SUST 202 - Global Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals
Fall 2025, Lecture F10A/F10B
CALENDAR DESCRIPTION
An introduction to sustainable development with a global perspective and a focus on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
COURSE OBJECTIVES AND EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES
The primary goal of the course is to introduce students to international development concepts and practices, sustainable development at the international scale, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a guiding international framework for action.
By the end of the course students will be able to:
● Describe the historical evolution, key theories, concepts and issues of international development, sustainable development, and sustainability.
● Critically examine the 17 United Nations SDGs, their complementarities and trade-offs, how they apply to various international development and sustainable development issues, and how they are measured and implemented.
● Discuss social, economic and environmental problems and the complexities involved in achieving sustainable development internationally.
● Develop research, writing, critical thinking, and oral communication skills, and apply these skills to international development and sustainable development initiatives and issues.
COURSE OVERVIEW
SUST 202 critically examines the evolution of international development, sustainable development, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It covers multiple dimensions and actors in international development. Students will be better equipped to understand the environmental, economic, and social dimensions of sustainable development, the interconnectedness of the SDGs, and how the SDGs connect with major sustainable development issues.
The course will cover the following topics:
● Origins and evolution of development after World War II and prominent development theories
● The history and context of international sustainable development, including the
Brundtland Report, the UN system and key conferences/processes, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs
● Climate change, agriculture and food, biodiversity loss, and the SDGs
● International development issues, goals, and initiatives regarding poverty, inequality, gender and development, Indigenous peoples, and security and conflict
● Global civil society and global social movements
● Global governance, prominent actors in global governance (state governments, international institutions, the private sector, and NGOs), and the SDGs
● Foreign aid and the international debt crisis
● Implementing and measuring progress toward the SDGs at international, national, and local levels
Notes: This course can be counted toward the Certificate in Sustainability
COURSE FORMAT
SUST 202 will consist of in-person lectures by course instructors and guest lecturers. Some class time will be devoted to class discussions, small group activities, and student group presentations, which will provide students with opportunities to exchange ideas, critically examine key course concepts, and gain a deeper understanding of complex issues.
Online classes (as needed): If an instructor's illness prevents the class from meeting in person, the instructors will notify students via email as soon as possible and the class will switch online to Zoom for that class. Students can join online classes using a computer or mobile device. Note that any Zoom sessions will be recorded and made available on Canvas. Students may turn off their cameras and mute their audio during online classes if they wish.
Student lecture recordings: Audio or video recording, digital or otherwise, of lectures, labs, seminars or any other teaching environment by students is allowed only with the prior written consent of the instructor or as a part of an approved accommodation plan. Student or instructor content, digital or otherwise, created and/or used within the context of the course is to be used solely for personal study, and is not to be used or distributed for any other purpose without prior written consent from the content author(s).
COURSE COMMUNICATIONS
All students who register in SUST 202 through Bear Tracks have access to the Canvas course page. Course information will be communicated in class and via Canvas announcements.
Please regularly check Canvas for course announcements, the lecture schedule, required readings, lecture slides, information about course assignments, grades, etc.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS, MARKING AND GRADING
Students’ grades for each component of the course will be weighted according to the weighted grade distribution below, then combined to calculate an overall percentage grade for the term. The assignment of letter grades will reflect judgments of the level of student achievement.
These judgments will be based on a combination of absolute achievement and relative performance of the class. An overall course mark of 50% or more will result in a passing grade of at least D while an overall course mark of 90% or more guarantees a grade of at least A.
For information about University of Alberta grading policies and procedures, please refer to Evaluation Procedures and Grading System in the Calendar or the U of A Policies and
Procedures On-Line (UAPPOL) Assessment and Grading Policy and Grading Procedure .
Grade distribution for ALL Students
|
Course Requirement
|
Course
Value
|
Due Date
|
|
Class Participation - Discussions
|
5%
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Obtained throughout the semester
|
|
Midterm Exam 1 (in class)
|
20%
|
Oct 14, 2025
|
|
International Week Assignment
|
10%
|
Oct 28, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.
|
|
Midterm Exam 2 (in class)
|
20%
|
Dec 4, 2025
|
|
Group Presentation
|
20%
|
Multiple dates are available, 2025
|
|
Written Assignment: SDG
Complementarities and Trade-offs*
|
25%
|
Dec 8, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.
|
|
Total
|
100%
|
|
*NOTE: There will be no final exam in this course.