Master of Sustainability Science and Practice at Stanford University

Stanford University

United States of America, Stanford

University Rank:#3

International students can study the Sustainability Science and Practice at Stanford University at its main campus in Stanford , United States of America. This Master degree is available as a Full Time program delivered on campus in English. The program has a duration of 2 years and is offered at the university's main campus. Tuition fees are USD 18,829 / term, and students can apply for the next intake starting on June 24, 2344.

About Master of Sustainability Science and Practice

The Sustainability Science and Practice program (SUST for short) is an interdisciplinary coterminal master's program hosted by the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. The goal of the program is to prepare leaders to radically accelerate the transition to a sustainable and just society. As the global human population climbs toward 11 billion, consumption demands increase, and disparities in wealth and opportunity persist, society must learn to equitably meet existing human needs in ways that do not forgo possibilities for future generations. These sustainability challenges are marked by extreme complexity, urgency, conflicting demands, and often a paucity of resources or political will to address them. Transforming these challenges into powerful opportunities requires a new kind of leader" one who can both envision a prosperous future for all and who can design practices and cultivate partnerships essential to building that future. The SUST program equips students with the theoretical and conceptual knowledge and the mindsets and practical skills needed to advance sustainability, securing human well-being around the world and across generations.

The curriculum covers three main elements:

Element 1: Understanding complex social-environmental systems

Students develop a "systems perspective"‌, deepening their awareness of the dynamic and interrelated nature of social-environmental systems. They explore tools to measure, map, and model ï¬پve capital assets " social, natural, human, manufactured, and knowledge capital " and their complex interactions in order to recognize potential feedbacks, thresholds, and unintended consequences, as well as to identify leverage points and opportunities for interventions that can have a transformative impact.

Element 2: Understanding decision making and developing strategies for change

Students examine the roles of diverse actors who influence change in social-environmental systems and explore strategies to align decision-making and behavior with sustainability. They explore mindsets and approaches of transformative leaders and examine effective strategies for advancing sustainability across sectors. Students develop skills in decision making in complex and uncertain contexts, use metrics and evaluation approaches aligned with sustainability goals, cultivate leadership orientations, and practice effective communications and storytelling approach.

Element 3: Designing innovations with impact at scale

Students develop an understanding of how to intervene in complex systems for transformative impact by exploring frameworks and tools from systems thinking, design thinking, social cognitive theory, behavioral economics, and partnership strategies. They develop practical skills in mapping complex systems and designing creative, high-leverage interventions that realign systems with the goal of intergenerational well-being.

Sustainability Leadership Practicum

To integrate and internalize core lessons from the SUST curriculum, each student completes a 120-hour practicum project of their own design, collaborating on a complex sustainability challenge with an outside partner and working through the types of constraints often faced by decision-makers and leaders. Students apply the leadership mindsets, knowledge, and skills from the curriculum to this practical experience and present their ï¬پnal analysis and reflections to faculty and peers.

For more information about the program, as well as admissions, please see Sustainability Science and Practice.

Through this coterminal interdisciplinary degree program, you'll equip yourself with the knowledge, mindsets, and practical skills needed to understand and intervene in complex systems to advance sustainability " securing human well-being around the world and across generations.

The Sustainability Science and Practice program integrates theoretical and conceptual knowledge, mindsets, and practical skills to enable students to understand and manage complex systems, understand decision making and develop strategies for change, and cultivate partnerships and design innovations with potential for impact at scale.

The program prepares students to become effective participants and agents of change as individuals and within organizations across all sectors of society, contributing to the advancement of the goal of sustainability, i.e., the well-being of people around the world and across generations. Using a conceptual framework that connects human well-being with key underlying assets, students learn how social-environmental systems work, how decisions can be made to influence system dynamics in a way that supports sustainability goals, and how to engage with others to design new ways of managing these systems.

Disciplines

Sustainability Science and Practice

Requirements and Admission Criteria for Master of Sustainability Science and Practice at Stanford University

Entry Requirements

At Stanford, we practice holistic admission. Each piece in your application is part of an integrated and comprehensive whole.

One piece tells us about your background and life experiences, another about your school and your academic achievement. We learn from others about your character and intellectual contributions. In your essays, we learn about your ideas and interests, and what is meaningful to you.

Each year we aim to enroll a class of diverse backgrounds and experiences, talents, academic interests, and ways of viewing the world.

In a holistic review, we seek to understand how you, as a whole person, would grow, contribute and thrive at Stanford, and how Stanford would, in turn, be changed by you.

Academic Excellence

The primary criterion for admission to Stanford is academic excellence. We look for your preparation and potential to succeed. We expect you to challenge yourself throughout high school and to do very well.

The most important credential for evaluating your academic record is your high school transcript. Please know that our evaluation goes beyond any numerical formula. There is no minimum GPA or test score, nor is there any specific number of AP or honors courses you must have on your transcript in order to have your application reviewed or be admitted to Stanford.

For more complete information on our curriculum guidelines for first-year students, please visit our Academic Preparation page.

Intellectual Vitality

We want to see your commitment, dedication and genuine interest in expanding your intellectual horizons, both in what you write about yourself and in what others write on your behalf. We want to see the kind of curiosity and enthusiasm that will allow you to spark a lively discussion in a first-year seminar and continue the conversation at the dinner table. We want to see the energy and depth of commitment you will bring to your endeavors, whether that means in a research lab, as part of a community organization, during a performance or on an athletic field. We want to see the initiative with which you seek out opportunities and expand your perspective.

Extracurricular Activities

Learning about your extracurricular activities and nonacademic interests helps us understand your potential contributions to the Stanford community. Students often assume our primary concern is the number of activities in which a student participates. In fact, an exceptional depth of experience in one or two activities may demonstrate your passion more than minimal participation in five or six clubs. You may also hold down a job or have family responsibilities. These are as important as any other extracurricular activity. In general, we want to understand the impact you have had at your job, in your family, in a club, in your school or in the larger community, and we want to learn of the impact that experience has had on you.

In some cases, exceptional abilities in athletics may influence our decision if the applicant is otherwise well qualified, but such abilities never, by themselves, ensure admission to Stanford.

Context

Just as no two Stanford students are the same, each applicant to Stanford is unique. This means that as we review each application, we pay careful attention to unique circumstances. We take into account your background, educational pathway, and work and family responsibilities. By focusing on your achievements in context, we evaluate how you have excelled in your school environment and how you have taken advantage of what is available to you in your school and community.

It is important to know these variables are not listed in order of importance in our evaluation and selection process. We review applications holistically. No portion of the application is considered without the rest of the application.

English Requirements

TOEFLMin 100

Tuition and Fee Information for Master of Sustainability Science and Practice at Stanford University

Tuition Fee

18,829 / term

Application Fee 90

How to Apply for Master of Sustainability Science and Practice at Stanford University

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Click Finalize and Pay only when you are completely satisfied with your application and before 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on your program’s application deadline. You may not edit your application after submission.

Master of Sustainability Science and Practice at Stanford University

Stanford University

United States of America, Stanford