Academics & Research

Sustainability Courses

USF offers a variety of courses that emphasize on sustainability. This growing list of courses gives students the opportunity to learn about sustainability and enhance their knowledge through practical learning on campus and in the surrounding community.


 The following key words can be used to identify potential sustainability focused courses and/or sustainability related courses from the academic catalog.

Sustainable, sustainability, Green, Eco, Global, Conservation, Remediation, Systems, Design, Environmental, Water, Energy, Ecology, Resources, Natural, Water, Contamination, Coastal, Marine, biodiversity, Geography, Chemistry, Hydraulic, Social issues, Population, Leadership, Planning, Development, Community, Food, Urban, Ethics, Policy, Economics, Politics, Transportation.


Sustainability focused courses

These are courses in which the primary focus is on sustainability. These courses may have an explicit focus on sustainability, the application of sustainability in a field, or on providing skills and/or knowledge directly connected to understanding or solving major sustainability challenges. 

Sustainability Related Courses

Courses in this category are mainly focused on a topic other than sustainability. However, a unit or module on sustainability or a sustainability challenge is incorporated into the curriculum. These courses include one or more sustainability-focused activities, or integrates sustainability issues throughout the course.

Immersive Experience Courses

An immersive experience is an educational program or course that concentrates on three dimensions of sustainability: social, economic, and environment. The University of South Florida offers several opportunities for students to explore in-depth solutions to major sustainability challenges. Students learn how to produce innovative outcomes, create positive impact on the larger community and connect to industry professionals. Some examples of immersive learning experience at USF include;

  • Study Abroad

USF Education Abroad offers several programs to help students find something that meets their academic needs. Students can search by program, subject matter courses, country, foreign course code, or even USF course equivalent.   

Sustainability-related study abroad programs 

  • USF as a living lab / Learning in Community courses. 

These are Sustainability Courses that include project-based learning. These courses provide students with hands on-experience by applying existing scientific knowledge to develop more practical applications for real world challenges. These courses use the campus and the surrounding community as an informal learning environment and a place to test innovations.

Project-based learning courses 

  • Sustainability Focused Internships

Sustainability internships offer a professional learning experience allowing students to apply put their education into practice. It's also where students can develop their leadership skills, giving them a competitive advantage as they pursue permanent positions in the industry.

Sustainability-related internship opportunities