Choose Your Specialization

In addition to gaining a broad understanding of sustainability challenges and solutions, students develop specialized expertise in one of five areas. Three courses of three credits each (9 credits total) are required to be taken in your chosen specialization/concentration. There is also a requirement that students take one course from a different specialization (the "breadth elective"). There is a great deal of flexibility in choosing courses and some overlap across the specializations. The five specializations are:

Urban Sustainability
This concentration is designed for aspiring professionals interested in the sustainable growth and development of cities. This would be a good concentration for you if you are interested in green building and energy systems. Career paths include urban design, environmental consulting, renewable energy, and more. This specialization also has the opportunity to complete a dual degree with the Masters of Regional Planning. 

Sample Practicum: Climate Action Outreach Fellow in a municipality’s Office of Sustainability and Environment
Sample Job Title: Municipal Planner

Renewable Energy and Efficient Design
This concentration, offered for the first time in Fall of 2016, is designed for aspiring professionals who are drawn to the complex issues of energy systems and the central role they will play in moving towards a more sustainable future. This would be a good concentration for you if you are interested in renewable energy production, passive design, energy policies, computer modeling with GIS or building energy analysis software. A graduate with this specialization will be prepared for a myriad of careers in the growing clean energy sector, including energy consulting firms, government bodies, non-profit organizations, and more.

Sample Practicum: Solar Engineering Design Intern
Sample Job Title: Clean Energy Project Manager at a city government

Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems
This concentration is designed for aspiring professionals who are passionate about how food is grown and the processes it goes through before it is consumed. Whether you wish to be an agricultural producer, regulate food policies, or promote global nutrition and health, this concentration provides you with all of the necessary training to pursue these and many other career paths.
 

Sample Practicum: Intern, Wellspring Harvest Hydroponic Greenhouse
Sample Job Title: Food Policy Analyst at a Food System Collaborative

Water Sustainability and Climate Change
This concentration is designed for aspiring professionals concerned about global climate change and how it affects water quality and availability. Students interested in watershed management, water pollution, and impacts of climate change on hydrology should choose this concentration. A graduate with this specialization will be ready for a variety of career paths with private companies, non-profits, and government organizations.
 

Sample Practicum: Field Research and Education Assistant at a Nature Foundation
Sample Job Title: Land Protection and Stewardship Specialist at a Land Trust

Environmental Quality
This concentration is designed for aspiring professionals focused on environmental sciences and their connection to human well-being. This would be a good concentration for you if you are interested in remediating soil and air pollution, social justice, or public health and epidemiology should pursue this concentration. A graduate with this specialization will walk away with a unique skill set that can be geared towards environmental consulting, improving and restoring brownfields and contaminated sites, disease prevention, and several other fields.
 

Sample Practicum: Education and Outreach Ecofellow at the Center for EcoTechnology
Sample Job Title: Operations Manager at a Solar company

 
 

Next...
By focusing on one of these concentration areas, students gain a deep intellectual understanding of these complex areas. But building a successful career requires more than just strong academics. That's why we also cultivate students' professional development. Learn more >