The BSc in Sustainability is an innovative undergraduate degree that aims to equip its graduates with the interdisciplinary knowledge and skills to address sustainability challenges by combining environmental, social and economic perspectives. After a common first year, each student will retain an interdisciplinary perspective throughout their degree, but will elect to focus on:

Sustainability with Environmental Science OR Sustainability with Social Sciences, Policy and Law OR Sustainability with Business and Economics

The programme is based on the following principles:

• Interdisciplinarity – in-depth knowledge within a core or focal discipline, complemented by a range of perspectives and skills from others. Specific modules and activities to foster an interdisciplinary approach and outlook.


• Flexibility – capacity to choose between broad areas, core disciplines and combinations of modules.


• Applicability and employability – grounding in the real-world application and uptake of new ideas, innovations and policies and the processes by which this occurs.


• A global perspective – the programme reflects UCD’s global outlook and the need for international partnership in addressing global environmental challenges.

1 - articulate clear awareness and understanding of critical global sustainability challenge
2 - critically discuss evolving theory, concepts, policy and the ethics and values of sustainability
3 - apply a holistic, interdisciplinary and practical approach to sustainability
4 - demonstrate competence in a range of research and analytical methodologies
5 - deploy well-developed critical and intellectual skills in innovative and creative approaches to unfamiliar or dynamic contexts and problems
6 - exhibit the knowledge and skills needed to develop a career in sustainability and environmental management, including communication, project planning, project management and interdisciplinary teamwork skills
7 - become engaged, solution-focussed global citizens with capacity for lifelong learning
8 - become engaged, solution-focussed global citizens with capacity for lifelong learning
9 - articulate clear awareness and understanding of critical global sustainability challenges

You may apply to study abroad for the Spring trimester of Stage 3.
The BSc Sustainability has a range of universities within and outside Europe that it currently partners with to offer students exchange opportunities.
Please visit the UCD Global Exchanges page here to find further information about the application process.

Graduates will enjoy careers as consultants, managers and advisers in large organisations and private businesses. An interdisciplinary education in sustainability theory, policy and practise will equip you to work in areas such as renewables, clean technology management and energy efficiency, or advise industries on social and environmental strategies. Many opportunities also exist in international organisations such as the UN, the European Environment Agency and the European Commission, government departments and state agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Parks and Wildlife Service and in local authorities and Non-Governmental Organisations.

Kirsten Southard
Programme Manager, BSc Sustainability
UCD Science Office
Room E1.09, O'Brien Centre for Science
Belfield, Dublin 4
Email: sustainability@ucd.ie

Students are required to complete 50 credits of programme (core/option) modules. Students can choose 10 credits of elective modules.

Students are required to complete 50 credits of programme (core/option) modules. Students can choose 10 credits of elective modules. Degree compliance: Students must ensure they have 100 credits from Level 2 and above, of which at least 40 credits must be Level 3 and above - its important to bear this in mind while choosing options and electives, as this will ensure you are eligible for graduation.

Module ID	Module Title	Trimester	Credits
Stage 2 Core Modules
GEOG20230	Intro: GIS for Sustainability	Autumn	5
SUST20010	Sustainability: Research Tools	Autumn	5
GEOL10060	Introduction to Earth Sciences	Autumn and Spring (separate)	5
ECON10010	Principles of Microeconomics	Spring	5
ENVB20050	Principles of Environmental Biology & Ecology	Spring	5
SUST20020	Careers, Communication and Innovation in Sustainability	Spring	5
Stage 2 Core Modules
Stage 2 Options - A)MIN0OF: Students who completed MATH10310 Calculus for Science or MATH10350 Calculus (MPS) in Stage 1 should not take MATH10230 in Stage 2.  They should instead select an additional module from the list of Options. For students who are interested in mathematics and have taken MATH10350 Calculus (MPS) and/or MATH10340 Linear Algebra 1 (MPS), there may be additional mathematics option modules available for you to take.  Please contact your Programme Manager if you wish to discuss this possibility (sustainability@ucd.ie).
MATH10230	Mathematics for Agriculture I	Autumn	5
Stage 2 Options - A)MIN0OF: Students who completed MATH10310 Calculus for Science or MATH10350 Calculus (MPS) in Stage 1 should not take MATH10230 in Stage 2.  They should instead select an additional module from the list of Options. For students who are interested in mathematics and have taken MATH10350 Calculus (MPS) and/or MATH10340 Linear Algebra 1 (MPS), there may be additional mathematics option modules available for you to take.  Please contact your Programme Manager if you wish to discuss this possibility (sustainability@ucd.ie).
Stage 2 Options - C)MIN0OF: Students must take CHEM00010 if they did not take Leaving Certificate Chemistry or if their LC Chemistry grade was less than H5/O1. Students with LC Chemistry grade H5/O1 or above are not eligible to take CHEM00010. All Environmental Sciences specialisation students must take CHEM10050 by the end of Stage 2. CHEM20090 Chemistry for Biology must be taken in either Stage 2 or Stage 3.
CHEM00010	Introductory Chemistry	Autumn	5
CHEM20090	Chemistry for Biology	Autumn	5
CHEM10050	Basis of Organic and Biological Chemistry	Spring	5
Stage 2 Options - C)MIN0OF: Students must take CHEM00010 if they did not take Leaving Certificate Chemistry or if their LC Chemistry grade was less than H5/O1. Students with LC Chemistry grade H5/O1 or above are not eligible to take CHEM00010. All Environmental Sciences specialisation students must take CHEM10050 by the end of Stage 2. CHEM20090 Chemistry for Biology must be taken in either Stage 2 or Stage 3.
Stage 2 Options - D)MIN0OF: Students must take GEOG10140 Mapping a Sustainable world, if not taken in stage 1. Students must also ensure that they have a total of 50 credits between core and option modules. The additional 10 credits are for electives.
AESC10010	Land Use and the Environment	Autumn	5
BIOL10140	Life on Earth	Autumn	5
COMP10290	Computation for Scientists	Autumn	5
GEOG10140	Mapping a Sustainable World	Autumn	5
GEOG20150	Quaternary Environmental Change	Autumn	5
GEOL20180	Geoscience perspectives on the UN Sustainable Development Goals	Autumn	5
ZOOL20020	Animal Behaviour	Autumn	5
ZOOL30050	Diversity of Invertebrates	Autumn	5
GEOL20110	Global Environmental Change	Autumn and Spring (separate)	5
DSCY10060	Energy, Climate Change & Policy	Spring	5
GEOG20060	Weather, Climate and Climate Change	Spring	5
GEOL10040	Earth, Environment and Society	Spring	5
GEOL20230	History of life on Earth	Spring	5
Stage 2 Options - D)MIN0OF: Students must take GEOG10140 Mapping a Sustainable world, if not taken in stage 1. Students must also ensure that they have a total of 50 credits between core and option modules. The additional 10 credits are for electives.
Stage 3 Core Modules
SOC30560	Global Inequalities	Autumn	5
SUST30020	Sustainability in Action(SUST)	Autumn	5
BIOL30030	Working with Biological Data	Spring	5
ECON20160	Economics of the Environment	Spring	5
ENVB20050	Principles of Environmental Biology & Ecology	Spring	5
Stage 3 Core Modules
Stage 3 Options - B)MIN0OF: All students must take CHEM20090 Chemistry for Biology in Stage 3 if they have not already taken it in Stage 2.
CHEM20090	Chemistry for Biology	Autumn	5
Stage 3 Options - B)MIN0OF: All students must take CHEM20090 Chemistry for Biology in Stage 3 if they have not already taken it in Stage 2.
Stage 3 Options - C)MIN0OF: Students must ensure that they have a total of 50 credits between core and option modules. The additional 10 credits are for electives.
BSEN30240	Waste Management	Autumn	5
BSEN30360	Life Cycle Assessment	Autumn	5
ENVB30010	Systems Ecology	Autumn	5
GEOG20040	Rivers, Estuaries and Coasts	Autumn	5
GEOL20180	Geoscience perspectives on the UN Sustainable Development Goals	Autumn	5
GEOL20200	Dynamic Earth	Autumn	5
GEOL30040	Sedimentary Environments	Autumn	5
STAT20110	Introduction to Probability	Autumn	5
ZOOL20020	Animal Behaviour	Autumn	5
ZOOL30050	Diversity of Invertebrates	Autumn	5
BSEN30030	Air Pollution	Spring	5
FOR20110	Forests, Climate and Carbon	Spring	5
GEOL30340	Low Temperature Geochemistry	Spring	5
GEOL30380	Geomaterials and Geoenergy	Spring	5
ZOOL30020	Arthropoda	Spring	5
ZOOL30060	Biogeography and Field Biology	Spring	5
Stage 3 Options - C)MIN0OF: Students must ensure that they have a total of 50 credits between core and option modules. The additional 10 credits are for electives.

		Award		GPA
Programme	Module Weightings	Rule Description	Description
BHSCI016	Stage 4 - 50.00% Stage 3 - 50.00%	Standard Honours Award	First Class Honours	3.68	4.20
			Second Class Honours, Grade 1	3.08	3.67
			Second Class Honours, Grade 2	2.48	3.07
			Pass	2.00	2.47