Academics & Research

Education about sustainability gives students the opportunity to learn and develop solutions to complex environmental, social and economic issues affecting today’s world. A number of UF colleges offer majors, certificates and other curricular opportunities in sustainability. There are also several centers and institutes on campus and around the state of Florida that collaborate with the UF on research related to sustainability.

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Sustainability Degree Programs

Several colleges offer majors and concentrations that focus heavily on sustainability in their respective fields.

Majors & Concentrations in Sustainability


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Sustainability Courses

Education about sustainability gives UF students the opportunity to learn and develop solutions to complex environmental, social, and economic issues affecting today’s world.

Support for sustainability and climate education has grown across UF through the establishment of two major academic programs and two minors related to sustainability (see above) and countless sustainability-focused and sustainability-related courses.


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Green Graduation Cord Challenge

The Green Gator Graduation Cord Challenge is a program run by Gators Going Green at the University of Florida. Students who successfully earn at least 10 points and complete the required application form will be eligible to receive a green cord to wear during the commencement ceremony.

Read more

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Research Centers & Institutes

There are dozens of centers and institutes connected to the UF community that focus all or some research on issues of environmental, social and/or economic sustainability. Institutes such as the Florida Climate Institute, the UF Water Institute and the Florida Energy Systems Consortium connect the UF with research networks across Florida.

See a more detailed list here.

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Curriculum Development

In order to support departments, colleges and faculty working to incorporate sustainability into curriculum, UF has coordinated past and ongoing programs, including the Prairie Project and the SDG Faculty Guide.

The Prairie Project

From 2010 to 2016, UF hosted the Prairie Project – an annual training workshop and mentor-ship program to support colleges and faculty to develop curriculum for sustainability.

  • “Green the Curriculum” to introduce and reinforce the theme of environmental and social sustainability throughout students’ educational experiences
  • Support and assist faculty in curricular innovation, and promote interaction that enables faculty to collaborate around issues of sustainability
  • Integrate environmental issues with campus stewardship to gain an understanding that the classroom extends to the entire campus—including facilities, grounds, and the built environment
  • Encourage service learning experiences that extend academic studies of environmental sustainability into the community

For more information on how to get involved with the Prairie Project, contact our office.

Sustainable Development Goals Faculty Guide

In 2020-2021, an interdisciplinary team of UF staff and faculty collaborated to create the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Faculty Guide. This resource serves to support faculty looking to incorporate the SDGs, an internationally-recognized framework for sustainability, into their syllabi and courses. To learn more about this effort and read the guide, please visit the Masters in Sustainable Development Department website.


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