Interdisciplinary Studies: Concentration in Sustainability (MA/MS)

The large-scale goal of the Master of Interdisciplinary Studies in Sustainability Degree programs (both MA and MS degree programs are available) is to prepare students to address complex regional, state, national and global challenges posed by the intersection of human exponential growth and increasingly limited resources that support society.  Students seeking a career involving research or doctoral program should consider pursuing the Master of Science option.
The exponentially rising demands that human populations make on natural resources and ecological systems that supply us with energy, food, water, and many other ecosystem services will be further threatened by climate change and the pollution of air, soil, and water. Continued reliance on a “business as usual” approach to the economic production and consumption of goods and services, often characterized by the stresses it places on The Commons and by a disregard for environmental and social justice, now threatens the ability of the natural world to absorb our collective impact, erodes our collective security, and polarizes our societies.  Substantial changes in social contracts, economic systems, as well as individual and institutional behaviors will be needed to provide more sustainable, healthy and secure societies. National, regional and local experimentation is needed to find solutions to societal challenges.
This Master of Interdisciplinary Studies in Sustainability program is an initiative of the University of Louisville’s Sustainability Council which seeks to integrate sustainability into everything that goes on at UofL.  Students in the program are encouraged to contribute to the Sustainability Council’s efforts to explore sustainable solutions for UofL and our community.