Program Overview

The MS in Sustainability Science (MS3) program trains students to be integrated, systems thinkers who are ready to tackle the socio-environmental challenges of the 21st century.

Entering students first build a common core knowledge, including breadth in ecological systems, urban and social systems, and policy and economics. Students develop a specialization in one of the following areas: Urban Sustainability, Renewable Energy and Efficient Design, Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems, Water Sustainability and Climate Change, and Environmental Quality. The program culminates with a 4-credit, 150-hour practicum (internship) where students apply their educational training in a real-world, professional setting.

By combining core knowledge, a specialization, electives and a practicum, for a minimum of 33 credits, students build a strong intellectual foundation for analyzing interconnections between social, economic and ecological systems, and hone a professional level of expertise in their chosen concentration.

The program is structured around four areas: core knowledge (14 credits), specialization (9 credits), electives (6 credits), and practicum (4 credits). This framework grounds students in a common understanding of sustainability while allowing them maximum flexibility in honing expertise in their concentration of choice. This provides a clear roadmap to graduation and students have the flexibility to best fit their academic interests and career aspirations.

Our students are part of a vibrant, progressive community, and our program is a national leader for sustainability in higher education.