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We reflect on our experiences in developing and teaching industrial ecology to interdisciplinary classes of M.Sc. and Ph.D. students. During a three-year period different ways of teaching a course in industrial ecology were tested. We conclude that an industrial ecology course has positive ef-fects on the students ’ ability to acquire a holistic under-standing of life-cycle environmental performance, a skill much in demand by industry. Such a course should be based on problem-oriented learning. We recommend the use of thematically-focused seminars with time for both lectures and workshops. We found that substantial partici-pation by teachers from different disciplines and partners from industry and government is very effective. Such a course also facilitates a broader process of change within the university. Implementing industrial ecology in the uni-versity requires a joint effort and collaboration among various faculties and departments, where research activi-ties, student projects, as well as regular student teaching and tutoring, must be complementary elements of a ma-jor interdisciplinary strategy. Such a strategy has been em-ployed at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) since the first initiatives in this area were taken in 1993, and this has led to our present mor