Introduction
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Overview
Sustainable Systems accepts students from any academic background and encompasses a wide range of interdisciplinary studies in sustainability science. Here, you won’t be restricted to one sustainability topic or methodology. You will comprehensively learn and experience the methods that lead to environmental, social, technological, and business success, working one-on-one with a faculty advisor to tailor the degree to your sustainability interests.
In the Sustainable Systems MS, you will start with a broad foundation of knowledge in environmental life cycle assessment, sustainable decision making, economic and policy strategies, and more. Then, you will have the opportunity to customize your degree in areas that suit your interests and career goals—such as renewable energy or mobility—as well as get the hands-on experience that employers are seeking. In as little as one year of study, you will be prepared to make sustainability decisions that you can apply to any career.
Not only will you be able to focus on an area that interests you, but you will be able to get hands-on in your projects with the use of one of our many labs or through design modeling tools. This degree allows you the flexibility to adapt your career over time and in response to the ever-changing developments in sustainability. The Golisano Institute for Sustainability is dedicated to groundbreaking sustainability research and its business applications. Our research facilities are second to none, including Sustainability Institute Hall, a 75,000 sq. ft. LEED Platinum certified research building and multiple state-of-the-art research centers.
You don’t need a background in sustainability to join this program; just a desire to create positive change in the world. We bring in students of all ages, from all backgrounds—from mechanical engineering to political science—and from all over the world so that your learning experience comes not just from the classroom, but from the different perspectives of fellow students.
Plan of Study
Through a flexible and interdisciplinary curriculum, you’ll begin your degree with core courses in industrial ecology, risk assessment, the economics of sustainability, and more. Several electives from across the university will allow you to further tailor your degree to your talents and career goals, from sustainable craft brewing and distilling to corporate social responsibility.
Your degree culminates with a research thesis or a capstone project. Recent thesis examples include:
Techno-Environmental Analysis of Generating Animal Feed from Wasted Food Products
Fabrication and life cycle assessment of organic photovoltaics
Characterizing adaptive capacity to climate change in developing countries: a case study on Peru
You must complete 24 credit hours of course work plus a 6 credit hour thesis or capstone project, which can be completed in as little as one year by full-time students.
Potential tracks
Sustainable Energy
Sustainable Energy Systems
Food-Energy-Water Nexus
Energy Policy
Example Research Project: Inspection of wind turbine blades with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)
Circular Economy
Intro to Geographic Info Systems (GIS)
Data Analysis for Sustainability
Innovation Policy
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
Example Research Project: Assessing a baseline case for reaching carbon neutrality in Monroe County by 2027
Sustainable Urban Systems
Sustainable Mobility Systems
Graduate Sustainable Communities
Sustainable Building Metrics
Example Research Project: Evaluating strategies for sustainable renovation of RIT campus buildings
Enhanced career opportunities
Our graduates have a 100% placement rate, in part because of RIT’s dedication to career counseling and ongoing relationships with employers. This means that all of our graduates go on to get a job or further their education shortly after graduating. And If you’re interested in pursuing a career more focused in academia or research, the master’s degree is also an excellent stepping stone to a doctoral program, such as RIT’s Ph.D. in Sustainability, if you take the route of completing a thesis while here.
Community involvement
Rochester, NY, is a hub for sustainability professionals and entrepreneurship. Students in the Sustainable Systems degree program are often regularly involved with local companies and organizations, from teaching about sustainability practices at inner-city high schools to completing a capstone project for companies including Rochester Regional Health or Wegmans’ corporate headquarters.
Industries
Oil and Gas
Manufacturing
Utilities and Renewable Energy
Research
Curriculum
Sustainable Systems (capstone option), MS degree, typical course sequence (semesters)
First Year
ISUS-702 Fundamentals of Sustainability Science
ISUS-704 Industrial Ecology
ISUS-706 Economics of Sustainable Systems
ISUS-780 Capstone
ISUS-806 Risk Analysis
ISUS-808 Multicriteria Sustainable Systems
PUBL-810 Technology, Policy, and Sustainability (or approved substitute)
Electives
Sustainable Systems (thesis option), MS degree, typical course sequence (semesters)
First Year
ISUS-702 Fundamentals of Sustainability Science
ISUS-704 Industrial Ecology
ISUS-706 Economics of Sustainable Systems
ISUS-806 Risk Analysis
ISUS-808 Multicriteria Sustainable Systems
Electives
Second Year
ISUS-790 Thesis
PUBL-810 Technology, Policy, and Sustainability (or approved substitute)
Elective
Admission Requirements
To be considered for admission to the MS program in sustainable systems, candidates must fulfill the following requirements:
Complete a graduate application.
Hold a baccalaureate degree (or equivalent) from an accredited university or college from an accredited institution.
Submit official transcripts (in English) of all previously completed undergraduate and graduate course work.
Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 (or equivalent).
Have fulfilled the following curriculum requirements: one year of college science and one year of college mathematics (including calculus and statistics).
Submit scores from the GRE.
Submit a personal statement of educational objectives.
Submit a current resume or curriculum vitae.
Participate in an interview with the academic department.
Submit two letters of recommendation from academic or professional sources.
International applicants whose native language is not English must submit scores from the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE. A minimum TOEFL score of 100 (internet-based) is required. A minimum IELTS score of 7.0 is required. The English language test score requirement is waived for native speakers of English or for those submitting transcripts from degrees earned at American institutions.
