Sustainability is about choices made within specific environmental, economic, social, and cultural contexts. Sustainability scholarship involves creating, integrating and harnessing new knowledge to protect and improve social and natural systems and their interactions. The Department of Community Sustainability (CSUS) is an interdisciplinary department that addresses contemporary issues of sustainability in agriculture, recreation, natural resources, and the environment. The Department of Community Sustainability (CSUS) was formerly called the Department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation, and Resource Studies (CARRS).
Consistent with its mission to assist in the development of sustainable communities, the department offers three undergraduate majors linked by a common core in community sustainability. These three majors - Environmental Studies and Sustainability (ESS); Sustainable Parks, Recreation and Tourism (SPRT); and Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Education (AFNRE) – share a set of courses centered on community sustainability. The CSUS graduate program offers two graduate majors: Community Sustainability (MS and PhD) and Sustainable Tourism and Protected Areas Management (MS and PhD). In both undergraduate and graduate programs, CSUS embraces international as well as domestic applications, engagement, and opportunities.
Undergraduate
CSUS undergraduate programs are designed to educate scholars and practitioners who are able to create, integrate and harness new knowledge to protect and improve both social and natural systems.
Graduate
CSUS offers three graduate degree programs to prepare scholar-activists interested in sustainability, recreation and tourism, food systems, agriculture education and international development for research, community engagement and knowledge production.
Featured in the News
-
Detroiters more likely to support local solar power development if they think it reduces energy prices for their community
Published on March 7, 2024 by The Conversation
-
Educator of the Month, February 2024: Tanya Iretskaia
Published on February 1, 2024 by The Graduate School, MSU
-
The life of a modern shepherdess: Bridging tradition and innovation in farming in rural Michigan
Published on January 11, 2024 by Rural Innovation Exchange
-
Sunblocked: Resistance to Solar in Farm Country
Published on January 6, 2024 by Reveal News
-
Michigan State University alumna named first Schwarzman Scholar
Published on December 6, 2023 by MSU Honors College
Events
-
Mar 21
2024 Michigan Natural Features Inventory Open House
March 21, 2024 10:00AM – 1:00PM MSU Food Safety and Toxicology Building, Room 62 in East Lansing
This is an opportunity for faculty, researchers, and natural resource professionals to learn more about MNFI’s unique mission and the work they do across the state as Michigan’s Natural Heritage Program.
-
Apr 2
CANR DEI Committe event featuring Cindy Horgan
April 2, 2024 11:30AM – 12:30PM Ag Hall rm 75 / Zoom
April seminar featuring Cindy Horgan