If you seek a high-level career as a sustainability professional and you’re ready to pursue a rigorous graduate program, then you’re in the right place! From community-focused NGOs to multinational Fortune 500 companies, from local government to state and federal agencies, there is growing demand for those with an advanced sustainability degree and real-world training. Our 1 (or 2) year program positions students to seize these opportunities and build careers that are personally meaningful and socially impactful.
What kind of students are you looking for?
We're looking for students from diverse backgrounds and professional levels; ranging from highly motivated recent undergraduates to those with extensive professional experiences. We recognize sustainability as a broad discipline and encourage applicants from a variety of undergraduate fields. This diversity in experience and academic backgrounds creates a rich multi-disciplinary learning environment for our students.
Is this the right program for me?
Our streamlined 1-year program is designed for highly motivated students who want a tailored graduate school experience and a professional sustainability career. The program is organized around five specializations, but students enjoy wide discretion in selecting courses that best fit their individual interests and aspirations. This blending of clear milestones with maximum flexibility is combined with faculty advising and applied professional opportunities.
Students graduate with: (1) a systems thinking approach to understanding the interrelated scientific, social, economic, and political underpinnings of sustainability challenges; (2) critical thinking and communications skills; (3) real-world pragmatic training and field experiences; (4) a network of peers and colleagues who are committed to each others’ success.
Our alumni are helping to change food and energy systems and make impacts in advancing sustainable business practices across New England and the U.S..
What do I need to apply?
To apply, prospective students must submit an online application to the UMass Amherst Graduate School. Required application materials include a personal statement, short essay, resume, transcripts, and at least two letters of recommendation. International students are also required to submit scores from a standardized English language proficiency test. GRE test scores are not required. A non-refundable $90 application fee is payable online via credit card.
Can I request an application fee waiver?
The application fee is automatically waived for current UMass Amherst and Five College undergraduates. The UMass Amherst Graduate School lists a number of other categories of applicants that may qualify for a fee waiver (see Application Fee Waivers here).
Email [email protected] with questions about the program.
The first step in applying to the Sustainability Science Masters program is to complete the online application through the graduate school. During this process, applicants must submit two references for letters of recommendation, a personal statement, resume, short essay, and transcripts from all colleges/universities attended, undergraduate and graduate, where nine or more credits were earned. International students are required to submit scores from a standardized English language proficiency test, unless you meet one of the waiver conditions. Accepted proficiency tests, thresholds, and waiver conditions can be seen here. The deadline for Fall admission is February 1. GRE scores are not required.
Graduate school is a challenging, fun, rigorous, and rewarding experience. You’ll learn new ideas and skills, develop an incredible network of friends and colleagues, and position yourself for career success. This educational investment also entails a significant commitment of time, effort, and financial resources.
Tuition and Fees can be found on the UMass Amherst Bursar website here. Full-time students are typically registered for 12+ credits per semester. Estimates of the cost of living in our area can be found here.
Financing
To help fund graduate education we encourage students to apply for the MS3 Leaders in Sustainability Fellowship as well as outside scholarships and fellowships.
MS3 Leaders in Sustainability Fellowship
The Department of Environmental Conservation at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst seeks to create a diverse, inclusive, and supportive environment in which graduate students from all backgrounds can thrive and succeed. We are committed to increasing access to graduate education for students from backgrounds that are underrepresented in the field of sustainability science, including but not limited to those based on race, ethnicity, country of origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability. In line with this commitment, The Leaders in Sustainability Fellowship Program supports the recruitment, retention, and success of outstanding Sustainability Science graduate students from groups historically underrepresented in the field. This fellowship provides financial support in the amount of $7,500 for students during their first year enrolled in the Master of Science in Sustainability Science (MS3) Program. All students who are offered admission to the program are invited to submit a fellowship application. Awardees are notified prior to the deadline for accepting the offer of admission (mid-April).
Financial assistance is also available through the University's financial aid services.
As a 1-year professional program we do not offer Teaching or Research Assistantships. The intensive pace makes it difficult for students to take on outside TA commitments. In addition, the professional orientation of the program means there is no required research component, thus we do not have RA positions.
Here are answers to some of our most frequently asked questions.
1. How long does the program take / Can I complete it part-time?
The Sustainability Science MS is designed as a streamlined, 1-year professional master's program. Most students choose to complete the program in two semesters and then fulfill their 4-credit internship requirement the summer after completing their coursework. However, some students decide to space the program out over three or four semesters so they can develop additional expertise in a specific area, or because outside commitments don’t allow them to complete it at an accelerated pace. Each year we have a couple of students who choose the 2-year timeframe. A typical path to completing the degree in two years is:
Fall: 3 classes
Spring: 2 classes + 1 seminar
Summer: Practicum
Fall: 2 classes + 1 seminar
Spring: 2 classes
Graduation in May
2. How much does the program cost?
Tuition and fees can be found on the UMass Bursar website here. Cost of living estimates can be found here.
3. Are there assistantship opportunities?
The program does not currently offer teaching or research assistantships as the Sustainability Science MS is an intensive 1-year professional program with no thesis/research component. The accelerated 1-year structure provides insufficient time to undertake outside teaching assistantships. The benefit is earning a master’s degree in half the time of a traditional research-based program, reducing educational costs, and entering the workforce sooner. To help with funding we encourage students to apply for outside scholarships or fellowships, and/or explore financial assistance through the University's financial aid services.
4. Can international students apply for financial aid?
International students are not eligible for financial aid. Students can apply for an alternative loan if they are able to obtain a U.S. cosigner. For further information, go to: International Students : UMass Amherst. International students are encouraged to apply for outside scholarships or fellowships, and to visit EduPass.org for information on other sources of aid.
5. Are there fellowships available?
The MS3 Leaders in Sustainability Fellowship program is a competitive fellowship opportunity to support the recruitment, retention, and success of outstanding Sustainability Science graduate students from groups historically underrepresented in the field. This fellowship has provided one-time financial support in the amount of $7,500 for three students during their first year enrolled in the program. Students who wish to be considered for the fellowship complete the fellowship application provided by the MS3 program, typically after an offer of admission has been made in the spring prior to beginning the program.
6. How do international students apply for a visa?
International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) at the Office of Global Affairs sponsors visas for students who have been admitted to the University. ISSS is a separate office from the Graduate Admissions Office. To request your visa document, first accept your offer of admission, and then follow the steps outlined in the ISSS Visa Sponsorship email. If you have not received the email, please contact [email protected]. See this webpage for more information.
7. Can I take courses in different concentrations?
Yes, our program is designed to allow students maximum flexibility in choosing courses that best fit their academic interests and career aspirations. We allow students wide discretion in assembling courses across different topic areas and there are, in fact, program requirements that students take coursework in other concentrations.
8. Can credits be transferred?
Up to 6 graduate-level credits of grade B or above may be transferred to your graduate transcript, pending approval from both the MS3 Graduate Program Director, Britt Crow-Miller, and the Graduate School. For more information, see the Transfer Credit Policy in the Graduate School Handbook.
9. Can I create a new concentration?
We do not officially permit students to create their own concentration as there is a great deal of flexibility within the five available concentrations. If your career goals extend beyond the defined concentrations, you are free to discuss further with the Graduate Program Director to identify additional options.
10. What is the degree structure and requirements?
All students are required to take a total of 33 credits to graduate. All must be 500-level or above.
● 14 “Core Knowledge” credits – a required 3-credit class called "Perspectives on Sustainability" and two 1-credit seminars, plus 9 credits in the “core breadth" categories – one 3-credit class each in Ecological Systems, Urban & Social Systems, and Policy & Economics
● 9 credits in your selection concentration category
● 6 Elective credits – 3 credits from a different concentration area (“Breadth Elective”) and 3 credits from any category (“Free Elective”)
● 4-credit Practicum (internship)
● Additional requirements: 12 credits must be 600-level or above; at least half of the required credits must receive a letter grade; only courses with a “C” or better can count toward the degree.
11. What kind of courses would I take?
Our program trains students to be interdisciplinary thinkers who will go out and work toward solving the world’s sustainability challenges. All students gain a common foundation in the breadth of sustainability science and develop a deeper expertise within a concentration area of their choice. The Perspectives on Sustainability course develops a foundational understanding of the field of Sustainability Science. Seminars expose students to current research in a wide variety of sustainability areas.
Students also select an area of focus from one of our five concentrations: 1) Urban Sustainability, 2) Renewable Energy and Efficient Design, 3) Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems, 4) Water Sustainability and Climate Change, and 5) Environmental Quality. There is a wide variety of classes offered within each of these concentrations, so students can select courses that meet their own individual interests. Students also take at least one course in a different concentration so that they continue to develop an interdisciplinary understanding of sustainability.
12. What kind of internships do students do?
The capstone to the coursework is a 4-credit Practicum (internship) that allows students to apply what they have learned in the classroom to a real-world setting. Students can intern in a wide array of sectors, including nonprofits, businesses, government, and higher education. Our students come from a variety of academic disciplines and thus the individual internships/projects they choose to pursue span a wide range. We have had students work on water issues in Alaska, clean energy in Massachusetts, anti-pollution breast cancer campaigns, and on projects related to sustainable food in schools, to name just a few.
13. Where are Sustainability Science graduates employed?
Our recent graduates have successful careers in a variety of sectors including consulting firms, business, academia, environmental NGOs, research institutes and government. You can see a selection of our alumni on the program website on the “Alumni & Outcomes” page.
14. What kind of careers would this masters degree prepare me for?
Sustainability is an evolving and growing field. As society continues to recognize the need for sustainable solutions to environmental, social, and economic problems, new categories of jobs (such as sustainability managers) are coming into existence. By training students to be interdisciplinary thinkers who can go out and start solving the world’s sustainability challenges we provide them with the foundations they need to succeed not only in the current job market but also in the emerging job market of tomorrow.
We attract students from a wide variety of academic disciplines (environmental science, economics, business, public policy, and communications, to name just a few). These students have diverse professional interests and thus the individual careers they choose to pursue span a wide range. Within our program, the different concentration areas also serve to prepare students for different career paths. While students may choose to pursue additional career paths, the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems track trains students for positions regulating food policy, promoting global nutrition, and steering government decision-making. Urban Sustainability prepares students for careers in city planning, environmental consulting, and renewable energy. Environmental Quality provides a foundation for careers related to the links between human health and the environment, remediation, and consulting. Water Sustainability and Climate Change readies students to be watershed managers, climate modelers, and consultants. Renewable Energy & Efficient Design prepares students for work in
the energy sector in consulting, environmental permitting, private industry/energy development, and government work. Some of our recent graduates are working for consulting firms, academia, government, and nonprofits.
15. Is this degree terminal?
Our 1-year streamlined program is primarily designed for students wanting to build a professional career as a sustainability practitioner. This would include positions in business, consulting, nonprofits, and government. Although it is designed as a terminal degree, students sometimes pursue additional degrees for research or academic careers.
16. How do I search for classes?
On the program website under Academics -> Advising Materials, there is a hyperlink to the "Approved Course List" which identifies more than 150 courses offered at the university which can meet one of the program requirements. The program is interdisciplinary in nature and intentionally flexible to enable students to choose their own courses so long as they fit within the appropriate categories. The "Roadmap to Graduation" template, also accessible on the Advising Materials page, allows students to map out their coursework across semesters. For the most up to date information on courses offered in the upcoming semester, prospective students can search in SPIRE, under “Catalogs & Schedules,” click on “Search Classes”).
In the SPIRE catalog search, under “Course Career,” select Graduate so that results will return only classes at the 500 level or above. For “Course Subject” (Department), select one of the following: Environmental Conservation, Stockbridge School of Agriculture, Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning, Building and Construction Technology, Environmental Science, Public Policy, Geosciences, Geography, History, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Food Sciences, Nutrition, Public Health, etc. Under "Class Attributes", "GRN: Sustainability Understanding" is an option for a more granular search.
17. Is there a Graduate School Handbook?
Yes. The academic rules, procedures, and deadlines that graduate students must follow while enrolled at UMass are contained in the Graduate School Handbook, which can be accessed here: https://www.umass.edu/graduate/handbook
18. Where do I go if I still have more questions?
Please send any questions you have via email to MS3 Administrative Assistant Toni Cunningham at @email.