Program Requirements

Eligibility

Penn State undergraduate prerequisite: students must have a >3.0 cumulative GPA, entrance to given major (all majors accepted), and a third semester or beyond academic standing by summer 2022.

SC 494 or SUST 495 (online course, mid-spring semester 2022; 3.0 credits)

This is a project-based learning course. Students will work together to complete a significant group project that provides essential background knowledge, an overview of relevant research, and key scientific skills to be applied in the field.  The projects reflect the interdisciplinary nature of sustainability work, with attention to the economic, political, social, cultural, and ecological factors that affect the Danube waterway.    

SC 494 or SUST 495 (second-summer semester course, field practicum June 25-July 14, 2022; 4.0 credits)

Students must complete a three-week field experience which includes (1) hands-on and group-based, binational field research (CURE) including experimental design, data gathering, analysis and interpretation, and oral presentation on a given topic of societal concern related to a water issue confronting Danube Delta; (2) training in specific field methods and techniques related to assigned CURE; (3) field exploration of select Romanian ecosystems; (4) upkeep of a scientific journal and lab notebook; (5) participation in group reflections and discussion forums and professional panels; (6) conservation service work (civic engagement); and (7) a post-trip online project that encourages students to participate in environmental advocacy at the regional level.