Students Enrolled Before July 2022
How to successfully complete the certificate
Students who enrolled in the certificate before July 1, 2022 have the following certificate requirements:
- 12 credits of coursework
- Integrative project
- Presentation
See the tabs below and the Certificate requirements document for more information about these requirements. Email Apryl at sustain.cert@ualberta.ca if you have any questions.
Certificate in Sustainability courses can be completed at any time during your degree, including your final semester. To earn the certificate, you must complete ★12 credits of coursework:
- ★6 credits in core courses
- ★6 credits in elective courses
Additional criteria, such as limits on the number of transfer credits and the number of courses that overlap with other certificates, are outlined in the Certificate requirements document.
Augustana students
Augustana students use the same core and elective course lists as other students. See the course links above for details. Given the logistical difficulty of requiring students in Camrose to take a course outside of their faculty, Augustana students are not required to take ★3 credits of courses outside their faculty.
Campus Saint-Jean students
Many French courses from Campus Saint-Jean are also approved for the Certificate in Sustainability. Please consult the course lists above for details.
Engineering students
Engineering students have a separate course list, which includes a number of Engineering courses that are not listed in the course lists above. Please consult the engineering course list to learn which courses are eligible for the certificate. Engineering students can take approved certificate courses by carefully selecting their program electives, complementary studies electives (CSE), and impact of technology on society (ITS) courses.
Course exceptions
A course exception request may be possible for a special topics course, transfer course, or a new sustainability-related course that is not yet on the approved course list. If you would like to request a course exception, please email sustain.cert@ualberta.ca and include the course name, course outline (if available) and a brief description of why a course exception should be granted.
The integrative project is the capstone on your Certificate in Sustainability experience. Our graduates attest that this is one of the most rewarding parts of the certificate.
You can begin work on your integrative project at any time during your degree. We strongly recommend that you start the process six months prior to your graduation, although it is possible to finish all steps in one term with careful attention to detail.
Steps to complete an integrative project
- Think of an idea for your project.
- Review the integrative project requirements.
- Request a meeting with an advisor.
- Complete the project proposal form.
- Submit the project proposal to your advisor for authorization to proceed. Note that your advisor needs to approve your proposal before you can work on your project.
- Complete your project. Your project should involve 25-40 hours of work.
- Present your project at an approved venue. See the "Presentation" tab for options.
- Submit the project completion form
Note that SUST 410 - Directed Study in Sustainability can satisfy the integrative project/presentation requirement for the certificate. For details on how to register in SUST 410, please email Apryl at sustain.cert@ualberta.ca.
Preparing to meet an advisor
Prior to meeting with your advisor, please review the project proposal form and brainstorm ideas for your project in advance. Do not worry if you are not completely clear about what you want to do before your advisor meeting, however. Your advisor will discuss your idea with you and go over the proposal requirements.
Deadlines
Certificate deadlines depend on your expected graduation date. See the Current Students page for Fall, Winter and Spring convocation deadlines.
To complete the certificate, you must present your integrative project in public. This can be in person (e.g., poster presentation, seminar or workshop) or by remote (e.g., podcast, video or website).
*Important: Your project must be approved by your advisor before you can present it.
Once you have chosen your presentation venue, please email Apryl at sustain.cert@ualberta.ca to indicate your presentation plans.
Affiliated presentation venues
The affiliated presentation venues below are approved for the Certificate in Sustainability. To present at one of these venues, please seek the approval of your certificate advisor and then contact the event organizers listed below.
|
Presentation |
Presentation date |
Details |
|
Feb. 2027 (date TBD) |
Poster presentation opportunity. Email sustain.cert@ualberta.ca for more information. |
|
|
March 2027 (date TBD) |
To present at FURCA, you will need to submit an abstract to the Undergraduate Research Initiative prior. See the FURCA website for details. |
|
| Student Academic Conference (Augustana students only) |
Dec. 3, 2026 or April 8, 2027 |
The Augustana Campus hosts this event at the end of the fall and winter terms. For more information and to register, see the website. |
| Celebrate Sustainability Awards |
April 2027 (date TBD) |
Poster presentation opportunity on the North Campus during CSA event. Note that space is limited. Email sustain.cert@ualberta.ca for more information. |
Poster design and presentation tips
Planning to do a poster presentation? Check out these poster design and presentation tips!
Independent presentation venues
You may choose an independent presentation venue in consultation with your advisor. For example, you could present at a conference hosted by your department or faculty or give a presentation to a local community group.
To give an independent presentation, please email sustain.cert@ualberta.ca to indicate your plans and bring the confirmation of presentation form for the event organizer to complete. After the event, the last step is to complete the project completion form (see "Completion" tab).
Social media presentations
You can choose to create a video, podcast, Instagram or LinkedIn presentation for your project presentation. See the following documents for detailed instructions on how to post and share your presentation:
Email sustain.cert@ualberta.ca to sign up for a social media presentation.
The last step of integrative project is to submit the CIS project completion form and upload your project file. If you presented at an independent event, please also upload the signed confirmation of presentation form.
You can also choose whether to add your project to the online library of integrative projects, which may provide inspiration to future students.