During the presentation, Hogan — who earned a bachelor’s degree in appropriate technology, now called sustainable technology — displayed a list of Appalachian graduates he knew who are working or had worked for Tesla. Sustainable Technology (BS) The Bachelor of Science degree in Sustainable Technology helps students develop the skills needed to design, build and maintain technological systems that will help create a more sustainable world. One of seven departments housed in the College of Fine and Applied Arts, the Department of Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment at Appalachian State University features an integrated array of programs spanning the fields of sustainable design and technology.