2026-2027 Academic Catalog
Welcome to Virginia Tech! We are excited that you are here planning your time as a Hokie.
Welcome to Virginia Tech! We are excited that you are here planning your time as a Hokie.
Minimum credit hours required for graduation is 120.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Degree Core Requirements (24 credit hours) | ||
| SBIO 1024 | Systems Thinking in a Bioeconomy | 3 |
| SBIO 1114 | A Sustainable Future through Circular Economy | 3 |
| SBIO 2124 | Structure and Properties of Sustainable Biomaterials | 3 |
| SBIO 3454 | Society, Sustainability Biomaterials and Energy | 3 |
| SBIO 3524 | Manufacture of Sustainable Biomaterials for Structures | 3 |
| STAT 3615 | Biological Statistics | 3 |
| STAT 3616 | Biological Statistics | 3 |
| SBIO 4164 | Sustainability Performance and Assessments | 3 |
| Subtotal | 24 | |
| Major Requirements (22 credit hours) | ||
| SBIO 1004 | Explorations in Sustainable Systems Science | 1 |
| SBIO 2514 | Applied Industrial Ecology | 3 |
| FREC 2614 | Human-Environment Systems | 3 |
| PPE 2894 | PPE Gateway Course | 3 |
| SBIO 3004 | Sustainable Nature-Based Enterprises | 3 |
| ENGR 3124 | Introduction to Green Engineering | 3 |
| ENGR 4134 | Environmental Life Cycle Assessment | 3 |
| SBIO 4724 | Sustainable Systems Science Capstone | 3 |
| Subtotal | 22 | |
| Restricted Electives (9 credit hours total; Students are advised to choose all 9 credits from one category) | ||
| Sustainability & Society | ||
| Seeking Sustainability | ||
| Seeking Sustainability | ||
| Practicing Sustainability | ||
| Urban Systems & Analytics | ||
| Introduction to Urban Analytics | ||
| Sustainable Urbanization | ||
| Creating the Ecological City | ||
| Sustainable Business and Management | ||
| Sustainable Business Management | ||
| Forest Resources Management and Business | ||
| Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility | ||
| Subtotal | 9 | |
| Experiential Learning Requirement - 3 credit hours | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Study Abroad | ||
| Field Study | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Undergraduate Research | ||
| Undergraduate Research | ||
| Undergraduate Research | ||
| Subtotal | 3 | |
| Free Electives | 19 | |
| Subtotal | 19 | |
| Pathways to General Education (46 credit hours) | ||
| Pathways Concept 1 - Discourse | ||
| ENGL 1105 | First-Year Writing (1F) | 3 |
| or COMM 1015 | Communication Skills | |
| ENGL 1106 | First-Year Writing (1F) | 3 |
| or COMM 1016 | Communication Skills | |
| Select 3 credit hours in Pathway 1a | 3 | |
| Pathways Concept 2 - Critical Thinking in the Humanities | ||
| FREC/LAR 2554 | Leadership for Global Sustainability | 3 |
| Select 3 credit hours in Pathway 2 | 3 | |
| Pathways Concept 3 - Reasoning in the Social Sciences | ||
| ECON 2005 | Principles of Economics | 3 |
| ECON 2006 | Principles of Economics | 3 |
| Pathways Concept 4 - Reasoning in the Natural Sciences | ||
| BIOL 1105 | Principles of Biology | 3 |
| CHEM 1035 | General Chemistry | 3 |
| CHEM 1045 | General Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| Pathways Concept 5 - Quantitative and Computational Thinking | ||
| MATH 1025 | Elementary Calculus (5F) | 3 |
| MATH 1026 | Elementary Calculus (5F) | 3 |
| SBIO 2504 | Circular Economy Analytics for Sustainable Systems (5A) | 3 |
| Pathways Concept 6 - Critique and Practice in Design and the Arts | ||
| Select 3 credit hours in Pathway 6d | 3 | |
| Select 3 credit hours in Pathway 6a | 3 | |
| Pathways Concept 7 - Critical Analysis of Identity and Equity in the United States | ||
| Pathways Concept 7 is currently suspended effective Fall 2025. Please refer to the Pathways Page for more information. | ||
| Select 3 credit hours in Pathway 7 that may be double-counted with another Pathways Concept or major requirement. | ||
| Subtotal | 43 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
By the end of the semester in which the student has attempted 72 hours (including transfer, advanced placement, advanced standing, and credit by examination), students must:
Computation of the in-major GPA includes all courses designated SBIO. The acceptable cumulative GPA minimum is 2.0
Prerequisite: Some courses required for this major have prerequisites. Courses should be taken in a sequence that ensures that prerequisite or co-requisite requirements are met. Free elective courses may also have prerequisite requirements. Students should plan ahead and ensure that they have completed prerequisites or are enrolled in co-requisite courses. Please refer to Undergraduate Course Catalog or consult your advisor for information about prerequisite requirements.
Note: Students majoring in Sustainable Systems Science must take an additional 6 credit hours not counting towards their major in order to complete the Sustainability Analytics minor.
2 years of one language in high school or an 1105-1106 foreign language (e.g., FR, GR, SPAN) grouping if less than two years of one language in high school.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Credits | |
| SBIO 1004 | Explorations in Sustainable Systems Science | 1 |
| SBIO 1024 | Systems Thinking in a Bioeconomy | 3 |
| BIOL 1105 | Principles of Biology (Pathways 4) | 3 |
| COMM 1015 | Communication Skills (Pathways 1F) | 3 |
| MATH 1025 | Elementary Calculus (Pathways 5F) | 3 |
| Pathway 6a | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| SBIO 1114 | A Sustainable Future through Circular Economy | 3 |
| CHEM 1035 | General Chemistry (Pathways 4) | 3 |
| CHEM 1045 | General Chemistry Laboratory (Pathways 4) | 1 |
| COMM 1016 | Communication Skills (Pathways 1F) | 3 |
| MATH 1026 | Elementary Calculus (Pathways 5F) | 3 |
| Pathway 6d | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| SBIO 2124 | Structure and Properties of Sustainable Biomaterials | 3 |
| SBIO 2514 | Applied Industrial Ecology | 3 |
| ECON 2005 | Principles of Economics (Pathways 3) | 3 |
| FREC 2554 | Leadership for Global Sustainability (Pathways 2) | 3 |
| Restricted Elective (Choose from Approved List) | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| SBIO 3454 | Society, Sustainability Biomaterials and Energy | 3 |
| ECON 2006 | Principles of Economics (Pathways 3) | 3 |
| FREC 2614 | Human-Environment Systems | 3 |
| PPE 2894 | PPE Gateway Course (Pathways 2) | 3 |
| Restricted Elective (Choose from Approved List) | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| SBIO 2504 | Circular Economy Analytics for Sustainable Systems (Pathways 5A) | 3 |
| ENGR 3124 | Introduction to Green Engineering | 3 |
| STAT 3615 | Biological Statistics | 3 |
| Restricted Elective (Choose from Approved List) | 3 | |
| Free Elective or Pathway 7 if not double counted with another Pathway concept | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| SBIO 3004 | Sustainable Nature-Based Enterprises | 3 |
| ENGR 4134 | Environmental Life Cycle Assessment | 3 |
| STAT 3616 | Biological Statistics | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Experiential Learning Requirement (Choose from Approved List) | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| SBIO 3524 | Manufacture of Sustainable Biomaterials for Structures | 3 |
| Pathway 1a | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| SBIO 4164 | Sustainability Performance and Assessments | 3 |
| SBIO 4724 | Sustainable Systems Science Capstone | 3 |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 1 | |
| Credits | 13 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
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