The Masters in Sustainability program integrates environmental, economic, social, philosophical, and ethical themes of sustainability. Our 30 s.h. program is designed to give students real world, hands-on experiences solving sustainability problems. Students in this sustainability program may attend full- or part-time.
Sustainability is often defined as using resources wisely now to ensure the quality of life for future generations. However, this program delves deeper into the concepts of sustainability and asks students to seek different ways of analyzing and achieving sustainability in different settings. This sustainability program also takes a balanced approach in trying to understand how to make developed countries more sustainable while also addressing the real-world sustainability crisis that exists in the developing world. Students are required to complete either a thesis or an internship to complete the sustainability degree.
Admission Requirements
Applicants must hold a bachelor's degree in a discipline that will allow them to study some aspect of the field of sustainability at an advanced level and have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or equivalent. Please also send a letter explaining your interests in sustainability studies to the graduate director, Dr. Jase Bernhardt at Jase.E.Bernhardt@hofstra.edu.
Program Requirements
This is the suggested course grid for students in the program.
Sustainability, MA
Professor Bernhardt, Graduate Program Director, 516-463-5731
Sustainability is often defined as the wise use of resources in the present with the goal of ensuring the quality of life for future generations. The Master of Arts program in sustainability focuses on environmental, economic, social, ethical, and philosophical themes of sustainability. Students will delve deeply into the concept of sustainability and examine the many different ways of achieving sustainability across different settings. The program will take a balanced approach in trying to understand how to make developed countries more sustainable while also addressing crises in sustainability in the developing world. The program is designed to give students significant real-world, hands-on experience. Students may attend full- or part-time.
Admission Requirements
- Applicants must hold a bachelor's degree in a discipline that will allow them to study the field of sustainability at an advanced level, with a GPA of 3.0 or equivalent at the undergraduate level.
- The program is structured to accommodate both full-time and part-time students. It welcomes students from a diverse academic background, including recent graduates and those who are working and want advancement in their careers. Hofstra University is recognized for its commitment to extending equal opportunity to all qualified individuals. The University also recognizes that minorities are underrepresented in the field of sustainability and is therefore especially interested in recruiting such students.
- For non-native speakers of English, a TOEFL may be required unless waived by Graduate Admission and/or the program director, after having received evidence of English-language proficiency. Non-native speakers of English may be required to take an English enrichment course during their first semester of study pending results from the TOEFL and a Hofstra-administered English proficiency exam.
- Applications must submit a 1-2 page letter of intent detailing professional and academic goals.
The program understands that any single criterion may not reliably predict a candidate's potential for success in a graduate program. Consequently, candidates are welcome to apply if they do not meet one of the criteria but feel that other aspects of their experience may compensate.
Program Requirements - Total Semester Hours: 30
The MA in Sustainability requires 30 semester hours of course work, including
Sustainability, MA
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Sustainability, MA
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Sustainability, MA
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Sustainability, MA
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Sustainability, MA
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Required Core Courses - Semester Hours: 12
Internship or Thesis - Semester Hours: 6
Electives - Semester Hours: 12
12 semester hours of graduate-level coursework selected, under advisement from the director of Sustainability Studies, from the curricula of the Departments of Biology; Computer Science; Engineering; Geology, Environment, and Sustainability; Health Professions, Management; Philosophy; or Sociology. Graduate courses in other departments may be applied towards the 12 semester hours of electives with the approval of the program director.
Financial Aid, Department Scholarships, and Teaching Assistantships
For information about Hofstra University Financial Aid or Loan Packages, see Financial Aid at https://www.hofstra.edu/financial-aid/.
The department does have a limited number of partial scholarships available. All applicants will be automatically considered, with the most outstanding receiving support. Those who apply by January 31st for admission in the fall semester will be given priority scholarship consideration.
Given that we are a small program, full funding is not currently available, and students must be able to self-fund most of their tuition and fees.
Degree Requirements
The MA in Sustainability requires 30 semester hours of coursework. As part of these 30 hours, students must complete 6 semester hours of internship or 6 semester hours of thesis credits.
Required Core Courses (12 hours)
SBLY 201 Sustainable Development 3 s.h.
SBLY 206 Sustainability Theory and Practice 3 s.h.
SBLY 210 Sustainability Studio 3 s.h.
GEOL 251 Readings 3 s.h.
In addition:
SBLY 340 Sustainability Internship 6 s.h.
Or
SBLY 301 Sustainability Thesis 6 s.h.
Students can take either the thesis or the internship for credit. Only six hours of one of these courses counts for the degree. Students must take SBLY 201 and 206 before or concurrently with SBLY 340 and 301.
Electives
15 hours of graduate courses from the Departments of Biology; Computer Science; Community Health; Engineering; Geology Environment, and Sustainability; Management; Philosophy; Public Health; or Sociology with the approval of the advisor. Other courses may count with the approval of the Graduate Director.
Contact: Dr. Jase E. Bernhardt, Graduate Director
Jase.E.Bernhardt[at]hofstra.edu
(516) 463-7348
Roosevelt 104A
Other Contacts:
Graduate Admissions https://www.hofstra.edu/graduate
Department of Geology, Environment, and Sustainability https://www.hofstra.edu/geology/
Working with a Mentor
Students are encouraged to select a mentor from the list of faculty in the Department of Geology, Environment, and Sustainability or from the list of Affiliated Faculty in other academic departments. Your faculty mentor will help you select the appropriate electives to reach your goals and assist you with developing a thesis or with finding a suitable internship.
List of Faculty
Core Faculty
J. Bret Bennington (Chair), Department of Geology, Environment, and Sustainability: paleoecology, conservation paleobiology, glacial geomorphology, geologic history of Long Island, coastal sedimentology
Jase Bernhardt, Department of Geology, Environment, and Sustainability (Director of Sustainability): Climate Change, Human Impacts on Climate, Meteorology, and Risk Communication.
Annetta Centrella-Vitale, Department of Geology, Environment, and Sustainability: Sustainable Development, Sustainable Agriculture, Food Studies, and Renewable Energy.
E. Christa Farmer, Department of Geology, Environment, and Sustainability: paleoclimatology, paleoceanography, climate change, trace metals in soils and sediments
Sasha Pesci, Department of Geology, Environment, and Sustainability
