All programs

Sustainability

Minor

Sustainability Minor students seek to understand and integrate sustainable practices into their art and design education.

The MassArt Minor in Sustainability, an 18-credit program developed in collaboration with the Colleges of the Fenway (COF), offers students the opportunity to infuse their art and design education with a focus on sustainable practices. As communities across the globe recognize that human activities are threatening the natural world, it has become more important than ever for artists and designers to engage with – and lead – the conversation on sustainability.

A fabric swatch board showcases twelve squares of sustainably dyed fabric, each labeled. The colors, including shades of red, yellow, blue, and green, highlight the textured material pinned to a neutral background.

Work in the Dye Lab, a Fibers studio within the 3D Fine Arts department.

A person wearing glasses and a sweater is intricately working on a colorful, textured sculpture of a creature on a desk in a workshop. The sculpture is made from various materials like yarn and fabric. Shelves and tools are visible in the background.

Students who minor in Sustainability are innovative artists and designers who seek to understand, engage with, and solve sustainability issues at the intersection of ecology, health, and social justice. Working with other like-minded students, as a Sustainability Minor you will explore interdisciplinary collaboration and problem solving, to develop innovative solutions to current sustainability issues.

At MassArt, students also understand that the most vulnerable members of society are often those most affected by changes in the environment. Therefore, the minor program emphasizes sustainable practices that address the complex systemic challenges at the intersection of justice, health, and the environment.

Through the Environmental Forum courses, Sustainability Minor students are exposed to contemporary sustainability issues through a series of discussions with local, regional and national experts in the field. Students may do internships and practice civic engagement through community service in organizations dedicated to sustainability practice.

Coursework

Complete your requirements in studio coursework, Integrative Sciences and Biological Arts, and History of Art electives while you focus on sustainability education and practice by completing 18 credits of classes in any department, generally six 3-credit courses. The courses you take for the Minor in Sustainability also fulfill the requirements for your Humanities/Integrative Sciences and Biological Arts/History of Art courses and studio electives.

Classes in the Minor include a required interdisciplinary course taught through the Colleges of the Fenway; internship credit is also possible. Though your coursework in the Minor you will be guided to develop fundamental interdisciplinary and collaborative skills necessary to address complex sustainability issues. The coursework in your major will be informed and enhanced by your study of Sustainability. This Minor was developed in collaboration with faculty from all the Colleges of the Fenway.

Sustainability Minor Learning Objectives

Students who complete the Sustainability Minor program are expected to be able to demonstrate the following learning objectives.

Learn about issues of sustainability across academic and studio disciplines.
Understand the implications of sustainability for your practice as an artist or designer.
Meet other students exploring sustainability practices.
Focus connections between your Liberal Arts requirements and your studio practice.
Interact with sustainability practitioners in a variety of fields, inside and outside of MassArt.
Explore interdisciplinary collaboration and problem solving to develop innovative solutions to current sustainability issues.
Draw upon the resources of the Colleges of the Fenway community through coursework with sustainability practitioners in different disciplines.
Experience civic engagement through community service in an organization dedicated to sustainability practice.