Amherst College
AC-3: Graduate Programs

3.1 Graduate programs with sustainability-focused learning requirements

An institution earns 4 points when it offers at least one sustainability-focused degree or major for graduate students. Partial points are available. An institution that offers at least one sustainability-focused certificate, concentration, or minor for graduate students AND/OR at least one graduate qualification focused on a subject other than sustainability that has a sustainability-focused learning requirement earns 2 points.

Measurement

Report on the current status of the formal education programs offered by the institution to graduate students.

To qualify as sustainability-focused, the primary focus of a program must be on the integrated concept of sustainability or the interdependence of ecological and social/cultural/economic systems. This focus must be evidenced by the published title and/or description of the program, either explicitly (e.g., “Sustainability Studies”) or implicitly, by addressing a sustainability challenge using a systems approach (e.g., “Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security”).

A qualification focused on a subject other than sustainability qualifies if it:

• Requires the successful completion of a sustainability-focused course,
• Has one or more specified sustainability-focused learning outcomes and associated assessment criteria, AND/OR
• Provides a direct pathway to a sustainability-focused job or career (e.g., a certificate in renewable energy systems).

3.2 Percentage of graduate qualifications awarded that have sustainability-focused learning requirements

An institution earns 4 points when 50 percent or more of the graduate qualifications awarded indicate successful completion of an education program with sustainability-focused learning requirements. Incremental points are available and earned as outlined in ther Technical Manual.

Measurement

Report the most recent annual data available from within the previous three years. An institution may report on the average of the previous three years rather than a single year. 

Applicable to institutions that offer at least 25 distinct qualifications at the Master’s, Doctoral, or equivalent level (ISCED levels 7-8).