Initial Publication Date: April 30, 2012

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Supporting Essay

BS Detailed Program Description

Masters of Science in Sustainability Studies (MSSS), UT at Brownsville

Information for this profile was provided by Jeff Wilson, PhD, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, the University of Texas at Brownsville. Students in this program are pursuing a masters degree.

Program Design & Assessment

Overview

Masters of Science in Sustainability Studies (MSSS) at the University of Texas at Brownsville is a trans-disciplinary training program combining sustainability practices from business, architecture, public policy, and environmental sciences towards a unified framework.

Impetus

The impetus was a grant RFP from the National Science Foundation for funding masters of science programs. We were not funded and are now trying to raise the proposal from the ashes.

Program Goals

This program will provide a competitive advantage to our graduates, priming them with knowledge and research experience to address the rapidly changing global economy in which sustainability will be a necessity more than a concept.

Alumni Careers

Our program is designed to prepare graduates for these career paths:

  • Federal, state and local environmental jobs
  • Employment 'outside of field' in corporations and architecture firms that are seeking sustainability-trained students in various departments (e.g. CRS).

Program Assessment

  • Graduation Rates
  • Job/Graduate School Placements
  • Job placement in field

Courses and Sequencing

Entry into the program

  • Population Dynamics and Resource Management
  • Environmental Economics and Policy
  • Climate Change and Biogeochemical Cycles
  • Sustainable Urban Systems and Land Use
  • Intro to GIS
  • Environmental Modeling / Quantitiative Methods for Sustainability
  • Intro to Sustainability

Core courses

  • Hydrology and Water Resources Management
  • GIS for Environmental, Disaster, and Risk Analysis
  • Sustainable Water (Conservation, Reclamation, Reuse)
  • Sustainable Risk Management
  • Green Chemistry
  • Solid Waste Management and Recycling
  • Aquaculture
  • Air Quality, Management and Emission Control

Electives

  • Students are required to take electives, chosen from the following list:
  • Green Architecture, Building and Design
  • Environmental Nanotechnology
  • Sustainable Urban Systems and Dynamics
  • Environmental Regulatory Compliance
  • Sustainable Materials

Capstone

  • Sustainability Research Problems


Program Themes