related | CHEME 6660 or permission of instructor. Enrollment limited to seniors and graduate students | Allmendinger, Brown, et al |
| CHEME | 6673 | Tools for Analyzing Energy and Society Module | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Related | CHEME 6660 | Doing |
| CHEME | 6674 | Energy Metals Module: Source, Use and Challenges | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Related | CHEME 6660 or permission of instructor | Tester, Thompson |
| 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 | 6677 | Seismic Risk in Energy Development | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Related | Abers, Brown, Horowitz, et al | |
| CHEME | 6678 | Water - Energy Nexus Module | X | ~ | ~ | 1 | Related | Corequisite: CHEME 6660 | Albertson, Reed, Riha |
| CHEME | 6671 | Nuclear Engineering Module | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Related | Hammer, Staff | |
| CHEME | 6679 | Energy Storage Module | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Related | Archer, Hanrath, Tester | |
| CRP | 4080 | Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) | X | X | ~ | 4 | Related | Staff | |
| DSOC | 3800 | Rural Change, Urbanization and Energy | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Focused | Pfeffer | |
| EAS | 1101 | Climate and Energy: a 21st Century Earth Science Perspective | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Focused | Ault, Lohman | |
| EAS | 4010/5010 | Fundamentals of Energy and Mineral Resources | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Focused | course in geology recommended | Cathles, Thompson |
| EAS | 4340 | Exploration Geophysics | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Related | MATH 1920 and PHYS 2080, PHYS 2130 or equivalent | Keranen |
| EAS | 3500/5500 | Dynamics of Marine Ecosystems in a Changing Ocean | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Related | one semester of oceanography (i.e. BIOEE 1540/EAS 1540) | Greene, Harvell |
| EAS | 2550 | Observing the Earth: Remote Sensing and GIS | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Related | Lohman | |
| EAS | 6668 | Earth System Behavior and Resources | X | ~ | ~ | 1 | Focused | CHEME 6660, graduate standing, or permission of instructor | Allmendinger, Derry, et al |
| EAS | 4830/6830 | Environmental Biophysics | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Related | Riha | |
| EAS | 1600 | Environmental Physics | X | X | ~ | 3 | Related | one semester of college calculus | Riha, Wysocki |
| EAS | 6669 | Earth Energy Science and Engineering Module | X | ~ | ~ | 2 | Related | CHEME 6660, or permission of instructor. Enrollment limited to: seniors and graduate students | Allmendinger, Brown, et al |
| 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 | White |
| EAS | 6666 | Unconventional Natural Gas Development from Shale Formations Module | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Focused | CHEME 6660 | Evan, Jordan, Moore |
| EAS | 6677 | Seismic Risk in Energy Development | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Related | Abers, Brown, Horowitz, et al | |
| EAS | 4120 | Community Wind Energy Research | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Focused | MAE 4020/MAE 4021/MAE 5020, or EAS 2500 or permission of instructor. | Staff |
| ECE | 5880 | Energy Seminar II | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Related | Clancy, Hammer | |
| ECE | 4510 | Electric Power Systems I | X | ~ | ~ | 4 | Related | ECE 3250 | Chiang |
| ECE | 4520 | Operation and Optimization of the Power Grid | ~ | X | ~ | 4 | Related | ECE 2200, ECE 3100, or permission of instructor | Staff |
| 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 | Clancy, Hammer | |
| ECE | 1290 | Energy: From Atoms to Zephyrs | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Related | Bitar | |
| 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 | Hammer |
| ECE | 5510 | Tools for Analyzing Energy and Society Module | ~ | X | ~ | 1 | Related | CHEME 6660 | Doing |
| ECE | 1820 | Electricity Lights Camera Action: Nanoengineering for the Future of Bits and Bytes | X | X | ~ | 4 | Focused | Lal | |
| 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 | Fisher |
| ENGRD | 2510 | Engineering Processes for Environmental Sustainability | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Focused | CHEM 2070, CHEM 2090 or AP Chem; MATH 2930 | Aristilde |
| ENGRD | 2250 | The Earth System | ~ | X | ~ | 4 | Related | MATH 1110 or MATH 1910 | White |
| ENGRG | 2500 | Technology in Society | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Related | Staff | |
| ENGRI | 1110 | Nanotechnology for Global Health and a Sustainable World | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Related | Giannelis | |
| 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 | van Dover | |
| ENGRI | 1820 | Electricity Lights Camera Action: Nanoengineering for the Future of Bits and Bytes | X | X | ~ | 4 | Related | Lal | |
| ENGRI | 1220 | Earthquake! | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Related | Brown | |
| 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 |
| MAE | 3240 | Heat Transfer | ~ | X | X | 3 | Related | MAE 3230 | Avedisian |
| MAE | 4020/4021/5020 | Wind Power | X | ~ | ~ | 3-4 | Focused | MAE 3230, MAE 3050, or MAE 3250 | Warhaft, Barthelmie |
| MAE | 5010 | Future Energy Systems | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Focused | ENGRD 2210; MAE 3230 and MAE 3240 recommended | Zhang |
| MAE | 5430 | Combustion Processes | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Related | Louge | |
| MAE | 6510 | Advanced Heat Transfer | X | ~ | ~ | 4 | Related | Avedisian | |
| MAE | 6160 | Advanced Composite Materials | ~ | X | ~ | 4 | Related | Staff | |
| MAE | 6560 | Nanoscale Energy Transport and Conversion | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Focused | Staff | |
| 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 | Hammer |
| 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 | |
| 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 | ~ | 4 | Focused | Giannelis | |
| 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 | Hammer |
| NSE | 4840 | Introduction to Controlled Fusion: Principles and Technology | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Related | PHYS 1112, PHYS 2213, and PHYS 2214, or equivalent background | Hammer |
| NTRES | 2201 | Society and Natural Resources | ~ | X | ~ | 3 | Focused | Stedman | |
| NTRES | 3300 | Planning for Environmental Conservation and Sustainability | X | ~ | ~ | 3 | Focused | limited to junior, senior standing | Lauber |
| 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 |