SJS 203 Thinking across Systems
This course introduces systems thinking through the analysis of the way multiple interconnected systems shape a single socio-environmental issue. Using a focused case study (e.g., urban food systems, energy transitions, or climate adaptation in cities), students examine how ecological, political, economic, and cultural systems interact and produce complex outcomes.
Rather than analyzing a single system in isolation, the course emphasizes relationships across systems, including interdependencies, feedback effects, and unintended consequences. Students work with a small set of core tools—such as system mapping and feedback analysis—to identify how different systems intersect and where points of intervention may emerge.
The course culminates in a visual and written analysis in which students map and interpret interactions across at least two systems within the chosen case.
Offered
Alternate Spring (odd years)