Sustainability, Community, and STEM Education Minor
Program Features
Aligned with USC’s Assignment: Earth Initiative The SCSE minor reflects USC’s commitment to sustainability and aligns with national trends emphasizing environmental literacy in education.
Clinical Work and Practicum Students engage in clinical placements in secondary science classrooms and community-based sustainability projects, totaling up to 838 hours of clinical work. The Maymester capstone experience deepens students’ ability to apply instructional strategies and sustainability principles in authentic educational settings.
Careers
Graduates of the SCSE minor are well-positioned for careers including:
- Secondary STEM educator with sustainability expertise
- Environmental education specialist
- Curriculum designer focused on sustainability and equity
- Science and sustainability policy advocate
- STEM-focused instructional leader
Courses
As a California-based licensure program, candidates enrolled in the SCSE minor must satisfy requirements in addition to the courses listed below. Please refer to the information about these requirements in the Credential Programs section of the Rossier School section of the USC catalogue.
Community-Based Sustainability and STEM Education | EDUC 477
Explores community-driven sustainability initiatives, integrating environmental literacy with STEM education to design interdisciplinary projects that promote equity and civic engagement.
Teaching STEM, Sustainability, Technology and Engineering | EDUC 478
Examines how digital tools, AI and engineering practices can be leveraged to teach sustainability in STEM, with an emphasis on culturally responsive and ethical technology use.
Sustainable and Equitable STEM Literacies | EDUC 481
Focuses on systems thinking, interdisciplinary teaching and the use of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to create sustainability-focused STEM curricula.
Inclusive Practices in Sustainability and STEM Education | EDUC 483 (Maymester Capstone)
Investigates how STEM education can address sustainability and career pathways while incorporating social-emotional learning and equity-based instructional practices.
Applied Teaching in Sustainable STEM Education | EDUC 485
A hands-on teaching experience where students design, implement and assess sustainability-focused STEM lessons in real-world classroom or community settings.
Requirements
To enroll in a USC Rossier undergraduate minor, you must:
- Obtain departmental clearance (D-clearance) from the USC MAT and MAT-TESOL program office
- Be a current, full-time USC undergraduate student
- Maintain a 2.75 GPA or higher
- Apply to the Minor
A Minor with Major Benefits
Be among the first to evolve the classroom in STEM. Students will not only address ecological challenges and integrate ethical tech practices into teaching, but they’ll also develop better communication skills, a trait increasingly valued in the science field.
This is one of the only programs in California that offers a pathway to a teaching credential for undergraduates.