The sustainable business and economic policy minor equips students with frameworks and tools to understand the interrelationship between the economy and the environment. You will learn about the role of government in addressing environmental problems as well as emerging opportunities for private businesses as we transition to more sustainable economic development.
After completing foundational coursework in microeconomics and data analysis, you’ll dive into core coursework that studies the root causes and potential solutions to a wide range of economic problems related to the environment, energy, and natural resources. Elective courses build on these ideas while focusing on specific topics, such as sustainable business practices, renewable energy, and climate change.
All Cornell undergraduates except students enrolled in Dyson, the Environmental Economics Concentration of the Environment & Sustainability major, and any major that includes overlap of two or more core courses.
12 core credits on topics like environmental and resource economics, the business of energy, and environmental finance. In addition, 3 credits in microeconomics and 3-4 credits in statistics, econometrics, or data analysis.
After reviewing the requirements below and our Policies and FAQs page, you can begin the process using the Business Minors Dashboard.
You can manage your minor and track your progress using the Business Minors Dashboard.
This minor requires 6 credits in microeconomics and data analysis/econometrics/statistics before taking the minor’s core courses. A letter grade of a C or better is required.
The minor’s core requirements (12 credits) must be fulfilled by taking courses from the list below. Please note that 9 credits must be Johnson College of Business (JCB) courses, which include any course code of AEM, HADM, NBA, or NCC.
A letter grade of a C or better is required.
Transfer courses are not permitted for core requirements. Students may not “double count” courses that overlap with the other business minors – the courses you choose may only count toward one minor.
AEM 4500 – Resource Economics introduces you to the economics of renewable and nonrenewable natural resources. In this course, you’ll cover the valuation and use of land; water economics, management, and conservation; fishery economics; forest use; and sustainability. Use dynamic models to analyze decision-making over time and connect business to natural resources.