Program Overview

Environment & Sustainability Program

The Environment & Sustainability Program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the complex relationships between human and natural systems. The program focuses on the development of sustainable solutions to environmental problems, and it prepares students for careers in a variety of fields, including environmental policy, sustainability management, and conservation.

MSSE Final Projects

Every M.S. in Sustainability & Environment (MSSE) student must complete a final project, which can take the form of an internship, capstone, or thesis. The final project is a critical component of the program, as it allows students to apply the knowledge and skills they have acquired in a real-world setting.

• Internship option: 3 credits in GES 695
• Capstone option: 3 credits in GES 697
• Thesis option: 6 credits in GES 699

Internship Option

The internship option provides students with opportunities to enhance their professional experience while applying skills acquired in the MSSE program. The internship is supervised on-site and can be either paid or unpaid, in-person or online. Students are responsible for securing an internship and should reach out to the Career and Professional Development Office for assistance.

Capstone Option

The capstone option allows students to create a personalized course of study, which is a summation of directed, high-level study with written and oral elements that address all of the MSSE Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs). Students work with an advisor to create guidelines for the capstone, which typically takes the form of a report that synthesizes key aspects of a sustainability or environmental issue.

Thesis Option

The thesis is a scholarly contribution based on original research, and its purpose is to prepare a work for publication, either as a sole author or jointly with the faculty advisor and/or advisory committee members. Completed theses are automatically filed in the UNC system's research repository. The thesis option is intended for students who would like to continue their formal education in a doctoral program.

Advisory Committee

For all three options, students must organize an advisory committee, which consists of three individuals:

• One GES faculty member
• One non-GES faculty member
• One other individual (either GES, non-GES, or non-UNCG)

The advisory committee provides guidance and support throughout the final project, and it evaluates the student's work based on the outlined guidelines and the rubric for the Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) of the MSSE.

Planning and Preparation

Students should plan well in advance for their final project, as it usually comes at the end of the degree program. They should choose their option and prepare for it in the semester before beginning, and they must have completed at least 18 credits in the program before starting the final project. Ideally, the six required courses should be completed before finalizing the project, as each core class introduces and develops selected SLOs of the MSSE, and all the SLOs together are evaluated in the final project.