Education

Sustainability Education

Be Boulder. From Knowledge to Action. From Campus to Planet.

 

Our Commitment

Equipping the Next Generation of Sustainability Leaders

CU Boulder is responding to students' demand for the education and preparation to solve the most urgent sustainability challenges of our time. Our approach spans every level of higher education — and reaches into traditional disciplines while building a new generation of tailored sustainability degrees, certificates, and experiential programs. Central to this vision is a commitment to environmental justice and equity, ensuring those most burdened by environmental harms have a meaningful voice in shaping solutions. Sustainability at CU Boulder is not a separate discipline — it is a core principle woven into the curriculum and the spirit of every graduate we send into the world.

Dedicated Degree Programs

50+ degree programs and 20+ certificate programs educating students on sustainability across science, law, business, engineering, and design.

Interdisciplinary Lens

Social science, engineering, policy, and design converge to address the complexity of sustainability challenges and systemic change.

Arts & Humanities

Storytelling, creativity, and cultural engagement ignite the motivation and empathy needed to inspire communities toward action.

Experiential Education

Project-based learning using CU's campus as a living laboratory connects students to real sustainability challenges and decision-makers.

SPIKE Center for Sustainability Education

Transforming How CU Boulder Teaches Sustainability

"Through the SPIKE Center, we are integrating and expanding sustainability into the curriculum and enhancing experiential learning opportunities across all of CU Boulder's colleges and schools."

Launched in 2025 with a landmark $10M gift from alumnus Spike Buckley, the SPIKE Center for Sustainability Education is CU Boulder's engine for curriculum transformation. The Center works directly with faculty across every school and college to embed sustainability into courses, develop new degree pathways, and build a campus culture of environmental literacy and justice.

The SPIKE Center also houses the Media and Climate Change Observatory (MeCCO) — a globally recognized research unit tracking how climate change is covered in media worldwide — and supports student engagement programs that connect classroom learning to real-world action.

Visit the SPIKE Center   Become a Faculty Affiliate

Faculty-Led Curriculum Transformation

Through Faculty Affiliates and Curriculum Ambassadors, the SPIKE Center partners with instructors across every school and college to embed sustainability into existing courses and develop new ones — ensuring that every CU Boulder student graduates with a foundational understanding of their role in building a more sustainable world.

Student Engagement & Programs

The SPIKE Center supports student engagement through micro-credentials, the Applied Sustainability Learning Hub, Tribal Sustainability Leaders Fellowship, and the globally recognized Media and Climate Change Observatory (MeCCO) — which tracks climate media coverage across more than 60 countries and informs policymakers and journalists worldwide.

Experiential Learning

From sustainability case competitions and climate ventures programs to campus-as-lab research courses, the SPIKE Center deepens the connection between classroom learning and real-world sustainability challenges.

Sustainability Degree Programs

CU Boulder offers a comprehensive portfolio of sustainability-focused academic programs at every level — from undergraduate majors in Environmental Studies, Environmental Engineering, and Atmospheric Science to graduate degrees in Masters of the Environment, Sustainable Engineering, Sustainable Business, and Environmental Law.

Certificate programs on topics including Environmental Justice, Global Engineering, and the Outdoor Recreation Economy make sustainability education accessible to students across every major and career stage. Starting Fall 2026, the interdisciplinary Climate Science minor allows students to study the defining global, environmental, social and political issues of our time across disciplines and departments.

Explore All Programs   View Micro-credentials

Experiential Education

CU Boulder's most distinctive sustainability programs treat the campus itself as a living laboratory — embedding project-based curriculum in real institutional challenges and connecting students to authentic problems, datasets, and decision-makers. These programs produce graduates with market-ready skills, systems-oriented problem-solving, and tangible leadership experiences.

Masters of the Environment (MENV)

Est. 2016

CU Boulder's signature sustainability graduate degree integrates environmental science, policy, design, and business — culminating in a studio capstone project in which interdisciplinary teams solve real sustainability challenges for real clients.

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Boulder Climate Ventures (BCV)

Est. 2025

An interdisciplinary Leeds School of Business program in which students explore the commercial viability of climate-tech ventures — building market-ready skills, systems-oriented thinking, and tangible leadership experience working on real clean-energy and sustainability startups.

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Climate Action Planning Courses

Est. 2025

Offered across Mechanical Engineering, Geography, and Environmental Science, these project-based courses engage students in real emissions research for CU Boulder's own campus — measuring and modeling waste, business travel, and commuting to directly inform the university's Climate Action Plan.

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Help Shape 
Sustainability at CU Boulder