Sustainable Future Program (SUSTAIN) – Faculty of Engineering

Sustainable Future Program (SUSTAIN)

Courses in the program are open to students in all Faculties.

Cherry blossom trees on campus

Explore our courses

The Sustainable Future Program (SFP) consists of a suite of undergraduate courses focused on providing students with the opportunity for interdisciplinary, student-led, community-based, and experiential education focused on sustainability.

McMaster developed the Sustainable Future Program for students interested in learning about sustainability while having the opportunity to engage in experiential learning through developing and implementing real-world sustainability initiatives. The Sustainable Future Program (SFP) aims to build reciprocal relationships between students, community members and McMaster University to engage all parties in the journey towards a sustainable future.

The specific objectives of the Sustainable Future Program are as follows:

  • Teach students about sustainability from an interdisciplinary perspective.
  • Provide the opportunity for self-directed, interdisciplinary and experiential learning.
  • Support student learning within the University and local community.
  • Engage undergraduate students in taking part in meaningful, experiential research.
  • Foster opportunities for students to place local knowledge and local action within a global context.

To promote interdisciplinarity, instructors and teaching assistants come from diverse disciplinary backgrounds, course content is pulled and presented to students from multiple perspectives, and strides are taken to ensure a truly interdisciplinary learning environment. One way we provide an interdisciplinary learning environment is through maintaining enrollment caps at the Faculty level to ensure student representation from all Faculties. All courses in the program include an experiential learning project to provide students with the opportunity for self-directed, community-based, and experiential learning. Within the level-three and level-four courses, students work in interdisciplinary groups, with support from a community project champion, to develop and implement a sustainability project. All projects include undergraduate-level research to varying degrees and provide students with opportunities to develop skills and experiences for future academic research, if they choose.

Since launching the first course in the Winter of 2013, which had an enrollment of 97 students, we have grown to include five courses with over 750 students enrolled in the 2019/20 academic year. Stay tuned for news about future expansions and new courses to come!

We would like to thank the faculty members, course Teaching Assistants, and community members for supporting student enrolled in the Sustain courses as well as for supporting continuous course and Program development. Our sincerest appreciation extends to the hundreds of students who have contributed by taking courses and providing feedback for continuous improvement. We would also like to extend a special thanks to the Faculty of Engineering and Engineering & Society Program for providing guidance and administrative support for the Sustainable Future Program.

Sustain courses

1S03
2S03
2SS3
2IS3
2SD3
2GS3
3S03
4S06

Sustain 1S03

An introduction to sustainability from an interdisciplinary perspective which examines the historical and societal lenses through which sustainability is viewed. Students will learn terminology, theories and concepts to effectively communicate across disciplines and on various topics of sustainability.

One lecture (three hours), one tutorial (one hour); offered in both terms

Testimonial

  • Kyle Fernandes

    Push yourself to be immersed into the content, no matter what you study or what you are interested in, the smallest person can make a big difference for our future!

  • Esther Periera

    It's a course that students, regardless of their faculty, should take because much of your grade is heavily based on experential learning activities. You choose when you do it then you reflect on it!

  • Sunny Shanmugam

    Be open-minded and excited to learn about the content. You are coming into a space that may be completely new and challenge your beliefs and assumptions.

Sustain 2S03

Students will learn how to identify problems and evaluate sustainable solutions to societal problems from an interdisciplinary perspective. The course will involve active experiential learning which emphasizes actions on local projects.

One lecture (three hours), one tutorial (one hour); offered in both terms

Testimonial

  • Zainab Hussain

    If people around the world engage in small changes in their everyday life to live more sustainably, we could collectively make a large impact.

  • Ciaran Egan

    I think this course is an excellent place to test your perceptions, meet with other people from different disciplines and backgrounds, and have an interesting semester.

  • Mithil Kumar

    One thing I really enjoyed about SUSTAIN 2S03 course was the personal lifestyle challenge.

  • Tanzim Hoque

    I can say that completing this lifestyle project gave me one of the purest forms of education through experience that I’ve ever had in university & I will look back fondly as I continue learning more.

  • Andres Nagy Ossa

    It was really rewarding to take what I was learning in class and use it to make significant lifestyle changes.

Sustain 2SS3

Students will gain knowledge, skills, and abilities to effectively communicate and influence decisions, which they will apply to current sustainability issues within the community. This course is interdisciplinary and experiential.

One lecture (three hours); one term

Testimonial

  • Connor Black

    The offerings of this course are truly unique and allow you to build your foundation as an advocate and leader.

  • Emily Richer

    SUSTAIN 2SS3 gave me the opportunity to gain experience working in a community setting with the City of Hamilton and Cycle Hamilton and advocate for an issue that I strongly resonate with!

  • Kyle Yau

    Advocating for Sustainability 2SS3 allowed me to promote humanitarian aid and I was able to make a change I always wished to see. Unlike any other course, working hands on with community partners.

  • Molly Cameron

    SUSTAIN 2SS3 was such a cool class that was so different from any class I’ve taken before. It gave me a chance to actually make an impact through the community project. I would definitely recommend!

  • Titi Huynh

    The SUSTAIN 2SS3 course teaches you transferrable skills on how you can become a better advocate from a holistic approach.

Sustain 2IS3

Explore complex dimensions of sustainability through a lens of intersectionality – how our individual identities shape our life experiences – with a focus on environmental injustices. Includes interdisciplinary teamwork, simulated case studies and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

One lecture (two hours), one tutorial (one hour); one term

Testimonial

  • Allison Laurie

    It's a really unique course that allows you to delve into the intersectionality of sustainability by exploring various topics of sustainable justice and SDGs.

Sustain 2SD3

Students will gain knowledge, skills, and abilities to effectively communicate and influence decisions, which they will apply to current sustainability issues within the community. This course is interdisciplinary and experiential.

One lecture (three hours); one term

Testimonial

  • Natalia Laxamana

    The one thing I love about this class, in particular, is that there is a lot of problem solving that goes on.

Sustain 2GS3

Through a series of asynchronous lectures students will have a unique opportunity to hear the perspectives of multiple questions of sustainability from experts across academia. In following the mantra of ‘Think globally, act locally’ students apply the knowledge acquired in the course towards assessing and proposing solutions to local questions of sustainability.

One lecture (three hours); one tutorial (one hour); one term

Testimonial

  • Helena Teng

    Listening to different perspectives on climate change and sustainability actually allowed me to imagine more innovative and inclusive climate solutions.

  • Elizabeth Lang

    I've embraced diverse academic perspectives, realizing that sustainability goes beyond one field. The course mantra “think globally, act locally” empowers students to weave sustainable futures.

Sustain 3S03

Exploring agency, leadership, and strategy effectiveness within the context of sustainability. The course will include interdisciplinary perspectives, experiential learning and community engagement projects.

One lecture (three hours), one tutorial (one hour); first term

Testimonial

  • Gurinder Sandhu

    The course provided me with an inspired interdisciplinary group of students who held many of the same interests as myself, but had vastly different skill sets and approaches to group work.

  • Madalyn Morrison

    SUSTAIN 3S03 allowed me to be fully immersed in learning about sustainability in class and through our group project where we enacted real, sustainable change.

  • Natalie Ciancone

    You will have the opportunity to actively be a part of big changes in your community, as well as the chance to work alongside and connect with knowledgeable individuals in the field.

  • Neha Dhanvanthry

    It was really fulfilling to work on a project with others that I know would have a positive impact in our community

Sustain 3SS3

Students will collaborate with each other, community members, and local organizations to develop pilots, prototypes, and engagement initiatives that make cities more sustainable and contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Students will gain knowledge, skills, and abilities that support collaborative approaches to making positive, sustainable change through involvement in local community initiatives.

One lecture (three hours); one term

Testimonial

  • Fairuz Karim

    SUSTAIN 3SS3 is unique in the fact that it provides students with a hands-on opportunity to be as creative as possible to create meaningful, sustainable change within our Hamilton community.

  • Manal Malik

    Sustain 3SS3 was a unique course that offers students a chance at collaborative approaches to community change that can be incredibly powerful in creating positive and sustainable impact.

Sustain 4S06

Final-year course where students gain leadership skills and apply them by working in interdisciplinary teams to develop and implement a sustainability-focused project within the community.

One lecture (three hours); both terms

Testimonial

  • Alexandrea Johnston

    Learning how to mitigate problems and continue pushing forward is something I will definitely take with me into future roles.

  • Derek Zhang

    SUSTAIN 4S06 prepared me for graduate-level research and provided an opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary team and with community mentors, leaving me with rich and memorable experiences.