California Polytechnic State University
AC-4: Graduate Program

MCRP Mission Statement The MCRP Program cultivates talent, leadership, innovation and action-oriented research in the place making education of civic minded and diverse students. We provide an applied, comprehensive, professional planning education with, community, regional, and global awareness. We prepare planners to develop communities and regions that are socially, ecologically and economically sustainable.

The Master of Science degree program in Environment Sciences and Management (MSES) offers advanced study in a range of environmental science and management disciplines. Two The purpose of the Masters of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management program is to provide advanced education in management of the environment and natural resources. Advanced study in environmental science, management of the environment, quantitative and qualitative analysis, and communication is the core of the degree. The degree allows an emphasis in a wide range of areas of study, listed below. Through the emphasis of study students have flexibility in creating elective coursework to suit their professional goals. The culminating experience of the degree is a professional project or traditional thesis that allows students to explore, seek solutions, or provide research on environmental challenges. Students pursuing the professional project option should plan on one year of study, at a minimum, for completion. Students pursuing the thesis option should plan on two academic years of study for completion. Two areas of emphasis for the MSES program are specifically focused on sustainability: ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY Governance, regulations, and policies on environmental topics at the local, regional, and national levels. SUSTAINABILITY Life-cycle assessment, sustainability analysis, promoting sustainable agriculture, land and urban principles.

Graduate Study Areas The MS ARCH provides three focus areas of study (2 of which are focused on sustainability) and each student selects one of these areas to focus coursework and individual scholarship. Regardless of the selected research area, however, students are expected to develop knowledge about fundamental building design and building science principles, and advanced information technology concepts. Graduate students are encouraged to build on the knowledge that they have gained from their previous academic studies and/or professional experiences, as they acquire and contribute new knowledge in their chosen research specialization within one of the following broadly defined research areas: Innovative Materials Practice: This practice specialization focuses on design integration through innovations in materials and material assemblies enabled by contemporary modes of digital fabrication and their impact on design and construction processes. Associated with the Digital Fabrication Laboratory, physical prototyping and material testing are integrated into the course of study and research. In addition, of particular interest are sustainable practices in digital fabrication from material economies and cradle-to-cradle methodologies to responsive envelopes. The Innovative Materials Practice research area promotes interdisciplinary work as essential to innovation in design and construction with connections to other disciplines including: Architectural Engineering, Landscape Architecture, City and Regional Planning, Construction Management, Material Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. Study and research areas include but are not limited to parametric design and fabrication of material systems, prefabrication, responsive envelopes, and material performance. Sustainability and Resilient Design: Study of the built environment as a low impact, necessary enhancement of the natural environment in the service of humankind. Study and research areas include, but are not limited to, renewable energy systems, waste recycling, energy conservation concepts and practices, self-contained biospheres, materials of construction and embodied energy considerations, green buildings, and unhealthy building environments. Interdisciplinary Building Design: The study of best practices for multidisciplinary design with connections to other disciplines including, but not limited to, Architectural Engineering, Landscape Architecture, Construction Management, and Mechanical Engineering. Study and research areas include, but are not limited to, collaborative projects involving two or more disciplines, collaborative workflow strategies and advanced tools for collaboration.

https://suscat.calpoly.edu/sustainability-programs

ABOUT PACKAGING VALUE CHAIN CERTIFICATES Our five online professional Packaging Value Chain (PVC) certificate programs provide student a comprehensive understanding of the critical subsets of the packaging value proposition in a global context. Our PVC programs were recently ranked the highest of packaging programs among value-focused colleges nationally. Taught by world-class faculty from our MS Packaging Value Chain master’s program, students are instructor-led through an elite learn-by-doing experience that promotes workplace knowledge application, leadership opportunities and career advancement potential. CERTIFICATE DESCRIPTIONS: Design for Packaging Value Chain: This certificate provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the value proposition as related to packaging materials and design in terms of innovation, process, economic viability, efficiency and environmental sustainability