Sustainable engineering is the incorporation of environmental, economic, and social equity considerations in the engineering design process.  The United Nations details 17 Sustainable Development Goals for humanity.  These target sustainability in science, food security, gender equality, poverty, infrastructure, water, life, climate, etc.  Sustainable engineering contextualizes these goals for the engineering profession and offers solutions.  The sustainable engineering minor focuses on energy and material concerns as they relate to the processes that produce commodity chemicals, consumer products, energy, etc.  Coupled with the energy and materials considerations, are engineering economics to detail variable circular economies that exist in markets.  

Students must complete a minimum of 12 units as listed under the course requirements. All of these units must be outside the requirements for the students major, i.e., the same courses cannot be listed both on the minor and the major forms. CHE 115  and CHE 133  (3 units each) are required for all students taking this minor. Students also take any two of the College of Engineering courses listed below (3 units each). Students in some engineering majors may need to take additional courses to meet prerequisites for the courses required in this minor.  Interested students are recommended to meet with a Sustainable Engineering Minor advisor. This minor is offered by the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering .

University Graduation Requirements

To be awarded a minor, at least 12 units of coursework must be completely distinct and separate from the coursework in the major, and coursework for the minor must include a minimum of 6 upper-division units (University Policy S16-4). Minor preparation or minor support courses do not count toward the 12 distinct units. Of the coursework for the minor, at least 6 units must be completed in residence at SJSU. The minimum aggregate GPA for all coursework required for the minor must be at least 2.0.