All AUA undergraduate degree courses fall into 3 categories:
- General Education (15 courses)
- Major Core Courses (24 courses for ESS)
- Electives (3 courses for ESS)
See the table below for the ESS Core Courses, which, in turn, fall into 3 categories:
- Content Knowledge
- Methodology and Tools
- Applications and Solutions
ESS students' typical study schedule over four (4) years is shown in the chart below.
PG 1: Provide students with the knowledge of concepts, theories, and tools to explain and manage environmental systems, both natural and human-made, in pursuit of sustainability.
SLO 1.1. Demonstrate ability to critically evaluate human impacts on the planet’s climate system, biodiversity, biogeochemical cycles, water cycle and resources, land, and other related systems.
SLO 1.2. Demonstrate ability to critically evaluate the sustainability of urban environments, including urban alignment with nature, mobility and energy solutions, air quality, use and disposal of water, waste and circular economy, disaster resilience, and more.
SLO 1.3. Ability to apply relevant impact assessment, evaluation, research, mapping, and analytical tools prevalent in environmental and urban sustainability management.
PG 2: Train students in methods and modes of inquiry that lead to well-substantiated decisions on sustainability
SLO 2.1. Apply the scientific method and demonstrate competence in numeracy, including data collection and analysis.
SLO 2.2. Skills in systems and design thinking, including participatory and deliberative methods of stakeholder engagement.
SLO 2.3. Ability to assess sustainability challenges from global, cross-border, national, and local perspectives.
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PG 3. Prepare students for careers in research, management, and innovation in sustainability
SLO 3.1. Apply sustainability knowledge and methods to one or more domains of application (e.g., business, industrial/energy sectors, logistics, finance, policy, international relations/cooperation, urban development, and more).
SLO 3.2. Demonstrate skills for adaptability in the rapidly evolving fields of environment and sustainability, critically assessing and applying state-of-the-art knowledge, approaches, and techniques.
SLO 3.3. Demonstrate professional and ethical responsibility in areas such as business, government, civil society, research, and international relations/cooperation.
PG 4: Develop articulate, conscientious leaders and problem solvers who are committed to contributing to their fields and society.
SLO 4.1. Produce and deliver written and oral presentations and communicate with specialists and non-specialists using appropriate media and technology.
SLO 4.2. Think critically and creatively, conceptualizing real-world problems from different perspectives.
SLO 4.3. Work productively in diverse teams and solve problems collaboratively.
PG 5: Provide students with a broad foundation of knowledge and skills and cultivate a commitment to life-long learning.
SLO 5.1. Use common software and information technology to pursue inquiries relevant to their academic and professional fields, and personal interests.
SLO 5.2. Weigh evidence and arguments and appreciate and engage in diverse modes of inquiry that are characteristic of historical, cultural, political, economic, and quantitative disciplines.
SLO 5.3. Properly document and synthesize existing scholarship and data, keep current with developments, conduct independent research, and discover and learn new material on their own.
For details on the admission requirements, visit https://admissions.aua.am/ugrad/.
Some admission highlights for this degree program:
a) AUA practices holistic admissions. We select students who have the skills and ability to succeed in their studies and for whom AUA is well suited to their educational and career goals. Once a student submits an application, it is screened for technical eligibility. If eligible, the Undergraduate Admissions Committee will conduct a thorough review of the application. See the undergraduate Admissions website for more.
b) Holistic admissions notwithstanding, there are minimum scores required to be considered for admissions. We call this the "auto-denial thresholds." Receiving a score at or below the threshold will result in automatic denial of the applicant. For the Bachelor in ESS, the auto-denial thresholds are:
English auto-denial thresholds
-- TOFEL iBT score of 67 or below
-- IELTS Academic score of 5.5 or below
Math auto-denial thresholds
-- SAT score of 620 or below
-- ACT score 26 or below
Note that these are the minimum requirements with respect to scores on standardized tests. The average scores of students admitted are higher than these thresholds. Also, there are other entry requirements students have to satisfy. For details visit, https://admissions.aua.am/ugrad/selection/.
Admission to AUA is need blind. This means that admission decisions are made based on the academic merits of the student. If the student needs support to finance their education, the AUA Office of Financial Aid (finaid.aua.am) works with students to find sources. AUA students can receive Tuition Assistance and/or Scholarships. See links below for details.
Applicants and students eligible for need-based aid should apply for it by submitting the financial aid application/package according to the published deadlines to the AUA Office of Financial Aid.
For more information, contact a Financial Aid Counselor at [email protected] for a personal consultation.
Types of financial assistance available to AUA students:
1. Tuition Assistance
https://finaid.aua.am/tuition-assistance/
2. Scholarships
https://finaid.aua.am/scholarships/
3. Kakosian Family Scholarship for Students from the Regions in Armenia and Artsakh (covers up to 100% of tuition but students would have to focus part of their studies on issues related to the regions or Artsakh)
Find out more about this Scholarship from a Financial Aid Counselor at [email protected]
4. External Scholarships (non-AUA but may be available to AUA students)
https://admissions.aua.am/external-scholarships/
INTERNSHIPS: ESS students will have opportunities to gain degree-relevant practical experience as an integral part of their studies. The practical experience can be in the form of internships in companies, banks, government agencies, NGOs, or international organizations. ESS students will also have opportunity to become engaged in research and complete internships at the AUA Acopian Center for the Environment, one of the premier research and community outreach centers in Armenia.
WORKING IN THE ARMENIA'S REGIONS: Students can gain invaluable experience by applying what they've learned in the ESS program to understanding and addressing sustainability challenges in the Armenia's regions (Marzes). ESS will offer opportunities for interested students to have extended practical experience working in the regions.
STUDY ABROAD: Studying abroad can expand a student's world view and expand their horizons. AUA offers study abroad opportunities highlighted in the website of the AUA Office Student Affairs (https://studentaffairs.aua.am/opportunities-to-study-abroad/). In addition, the ESS program will continuously look to expand study abroad opportunities for its students.
Students graduating from this program can continue their education in a number of fields including sustainable energy transitions, transportation planning, water management, circular economy and waste governance, environmental management, and more.
Students can also work in a wide range of enterprises including local and national governmental agencies, international organizations, financial institutions, industrial operations, and consultancy firms.
ESS 101. Introduction to Environmental and Sustainability Sciences (3 credits)
The course introduces the basic principles of environmental and sustainability sciences, including the structure and functioning of ecosystems and their physical and biogeochemical cycles. The course will also examine these ecosystems within the context of complex socio-ecological and socio-technical systems. Specific topics include biodiversity, water, soil, land and air resources, human population dynamics, food and industrial production, and waste and toxicity. Topics will be supplemented by Armenia- and Caucasus-specific cases.
ESS 102. Modes of Inquiry in Environmental and Sustainability Sciences (3 credits)
The course introduces various methods of inquiry used in the field of Environmental and Sustainability Sciences. It is designed to equip students with tools and critical thinking skills to investigate, analyze, and explore paths to address complex challenges through the use of quantitative, qualitative, and hybrid approaches. Students will engage in hands-on exercises and case studies in ESS to enhance their practical skills. They will also develop abilities to critically evaluate existing research.
ESS 103. Research Methods and Statistics (3 credits)
The course will develop the foundational skills for conducting research and analyzing data. Throughout the course, the students will explore quantitative methodologies and garner an understanding of statistical principles and techniques. Topics covered include normality, variance, correlation and regression analysis, and data visualization. Hands-on exercises using statistical software will allow students to work on real-world datasets, fostering proficiency in data analysis. By the end of the course, students will identify relevant statistical tests based on population and sample characteristics.
ESS 110. Environmental and Natural Resource Economics (3 credits)
The course introduces core economic concepts, including supply and demand, market equilibrium, public goods, and externalities. It also explores the challenges faced by modern societies to ensure economic development while preserving and regenerating the natural environment. Students will learn about key analytical tools (such as cost-benefit analysis) utilized by economists when designing and evaluating environmental policies and will be asked to apply them critically to real-world issues and policies. Topics include linkages between the market economy and the environment, challenges of energy transition, and methods for the valuation of environmental costs and benefits.
ESS 120. Biology and Ecosystems (3 credits)
This course provides students with a solid foundation in the fundamental biological principles that govern environmental sustainability, from the smallest building blocks (genes & cells) to the interactions between organisms, populations, communities, and their abiotic surroundings. It will examine the role of biodiversity in human life and healthy ecosystems, discussing its conservation and restoration globally, in the Caucasus region, and Armenia.
ESS 120L. Biology and Ecosystems Laboratory (1 credit)
The course trains students in biology laboratory equipment use and techniques as well as field research approaches to bolster the underlying concepts discussed in the lecture course.
ESS 125. Chemistry for Environment and Sustainability (3 credits)
The course introduces basic chemistry concepts, including bonding, molecular structure, chemical reactions, thermochemistry, and chemical kinetics. In addition, students will gain skills in data mining and analysis related to environmental chemistry. All these will be applied to understand chemical systems including biogeochemical cycles, pollution, food and consumer goods, and toxicity.
ESS 125L. Chemistry for Environment and Sustainability Lab (1 credit)
The course trains students in chemistry laboratory equipment use and techniques to bolster the underlying concepts discussed in the lecture course. In addition, the lab will hone student skills in observing, critically assessing, and reporting data.
ESS 130. Environmental Geology (3 credits)
The course provides students with a basic understanding of geological processes that control our environment. Topics to be included are Earth’s structure and plate tectonics, rocks and minerals, weathering and erosion, sediments and soils, geohazards, and engineering geology. The course will also address geological resources (metals, minerals, and fossil fuels) and their extraction from a sustainability perspective.
ESS 130L. Environmental Geology Laboratory (1 credit)
This course provides students with hands-on experiential learning in support of the topics covered in ESS130. Laboratory exercises will involve the tools typically used in geology and environmental science.
ESS 140. Sustainable Energy Systems and Solution (3 credits)
The course delves into the sustainable generation and use of energy at various scales, including building, local, national, and transnational levels. Key topics encompass energy efficiency, centralized and distributed energy generation, smart grids, non-fossil fuel transportation, energy storage, energy markets, and sustainable energy policies. Students will examine these topics from environmental, economic, and social perspectives. The course is project-based, allowing students to apply their knowledge through individual or group projects. Assessment will include these projects, as well as quizzes and examinations, ensuring a grasp of key topics.
ESS 160. Sustainable Food Systems (3 credits)
The course focuses on human food systems, including their social, economic, and environmental sustainability aspects. Students will become familiar with primary agricultural resources and inputs, production technologies, post-harvest handling, food waste, logistics, and marketing. They will also become familiar with developments in the food industry such as genetically modified organisms, organic agriculture (including sustainable fertilizer and pesticide management), fair trade, plant-based diets, and approaches to reduce food loss. The course is project-based, allowing students to apply their knowledge through individual or group projects. Assessment will include these projects, as well as quizzes and examinations, ensuring a grasp of key topics.
ESS 180. Introduction to Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing (3 credits)
The course introduces geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing using satellite images. Students gain skills in spatial analysis, including collecting and problem-solving through the use of visualization and analytical tools. More and more industries rely on GIS and remote sensing to analyze and visualize data. This course will look at applications of GIS in environmental sciences, public health, sustainable transportation, land-use planning, telecommunications, hydrology, meteorology, crime patterns, etc. The course will also explore remote sensing (Earth Observation) tools offered by NASA, EU Copernicus, and private-sector satellite imagery.
ESS 199. Special Topics (3 credits)
The course covers a selected topic of current interest. Topic to be announced in a semester’s course schedule.
ESS 200. Environmental Monitoring (3 credits)
The course engages students to explore procedures, methods, and techniques used in investigating environmental contaminants found in air, water, soil, household items, and food, with a strong emphasis on instrument selection and calibration, quality control, documentation, and data management. Skills in research design, sampling, testing, observation, and analytical methods will be emphasized. The course includes field and lab work.
ESS 208. Environmental and Sustainability Modeling (3 credits)
The course focuses on theoretical background as well as skills to develop and apply models in the context of complex environmental and social systems. The course will explore the strengths and limitations of various modeling approaches. It will equip students with the ability to discern their appropriateness for specific contexts. The course is intended for students with a limited mathematical background.
ESS 210. Business and Sustainability (3 credits)
This course introduces key business tools, frameworks, and standards for integrating sustainability into organizational decision-making, strategy, and reporting. Students examine how companies measure, manage, and disclose environmental and social impacts using widely applied approaches, including product labeling, ISO standards, ESG investment frameworks, and carbon accounting. The course highlights both global practices and the Armenian context. Through case studies and applied exercises, students develop practical skills to assess sustainability risks, challenges, and opportunities across various sectors.
ESS 215. Climate Change Science and Politics (3 credits)
The course covers climate change from a multidisciplinary perspective to understand its causes and consequences as well as needed responses. The course will explore the science and politics of climate change. Key international and Armenia and Caucasus-specific literature, case studies, and social and political movements around climate change will be reviewed and discussed. The course will require students to participate in a simulated multi-stakeholder and multinational negotiations on addressing climate change.
ESS 240. Sustainable Cities (3 credits)
The course introduces the concept of sustainable cities—places with human prosperity, social equity, and environmental health. Special emphasis will be placed on the concepts and tools necessary to address the environmental sustainability of cities, including their resource metabolism, ecology, and built environment impacts. Using case studies of cities, towns, and development projects globally, students will have the opportunity to reflect on principles of sustainability and innovative applications used at various scales by planners and designers. Students are expected to collect, analyze, and present data as well as assess the merits of analyses by others.
ESS 242. Sustainable Transportation (3 credits)
This course uses a project-based learning approach to plan and evaluate sustainable transportation solutions for the movement of people and goods. Emphasizing decarbonization, environmental performance, human health and safety, and inclusive accessibility, students assess transportation systems across sustainability dimensions. The course also examines the role of emerging mobility technologies—such as autonomous and connected vehicles, mobility-as-a-service, and digital transport platforms—in shaping future transportation systems.
ESS 244. Water (3 credits)
The course examines water from various perspectives, including ecological, human health, resource stewardship, economic, legal, and political. Topics to be covered include water supply, use, and recycling in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, energy, and domestic life; potential for resource efficiency and optimization; water quality and types of water pollution, methods of testing and monitoring water quality and conditions of freshwater ecosystems; water purification and wastewater treatment; water planning and management tool including those for watersheds, surface, and groundwater resources; new technologies, such as desalination, to access freshwater; and international and national laws on water. The course is project-based, allowing students to apply their knowledge through individual or group projects. Assessment will include these projects, as well as quizzes and examinations, ensuring a grasp of key topics.
ESS 246. Solid Waste in Circular Economy (3 credits)
The course will enable students to understand and explore principles of sustainable waste management from environmental, technological, social, and economic viewpoints. The course covers various types of waste, including food, packaging, plastics, paper, clothes, electronics, automotive, agricultural, and more. The course will focus on circular economy solutions, discussing waste reduction strategies, green product design, reuse and recycling practices, zero-waste lifestyle, waste-to-energy, composting, biogas production, and more. The course is project-based, allowing students to apply their knowledge through individual or group projects. Assessment will include these projects, as well as quizzes and examinations, ensuring a grasp of key topics.
ESS 250. Biodiversity Conservation and Restoration (3 credits)
The course explores biodiversity conservation and restoration, combining foundational knowledge with hands-on experience. Students will dive into essential conservation policy tools, cutting-edge field research techniques, and innovative restoration approaches. They will analyze real-world conservation challenges and discover effective strategies to conserve and restore biodiversity. The course includes lecture hours, field visits, and group projects with conservation organizations or professionals.
ESS 262. Environmental and Sustainability Governance (3 credits)
The course introduces students to environmental and sustainability governance systems at the international, national, and local levels. Students critically analyze legal and institutional mechanisms, including international conventions and their implementation, Armenian constitutional and legislative frameworks, and local regulations. The course includes two practice-oriented mock cases based on real-world scenarios to develop applied skills in environmental governance.
ESS 270. Disasters and Resilience Management (3 credits)
The Course explores the history, principles, theories, and approaches of resilience frameworks and management. Students study natural hazards--earthquakes, floods, wildfires, landslides, etc.--and anthropogenic hazards--industrial, nuclear, cyberterrorism, massive explosions, etc.-- to plan and implement prevention, preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation strategies and tools. Topical investigations include a range of physical and human-related impacts of disasters, the role of decision-makers and the general public, and social and technological aspects of improved resilience. Global and Armenia-specific cases and scenarios are discussed.
ESS 283. Environmental and Sustainability Assessment Tools (3 credits)
The course examines tools used to assess and mitigate the environmental and social impacts of products, operations, projects, and policies. It will review examples of commonly used tools, e.g., Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Emphasis will be on learning from real cases in Armenia, the Caucasus region, and globally.
ESS 290. Internship/Fieldwork (3 credits)
This practice-based course provides students with supervised internship or practicum placements where they apply the knowledge and skills acquired in the ESS program in a professional setting. Each student undertakes a clearly defined, pre-approved scope of work and completes assigned tasks under the joint supervision of course faculty and a practitioner mentor. Students function as members of the host organization’s professional team and contribute to meaningful, real-world projects. Mentoring sessions may be held to support reflection and peer learning. Assessment is based on defined deliverables, including a mentor evaluation and required reports.
ESS 291. Capstone (3 credits)
The course requires students to use their accumulated knowledge and skills to solve real-world problems or advance key research directions. During their capstone, students will follow the entire project or research cycle, which includes: identifying and defining a challenge, designing a process/approach to address the challenge (subject to critical review and formative feedback), collecting information and data needed for analyzing or solving the challenge, analyzing findings, recommending solutions, next steps, or action steps. At the end of the semester, students will submit a full report on their work and present their findings.
ESS 295. Independent Study (variable credits)
This course enables students to design and complete an individualized research project or other approved academic or professional activity for academic credit under the supervision of a faculty instructor. The topic should be of mutual interest to the student and instructor, and not covered in the AUA’s course offerings. A formal syllabus or study plan, clearly defined learning objectives, and appropriate evidence of learning commensurate with the assigned credit load are required. Independent study courses are subject to the approval of the Program Chair.
ESS 299. Special Topics (3 credits)
The course covers a selected topic of current interest. Topic to be announced in a semester’s course schedule.