The Department of Community Sustainability offers three graduate degree programs in Community Sustainability—(i) Master of Science – Plan A (MS-A), (ii) Master of Science – Plan B (MS-B), and (iii) Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). These programs provide a way for individuals to advance knowledge through research or professional development in the context of community sustainability.  The CSUS MS and PhD programs offer a program of study with a core curriculum that includes coursework related to the foundations of community sustainability and interdisciplinary inquiry.

Broadly speaking, faculty, academic staff, and graduate students working in this graduate program tend to focus their work on community food and agricultural systems, natural resources and the environment, tourism and recreation systems, education and civic engagement, and international development. These themes are very broad, and they overlap with other focal areas the department’s other MS and PhD graduate programs. We apply our work in these areas in both domestic and international settings, with numerous faculty and graduate students working in the context of international development.

Graduates will be prepared to work with a wide range of sustainability-related entities, including government, non-profit organizations, and commercial businesses. PhD graduates will be prepared additionally to work in academia or in research-related positions with a wide array of organizations.

Students interested in applying to the MS-A, MS-B, or PhD program in Community Sustainability, please visit the MSU Admissions website.

The graduate programs in Community Sustainability (CSUS) are designed principally for persons who wish to acquire advanced knowledge related to community sustainability through research or professional development. The programs are grounded in the theoretical foundations of sustainability, but they are flexible enough to allow for the integration of methodological advancement and/or subject matter content through courses in CSUS and in other academic departments.

Applicants must select one program. Applicants may not apply to more than one program simultaneously.