Graduate Programs

SES Graduate Programs

The UMass School of Earth and Sustainability provides advanced training for scholars, practitioners, and leaders in the natural and built environments. Our graduate programs prepare students for exciting academic and professional careers paths. This includes a range of multidisciplinary professional MS, research MS/PhD, and one-year MS programs that meet or exceed the requirements of science and sustainability-related fields.

Students present their 3D model project to an audience in a classroom setting. The presenters stand at the front of the room, explaining their project using a projector screen displaying architectural views and site plans. The audience, seated on yellow chairs, listens attentively. The walls are adorned with various architectural drawings and plans.

Applied Geohydrology

The professional master's program in applied geohydrology consists of coursework in geohydrology and allied fields with an emphasis on environmental applications and the flexibility to also pursue independent study, professional development training, an internship, and cooperative experience.

Environmental Conservation

The environmental conservation program offers a multifaceted MS and PhD degree program, with diverse opportunities in wildlife, fish and conservation biology, forest resources and arboriculture, wetlands and watersheds, and environmental policy.

Geographic Information Science and Technology

The geographic information science and technology program is an accelerated, one-year professional master’s program designed to provide a solid foundation and a useful degree credential in the field of geospatial technologies.

Geography

The geography program provides graduate education in human geography, environmental geography, remote sensing, and GIS through an MS degree in geography and a PhD in geosciences with a concentration in geography.

Geosciences

The geosciences program offers MS and PhD degrees in a broad range of fields, including structural geology, geophysics, analytical geochemistry, climatology and paleoclimatology, hydrogeology, and environmental geology.

Intercampus Marine Science Graduate Program

The intercampus marine science program is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary MS and PhD program in the marine sciences with unique intercampus faculty mentoring, cross campus enrollment in a variety of relevant graduate courses, and research opportunities within the Pioneer Valley Five College network.

Landscape Architecture

The professionally accredited landscape architecture master’s program prepares students to become leaders in sustainable landscape design. Students participate in lecture and discussion classes, labs, workshops, and individual research projects, as well as an applied studio internship.

Regional Planning

The regional planning master's program and dual-degree professional programs are fully accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board of the American Planning Association. These programs combine theoretical, historical, social, political, and technical dimensions of planning practice with a strong emphasis on practice. The planning PhD program leads to a research degree for students interested in careers in the academic world or in research for public agencies or private corporations.

Microbiology

The microbiology MS and PhD programs offer broad training that provides graduates with the flexibility and depth necessary to compete effectively for research positions in universities, industry and government. One of the core research areas of the microbiology graduate program is environmental microbiology. This discipline focuses on microbial diversity, microbial interactions with each other and their environment, ways to remediate environmental damage and ensure healthy environments, and new ways to generate green energy.

Plant and Soil Sciences

The plant and soil sciences MS and PhD programs provides rigorous training in biology and laboratory methods in plant science or general applied biology, with advanced coursework in plant science and biotechnology, horticultural sciences, plant pathology, conservation biology, soil science, and related disciplines.

Sustainability Science

The sustainability science one-year professional master’s program prepares students with integrated systems-based approaches, cross-disciplinary foundations, specialized expertise, and applied training for sustainability-focused careers in industry, academia, government, and the nonprofit sector.

Sustainable Building Systems

The sustainable building systems professional MS and research MS/PhD programs provide students with an understanding of the interrelations and sustainability implications of the entirety of a building’s systems through scientific inquiry and career-focused training.

Dual degree

Dual-degree programs offer an increased level of depth and interdisciplinary study for students interested in the confluences between academic and professional fields. These programs provide accreditation in multiple fields in accelerated two or three-year programs.

SES Dual-Degree Programs:

Graduate Student at The School of Earth and Sustainability uses a microscope for her scientific research