Sustainability now! : a review of the current state of academic programmes in sustainability

Abstract: The emergence of the academic field explicitly concerned with sustainability has seen the establishment of many university degree programmes in sustainability. This study examines what the curricula of 54 of these programmes, 27 master's programmes and 27 bachelor's programmes. entailed in terms of mandatory and optional courses and detailed topical content. It then looks, more specifically, at the content of 22 core sustainability courses from these programmes. The aim is understand what is being taught, how it is organised and to what extent it is shared across programmes. The vast majority of both the bachelor's and the master's programmes offered courses in the social sciences, 85% and 89% respectively, and in sustainability, as a distinct subject, both 93%, with 97% of the bachelor's programmes and 44% of the master's programmes offering courses in the natural sciences. Arts and humanities courses were offered in 56% of the bachelor's programmes and 22% of the master's programmes. The particular subjects offered within these fields, varied considerably across programmes. The core sustainability courses drew on a broad spectrum of literature, with very few authors or articles referenced in multiple programmes. Overall this study shows that there is a large amount of variation between programmes in terms of approach, topical content and literature and other educational resources. Furthermore, two specific issues of content are raised. First is, the unpopularity of natural sciences at the master's level, possible reasons for this and its potential impacts in the light of attacks on the physical science basis of climate change. Second is the role of humanities, especially ethics, in the context of sustainability as a normative endeavour. In the light of these findings, this review closes with a reflection on curricula and the design of sustainability programmes in the context of the market, the modern university and the emerging academic field concerned with sustainability.