Massachusetts has been a leading light in American education since before we were even a country. With major universities like Tufts, Harvard, and MIT clustered here, it’s pretty much a foregone conclusion that Massachusetts will lead the way in the next major field of study, too.
So it comes as little surprise that the state’s university system offers so many excellent options for undergrads and grad students interested in earning sustainability degrees. Really, your biggest challenge will be choosing between the many options available to you.
But that choice will be an important one. We’re facing big challenges here in the Bay State when it comes to sustainable development—it’s the fastest growing state in the Northeast, and absorbing new people and new industry while maintaining livability and fending off the oncoming effects of global climate change will require a highly trained and educated workforce.
We’re already earning the dividends from early graduates of these programs, like the ones helping to spearhead the Lenox Environmental Management System for sustainable growth. You can join them, with the right degree behind you.
Sustainability Jobs Available in Massachusetts With the Right Degree
Massachusetts has the full spectrum of sustainability jobs on offer here for graduates with the right educational backgrounds. Raytheon is one of the major private industrial employers that need environmental compliance and sustainability support engineers on staff.
Big architecture firms like SMMA are also hiring for experts in the field of sustainable design, while government agencies like the state Department of Housing and Community Development are always in need of sustainability program developers and managers.
And a robust business environment means that investment firms like Fidelity and Ceres need staff who can handle both business decisions and environmental and sustainability planning portfolios.
Master’s in Sustainability Available Through Schools in Massachusetts
Architecture
In Worcester, Clark University’s Master’s in Community Development and Planning will help turn you into an expert urban problem-solver by designing solutions that address economic and social injustice while creating livable, sustainable spaces in the modern urban environment.
Business
UMass Boston can help you up your sustainable business game with their MBA specialization in Environmental Management. Backed by the highly-respected Center for Sustainable Enterprise and Regional Competitiveness, you’ll learn to pair business imperatives with sustainable growth practices at every level.
Policy
Located in Middlesex County, Tufts is a name that draws respect from across the educational and policy spectrum, so when you walk out with an MA in Urban and Environmental Policy and Planning, you’ll have the kind of education you need to make contributions in public planning in any city or region in the world.
Energy
Boston University offers a comprehensive approach to sustainable energy systems with a Master of Arts in Energy & Environment. Pulling from both natural and social science, the degree covers aspects of sustainable energy development reaching from engineering principles to international relations. You’ll walk away with the computer skills, quantitative techniques, and modeling tools you need to make a splash in the field.
Technology
Located in Cambridge, MIT is obviously the place to be in Massachusetts for technology education of any sort, and the Master of Engineering Environmental Engineering Science Track is one that puts you on a path to master skills in hydrology, environmental chemistry, and ecology.
Sustainability Bachelor Degree Programs in Massachusetts
Getting a great master’s degree in any sustainability field starts with getting a solid bachelor’s degree as a foundation. Massachusetts has the educational chops to set you up for success at this level, too.
Boston University, for example, has a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Analysis & Policy that is so extensive that you might feel like a master’s is just overkill afterward! With special programs available such as the Washington Internship Program and the School for Field Studies, you’ll have an exposure to real-world practices that any grad student would be eager for.
Online Sustainability Degrees Offered Through Schools in Massachusetts
Online studies are becoming a big deal in every field these days and sustainability studies are no exception. The ability to enroll in an accomplished, accredited master’s degree program without having to relocate, with the ability to tackle course content from anywhere, at any time of the day, is a killer feature for students who already have a family and career but hope to extend their education in the field.
For Massachusetts, one of your best options in the online degree space is the Master of Design Studies in Sustainable Design offered by Boston Architectural College. Bringing a deep and longstanding approach to thoughtful design into the field of sustainability, this highly customizable program can take you through key aspects of sustainable design like community planning, policy and advocacy, and energy and resource use, all without setting a foot on campus.
