University of Massachusetts Amherst
AC-4: Graduate Program

Sustainability Science is a professional master’s degree program that trains students for sustainability-focused careers in industry, academia, government, and the nonprofit sector. The program is grounded in the philosophy that solving societal challenges requires a new generation of leaders who understand integrated sustainable thinking, engage in rigorous interdisciplinary academic training, and develop practical career-based experience.

Entering students first build a common disciplinary foundation through core knowledge courses. They acquire breadth in environmental systems, urban and social systems, economics, and political science through electives. Next, students develop a specialization in one of five concentration 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 practicum where students apply their educational training in a real-world professional setting.

Sustainability is a vital issue in today’s world. Scientists, politicians, and the public recognize the detrimental impact of wastefulness and over-reliance on non-renewable resources. This is particularly true in the building industry, where daily decisions can have a critical impact on the health and well-being of the community and the environment. Many aspects influence sustainability in the built environment: Site selection and environmental modification, design of buildings and structures, choice of materials and structural systems, selection and sizing of building energy systems, construction processes and waste streams.

BCT’s graduate study options provide students with an opportunity to deepen their understanding of the interrelations and sustainability implications of the entirety of a building’s systems. Through course-based study at the Master’s level or research-based study at either the Master’s or Doctoral level, students acquire necessary professional knowledge, influence the scientific discourse, and prepare themselves for successful careers in the broad fields of green building and sustainability in the built environment.

The Geography Program provides graduate education in human geography, environmental geography, remote sensing, and GIS. The program supervise advanced studies in human geography focused on urban geography, political geography, political ecology, cultural ecology, sustainability, rivers and river basin management, and environmental history, from social science and humanities theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches. We also advise students interested in graduate work in environmental geography from both the human geography perspectives listed above and from a physical geography perspective emphasizing carbon cycling. Our faculty have strong regional interests in the U.S., Canada, China, Japan, and Nepal.

Alternative Investments (MF), https://www.isenberg.umass.edu/programs/masters/mf/academics/curriculum
Applied Geohydrology, https://www.geo.umass.edu/one-year-professional-masters-program-applied-geohydrology-department-geosciences-umass-amherst
Architecture, https://www.umass.edu/architecture/graduate-studies-architecture
Design in Historic Preservation, https://www.umass.edu/architecture/ms-design-historic-preservation
Engineering Management (MS), https://mie.umass.edu/graduate-students/ms-programs/master-science-engineering-management
Environmental and Water Resources Engineering, http://cee.umass.edu/graduate/environmental-engineering
Environmental Conservation (MS, PhD), https://eco.umass.edu/academics/graduate-programs/environmental-conservation-m-s-ph-d/
Environmental Health Sciences (MPH, MS, PhD), https://www.umass.edu/public-health-sciences/academics/departments/environmental-health-sciences
Geographic Information Science and Technology (GIST) (M.S.), https://www.geo.umass.edu/programs/graduate/GIST
Geography (MS, PhD), http://www.geo.umass.edu/programs/graduate/geography?_ga=2.264324303.1965609450.1582510284-866384430.1574177191
Geosciences, https://www.geo.umass.edu/programs/graduate/geology
Geotechnical Engineering, http://cee.umass.edu/geotech-degree-programs
Intercampus Marine Science (MS, PhD, PSM), https://marine.massachusetts.edu/
Landscape Architecture (MLA), https://www.umass.edu/larp/graduate/landscape-architecture-mla
Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, http://mie.umass.edu/mie-graduate-programs (focus on wind energy)
Microbiology (MS, PhD), http://www.micro.umass.edu/graduate/program-overview
Nutrition (MS,MPH, PhD), https://www.umass.edu/sphhs/nutrition
Organismic & Evolutionary Biology (MS, PhD), https://gpls.cns.umass.edu/oeb
Planning (PhD), https://www.umass.edu/larp/graduate/phd-planning
Plant & Soil Sciences (MS, PhD), https://stockbridge.cns.umass.edu/academics/graduate-degrees
Plant Biology, http://www.bio.umass.edu/plantbio/
Political Science (MA, PhD), http://polsci.umass.edu/graduate-programs
Public Policy (MPP), https://www.umass.edu/spp/academics/graduate-degree-programs/master-public-policy
Public Policy & Administration (MPPA), https://www.umass.edu/spp/academics/mppa
Regional Planning (MRP), https://www.umass.edu/larp/graduate/regional-planning-mrp
Resource Economics (MS, PhD), https://www.umass.edu/resec/academics/graduate-program
Structural Engineering and Mechanics, http://cee.umass.edu/sem-degree-programs
Transportation Engineering, http://cee.umass.edu/transportation-degree-programs

Through the leadership of Clean Energy Extension, UMass Amherst now offers its Offshore Wind Professional Certificate. It offers a professional certificate in offshore wind to professionals and graduate students seeking to up-skill and broaden their knowledge to address the needs of the offshore wind industry. This certificate covers the broad range of disciplines involved in this industry, including technology and engineering, development and finance, supply chain management, marketing, environmental impact, business logistics, law, and policy. 9 credits of coursework are completed through online courses, with special events offered online as well.

The Graduate Certificate in Climate Change, Hazards and Green Infrastructure Planning provides students with a credential showing that they have unique skills in one of the most pressing topic areas in policy today. This is a nationally-innovative program bringing together the knowledge of the need for more resilient communities and the skills to address it through the built form and social structure.

This is a new, cross-campus training program designed for the next generation of leaders in solving the planning, climate change, equity, and technical challenges in the transition to renewable energy sources. The program includes a core course based on an electricity market simulation game, training in leadership and public engagement, and interaction with communities and stakeholders. Students conduct research that is rooted in their own discipline and bridges knowledge to other fields through transdisciplinary collaboration with students and faculty from diverse departments.

Social Justice Education Graduate Certificate in Teaching , https://www.umass.edu/education/programs/social-justice/certificate
Five College Native American and Indigenous Studies, https://www.fivecolleges.edu/academics/native-american-and-indigenous-studies
Global Health Certificate, https://www.umass.edu/sphhs-online/programs/global-health-certificate
Wind Energy Certificate, https://www.umass.edu/windenergy/study/graduatecertificate
Cultural Landscape Management, https://www.umass.edu/larp/certificates/clm

Reviewed graduate offerings through the School of Earth & Sustainability and the UMass Graduate School programs list. There have been several changes since our last submission, including updated program names, new programs, and new certificates.