Two graduate students working in a community garden

Tomorrow Needs You. Are You Ready?

Receive a graduate education from an accredited institution.

Sustainable Communities—MS

Join one of the fastest growing fields in the 21st-century economy. Sustainability-related jobs, especially at the management and leadership level, require a holistic understanding of complex issues and the various applied tools for research, investigation, inquiry. Problems related to sustainability are the most pressing problems of contemporary society and these problems are, at their foundation, social issues. Develop the skill sets and understandings necessary to work on sustainability issues in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. Are you ready?

Accelerated Master's Program is available for current Michigan Tech students.

Program Overview

Learn the historical foundations and contemporary frameworks used in sustainability sciences with a master's in sustainable communities. Apply social research and inquiry skills to examine sustainability issues. Gather and analyze information from a diverse set of sources to understand contemporary sustainability issues. Partner with diverse teams of stakeholders to work towards enhancing sustainability based on identified goals. Our program is designed around four core areas: Social Science Foundations, Applied Inquiry Skills, Socio-ecological and Socio-technological systems, and the Capstone Experience.

Delivery Options
- Accelerated: MS
- On-Campus: MS

Sustainable Communities Program Details

Choose a specific degree option or delivery type to learn more about the sustainable communities program at Michigan Tech. For international students, Sustainable Communities is a designated STEM program.

On-Campus Programs

MS, Sustainable Communities: Report Option

This option requires a report describing the results of an independent study project. The scope of the research topic should be defined in such a way that a full-time student could complete the requirements for a master’s degree in twelve months or three semesters following the completion of coursework by regularly scheduling graduate research credits.

Of the minimum total of 30 credits, at least 24 must be earned in coursework other than the project:

Total Credit Requirements
Option Parts	Credits
Coursework (minimum)	24 Credits
Report	2-6 Credits
Total (minimum)	30 Credits

Distribution of Coursework Credit
Distribution	Credits
5000-6000 series (minimum)	12 Credits
3000-4000 (maximum)	12 Credits

Programs may have stricter requirements and may require more than the minimum number of credits listed here.

MS, Sustainable Communities: Coursework Option

This option requires a minimum of 30 credits be earned through coursework. A limited number of research credits may be used with the approval of the advisor, department, and Graduate School. See degree requirements for more information.

A graduate program may require an oral or written examination before conferring the degree and may require more than the minimum credits listed here:

Distribution of Coursework Credit
Distribution	Credits
5000-6000 series (minimum)	18 Credits
3000-4000 (maximum)	12 Credits

Accelerated MS, Sustainable Communities

Bachelor's + 1 Year = Master's Degree

Our accelerated master's degree program is a faster, easier way for Michigan Tech students to earn a master's degree. Up to nine approved credits from your bachelor's degree can be applied towards your accelerated master's degree. Consult your graduate program director for your individualized plan. If you're thinking about pursuing a master's following your bachelor's this option may be the right choice for you.

Additional Program Information

Want to learn more about sustainable communities at Michigan Tech? Visit the department for more information:

Contact

Graduate Director

Don Lafreniere

Graduate Assistant

Kathryn Hannum

Sample Areas of Interest

Select areas of interest to help customize your sustainable communities MS. Sample areas include:

Sustainability
Environmental Science
Public Policy

View full listing for this program

Application Process and Admissions Requirements

Applications are reviewed on an individual basis using a holistic approach. Fill out our free graduate application online to apply to any of our programs. Official transcripts and scores are not required for the initial application, although you will need to upload them later.

Graduate School Admissions Process

Applying to Graduate School is free (no application fees) and fast (no official transcripts or test scores are needed to start). The application process involves three easy steps. International applicants are required to pay a non-refundable $10 processing fee per application.

See Admissions Steps

Graduate School Admissions Options

Michigan Tech offers several admissions options in order to meet the educational needs of students from a variety of backgrounds. Students should review the options available to them and apply for the program that will best help them achieve their personal educational goals.

See Admissions Options

Graduate School Requirements

To be considered for admission to the Graduate School as a degree- or certificate-seeking student, you need to:

have a bachelor's degree or its equivalent from an accredited institution, and
be prepared for advanced study in your chosen field, as demonstrated by your previous degree and your scholastic record.

See additional application requirements, including required materials:

Student Statements

Official Transcripts

Program Specific Requirements

Program Specific

2 Letters of Recommendation
Résumé / Curriculum vitae
Admitted applicants typically have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale
Preferred majors: Any discipline
GRE not required

International Students

TOEFL: Recommended Score of at least 79 iBT
IELTS: Recommended Overall Band Score of at least 6.5

Michigan Tech requires a minimum 79 overall TOEFL or 6.5 overall IELTS score.

Admissions Decisions

Made starting on March 15 for the fall semester, November 15 for spring semester admissions.

Application Deadline

Fall Semester: January 15.
Spring Semester: September 15.

International Student Requirements

International Students must apply and be accepted into a degree-granting program in order to earn a graduate certificate. A non-refundable $10 processing fee per application is required.

See International Applicants

Accelerated Master's Requirements

Our Accelerated Master's Program is available for current Michigan Tech students.

Program Specific

2 Letters of Recommendation
Résumé / Curriculum vitae
Overall GPA of 3.0 or higher
Student Statements
GRE not required

Accredited by HLC

Michigan Tech has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) since 1928. Our Graduate School offers over 125 certificates, master's, and PhD programs to provide our students and the world with what tomorrow needs.

Who You'll Work With

In the Sustainable Communities program, you’ll work with a variety of local stakeholders—municipal, county, state, and federal government; indigenous communities; and private companies on the frontlines of solving sustainability challenges. Together with experienced faculty, you’ll be exposed to a variety of issues and topics, including:

climate change policy and commitments
energy conservation and renewable energy policy
environmental and rural sociology theory and methods
human rights
natural resource economics
public policy
urban environments and population health
watershed change and water quality

Where You'll Work

Get out from behind your desk and into the field to work on real-world sustainability issues. From energy conservation and renewable energy policy in the Upper Midwest to the global impacts of climate change, you’ll apply what you learn to projects around the world. Our students' work has taken them across the Americas and throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Faculty Spotlight

Chelsea Schelly

Chelsea Schelly
Associate Professor, Sociology

"The biggest challenges to community-scale sustainability were created by humans—and they can be changed by humans, too."

Contributing to more sustainable communities requires that we question all we take for granted in the ways systems and institutions are designed to meet (or deny) human needs and comforts. Faculty in the Department of Social Sciences share a passion for teaching students how to use skills from the social sciences to understand sustainability challenges and contribute to a more sustainable future.

In my own research and teaching, I aim to take aspects of society that people of privilege in the United States take for granted and make them visible objects of our questions, our challenges, and our collective efforts at transformation so that individuals and communities can flourish.

Program Faculty