Psychology Meets Sustainability this Spring at USC
Are organizations doing a credible job of decision-making for sustainability? If not, why not and how can they do better?
Explore these questions in Spring 2025 with PSYC 499 It’s not easy being green: decision-making for sustainable action taught by Dr. Joe Árvai, Director of the Wrigley Institute.
This is a 4-unit Spring 2025 class that includes a mandatory spring break trip to Zurich, Switzerland where students will meet the people and organizations at the forefront of sustainability in Europe. During the rest of the spring semester, classes and lectures will be complemented by meetings with sustainability leaders in Los Angeles.
Sample industries include: sustainable food production, sports and entertainment, wildlife conservation, chemical production, transportation, carbon capture, etc. (subject to change).
Course Details
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- Application Deadline: Sunday, October 13th at 11:59pm Pacific Time
- Student Commitment Deadline: Sunday, October 27th at 11:59pm Pacific Time
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- This class is only open to juniors and seniors at USC.
- A 3.7 minimum GPA is required.
- D-clearance and an application are required for this course.
- Because this class requires international travel, all enrolled students must have a valid passport prior to the start of spring semester, and they must be legally eligible to both travel abroad and return to the United States.
- Extensive background preparation in psychology and sustainability is not required. However, PSYC 100 (Introduction to Psychology) is a prerequisite. Waivers can be granted according to these instructions. Please speak to an academic advisor before requesting a prerequisite waiver, as these waivers will permanently affect your USC course plan. ENST 100: Introduction to Environmental Studies or ENST 150: Environmental Issues in Society is strongly recommended.
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- Class will meet twice per week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays 12-1:50pm, January 14-March 13.
- Zurich trip dates: Saturday, March 15, 2025-Sunday, March 23, 2025
- Note that due to the time change, a March 15 arrival requires a departure on Friday, March 14, from Los Angeles.
- Students must be in attendance for the entire duration of the Zurich trip. Permission to arrive late or leave early will not be granted.
- The class will meet for approximately 8 hours (for classes and field trips) each day we are in Zurich, Switzerland.
- In-person classes at USC will resume on April 1, 2025, on Tuesdays only. Our final classroom session will be on April 8, 2025.
- The final presentation of class projects will take place on Earth Day, which is April 22, 2025.
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Students are responsible for arranging their own flights. The Wrigley Institute will fund and provide shared housing in Zurich. Students are also financially responsible for their food, flights, rail pass, insurance and visa fees, and any incidentals (e.g., souvenirs or outings apart from course activities) in Zurich.
Estimated Costs:
FLP Withdrawal Fee (charged only in the event of withdrawal after the commitment deadline) $500 Housing $0 (funded by the Wrigley Institute) Food $500 USC Overseas Health Insurance* $53 in 2024
TBD – this page will be updated when 2025 cost is available Personal Expenses $100 Airfare $1,200 Books and Supplies Specific to Zurich; cost may be associated with books and supplies for the course as a whole
$0 Local Services and Incidentals $100 Swiss Rail Pass* $350 International Student Identity Card $25 U.S. Passport (if not already acquired) $165 Estimated Total $2,440 Note that this is an estimated budget that is subject to change, and costs will vary among students.
*These costs are fixed and mandatory for all students enrolled in the course.
Questions?
If you have questions about any aspect of the course, please contact Wrigley Institute Experiential Learning Coordinator Hannah Maryanski Kiszla at maryansk@usc.edu.