57 BSc Sustainability at UCD Case Study

Kirsten Southard introduced the BSc Sustainability, a flagship interdisciplinary degree at UCD now in its fifth year, with the first graduates completing in 2023. The programme was designed to equip students with the breadth and depth needed to address complex sustainability challenges, underpinned by four guiding principles: interdisciplinarity, flexibility, applicability, and global perspective.

The degree begins with a common first year, exposing students to environmental science, social science, policy and law, economics, and business. From second year, students specialise in one of three pathways—Environmental Science, Social Science, Policy and Law, or Business and Economics—while continuing to study compulsory modules from the other streams. This ensures that all graduates develop both specialisation and a broad, systems-based understanding of sustainability.

Core modules have been developed specifically for the programme, including Introduction to Sustainability, Challenges to Sustainability, Sustainability Research Tools, and Career Innovation and Communication. Later years incorporate applied experiences, such as an international field trip to Copenhagen and a capstone interdisciplinary project with external partners, where students tackle real-world challenges and present solutions using professional tools such as ArcGIS StoryMaps and video outputs.

The programme also connects with UCD’s broader Living Lab initiative, giving students opportunities to contribute directly to campus projects such as biodiversity monitoring, waste audits, and energy assessments.

Ms Southard emphasised that the BSc Sustainability is designed not only to prepare graduates for sustainability-focused careers but also to nurture future leaders who can think critically, work collaboratively, and act holistically in the face of global challenges.

About the author

name: Kirsten Southard

institution: University College Dublin