Conservation and Agriculture
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Sustainability Studies Major in Pennsylvania
Are you interested in how sustainable practices affect people in communities? Are you ready to engage the future by being a part of Messiah's more than 40 year history of resource stewardship and creation care? Earn your bachelor's degree in sustainability studies from a Christian university and prepare for a career in this growing industry.
Study Sustainability Studies at a Christian University
Messiah University's Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in sustainability studies is built upon a holistic approach that emphasizes the social, ecological and economic aspects of sustainable human communities. From the cultivation of the Grantham Community Garden to internship opportunities with organizations such as Mennonite Central Committee and ECHO (Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization) that can take you around the world, you won't just learn about sustainability, you'll live it.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics careers in sustainability and environmental and natural resource conservation are projected to grow over the next decade. Concerns about corporate impact on the environment and local and global communities are being incorporated into strategic business decisions. Sustainability is becoming part of how companies do business in the United States, rather than being viewed as a cost.
In the sustainability studies program, you will choose a concentration (either community development or conservation and agriculture) and take a selection of courses that successfully prepare you for a career in a related field.
Students in the Sustainability Studies program at Messiah University can choose from the following concentrations:
Community Development
Conservation and Agriculture
As a sustainability studies major or minor at Messiah University, you’ll be able to:
- Study in a program that is AASHE (Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education) stars accredited
- Gain hands-on experience in ecological and urban restoration
- Gain practical training in applied sustainable agriculture working in the campus garden or through work with an international aquaponics organization
- Immerse yourself in planning for and achieving energy savings for the campus physical plant and for carbon management
- Get involved in sourcing and resource recovery opportunities for local industries
- Choose from many internship opportunities, including the Nature Conservancy, Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), A Rocha International, ECHO, and local organic farms for produce and beef
- Utilize a geographic information system (GIS) in the student computer lab
- Choose from several student clubs/organizations including Earthkeepers, the Restoration House and the Collaboratory
- Maintain close contact with a professional network of people who manage the campus grounds, climate action planning, etc
- Apply for the Wilson Sustainability Endowed Scholarship and work with a community partner
- Study in a field that is rapidly growing
As a graduate in sustainability studies, you'll be well-equipped to engage in political service, public policy, law, sustainable agriculture or Christian service. With today's global emphasis on sustainability in business, policy and education, indicators display that careers in the area of sustainability are projected to be in high demand over the next 20-30 years.
As a graduate of the sustainability studies program, you will be equipped to secure positions in areas such as:
- Urban renewal
- Ecology
- Environmental agencies
- Nonprofits
- Public policy
- Law
- Sustainable agriculture
- Stream and landscape restoration
- Wetland delineation
- Wildlife management
- Forestry
- Parks and recreation management
For more information on career planning for the sustainability studies program, visit the Messiah University Career and Professional Development Center.
Messiah’s nationally recognized internship program places students in a variety of sustainability studies internships. A few examples include:
- Organic farms
- Urban gardens
- Aquaponics companies
- Nonprofits
- Economic development agencies
- State or federal agencies, such as the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
- Legislative committees
- US Green Building Council
- Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
Programs related to Sustainability Studies
Environmental Science
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In the Sustainability Studies program, you will take a selection of courses that successfully prepare you for a career in a related field. Hands-on experiences and classroom learning within the framework of Christian faith will give you the skills and knowledge to achieve your goals. Our programs offer a wide variety of courses that will not only help you excel in your future career, but challenge you to develop a deeper understanding of your field of study.
Course options for Sustainability Studies:
Sustainability Studies (B.A.) with Community Development Concentration
Sustainability Studies (B.A.) with Conservation and Agriculture Concentration
Sustainability Studies careers and outcomes
Where our grads work
Graduates of the Sustainability Studies program work in positions of leadership in their places of employment, using the tools and knowledge a Messiah University education prepared them with. Each year, eager employers and some of the nation's best graduate schools welcome Messiah graduates into their organizations.
96% of the Class of 2022 respondents were employed or in graduate school within 6-9 months of graduation.
Regional and national employers seek out Messiah graduates for their academic preparation, work ethic and personal character. The transformation you experience at Messiah readies you to transform the lives of others through your chosen career path.
Messiah's unique approach to hands-on learning
Learning in the classroom is important but actually applying that knowledge in a hands-on way can make all the difference. At Messiah University, the Experiential Learning Initiative (ELI) allows Messiah to take this hands-on learning to a new level by giving students the opportunity to apply what they have learned to various real world contexts--such as an internship/practica, service learning, off-campus program, holding a student leadership position, or participating in undergraduate research.
Learning environments
In addition to learning intensive propagation techniques in the community garden, Messiah has an apiary, as well as a state-of-the-art greenhouse, and environmental labs which are home to projects in institutional composting, aquaponics, aquaculture, hydroponics and biodiesel production. Beyond the Grantham campus, you might choose to live or work in Harrisburg to become involved in community development projects within an urban environment.
You'll have the opportunity to work alongside Messiah faculty, conducting research in sustainable agriculture, urban food production, plant ecology, using forests as food production permacultures and more.