Why Study Sustainability and Adaptation?
Our immersive interdisciplinary program is designed to help you investigate environmental solutions, preparing you for careers in sustainability.
Students in the Sustainability and Adaptation major and the Applied Sustainability minor programs at Pacific University learn the fundamentals of systems thinking, environmental science and ecological design alongside a foundation in politics, sociology, economics, and ethics as they seek solutions to complex global environmental challenges.
In this major, you'll work with expert faculty to apply a scientific understanding of ecosystems to contemporary sustainability issues, using skills like:
- Quantitative and qualitative research skills
- Principles of community engagement
- Opportunities for service and leadership
Through practical design, fieldwork, and community engagement, students transition from theoretical knowledge to real-world practice. Faculty prioritize experiential learning, partnering with community organizations to learn about and pursue solutions to environmental problems that affect our nearby forests, wetlands and rivers.
What Can You Do with an Sustainability and Adaptation Major?
Our students gain skills that many employers value, including leadership, creativity, collaboration, communication and problem solving. Sustainability and adaptation majors are well-prepared for graduate study or careers in:
- Permaculture design
- Sustainable food systems
- Environmental education
- Urban planning
- Product design
- Landscape architecture
Our alumni have gone on to careers as consultants, sustainability coordinators, restoration technology technicians and more. They manage natural resources with jobs at Turnstone Environmental Consulting, work with Clean Water Services and the Johnson Creek Watershed Council.
“I’m leaning towards working in environmental policy, environmental management or environmental design. I recently heard about a job position where someone is the head of sustainability for a city. I hope to do more research during my gap year to figure out what I want to go into. But I would love to help more cities be able to make these changes.”
— Valentina Casab-Klescova ’25
Experiential Learning is Your Practical Foundation
Gain Practical Experience Working with Environmental Organizations
Pacific’s proximity to a range of ecosystems means you can learn outdoors, gaining hands-on experience in the grasslands, rivers and wetlands of the Willamette Valley, the forests of Pacific’s John W. Blodgett Arboretum, and the Oregon coast. Our faculty work closely with local partners to integrate field work and current environmental challenges into coursework; partners include:
- Clean Water Services
- Metro
- Tualatin Soil & Water Conservation District
- Tualatin River Watershed Council
- Bird Alliance of Oregon.
This means sustainability and adaptation students are always learning and practicing field techniques to solve problems. For example, Pacific University students work with Clean Water Services, learning to adapt to climate change in the restoration of wetlands and riparian areas. With Metro, students learn about the restoration of degraded sites, monitoring amphibians near Pacific University.
On Pacific’s Forest Grove Campus the Boxer Gardens serves as an outdoor laboratory for students. Boxer Gardens provides students with opportunities to learn about organic gardening practices, educational outreach, policy development, sustainable community and housing design. The garden features a polyculture garden, woodland garden, pollinator garden and vibrant patio area.
Your Capstone Project
In your final year of the sustainability and adaptation major, you’ll complete a capstone project of your own design. Students use the capstone to study urban planning, green infrastructure, food production and environmental restoration, locally and around the world. Many students have chosen to study sustainable actions on an international level, comparing, for example, green farming practices in Puerto Rico to those local to Forest Grove or Portland’s public transit to the public transportation system in Italy. Pacific students are eligible to apply for capstone funding through a grant from the Oregon Community Foundation.
Pacific University's Center for a Sustainable Society provides students an opportunity to experience the university's commitment to sustainability and work within a collaborative framework to cultivate an engaged community dedicated to increasing the wellbeing of people and places. The center promotes opportunities for research, education, and practical experiences for students to work on projects related to environmental stewardship, sustainable business practices, food insecurity, environmental justice, challenging consumption trends, energy efficiency, and more.
