Prescott College
AC-4: Graduate Program

This program, the first of its kind in the nation, is a limited-residency program that allows student-practitioners to remain in their home communities (and/or travel to others) while obtaining a high-touch doctoral-level education focused upon and catered to (by program design) individual student interests. The primary goal of the Ph.D. Program in Sustainability Education is to help prepare a new generation of sustainability educators and leaders who possess the necessary knowledge, skills, and dispositions to effectively serve in those roles in their own respective communities. Most uniquely, the program focuses on economic and ecological sustainability as well as social equity, bio-cultural, and linguistic diversities. Students draw on courses from other Prescott College graduate programs, especially the MA in Social Justice and Community Organizing, the MS in Resilient and Sustainable Communities, the MS in Environmental Studies, and the MA in Environmental Education.

As people across the planet begin the process of adapting to a changing climate, the depletion of fossil fuel supplies, and growing inequalities in wealth and access to vital resources, the MRSC program is designed to help students understand the interaction between various structural components of communities, and to work toward developing, advocating, and implementing fundamental changes in how communities function in response to such challenges. At the heart of this program is the need to create resilient communities, which are able to adapt to changing conditions while still maintaining their basic identity and functions. Students will synthesize knowledge about land‐use planning, economic development, energy production, food systems, resource management, and their local natural history, while developing their skills in stakeholder engagement, leadership, group organization, and civic participation—all leading toward the creation of actionable plans for communities in their bioregion. Students take some courses from other Prescott College graduate programs, especially the MA in Social Justice and Community Organizing, the MS in Environmental Studies, and the MBA in Sustainability Leadership.

The MBA in Sustainability Leadership is designed to deepen an understanding of foundational management techniques that are critical for leaders in business, nonprofits, and governmental organizations. Sustainability is integrated at the deepest level in every course with a triple bottom line-based curriculum. Using a bioregional approach to online education, students apply what they learn in each course to their local communities and personal careers; make connections between their organization's economic objectives; and address the needs of the environment, employees, communities, and other stakeholders. Includes option for dual degree, combined with the MS in Sustainable Food Systems.

MS in Sustainable Food Systems:
https://www.prescott.edu/sustainable-food-systems-ms

Dual MBA/MS in Sustainable Food Systems:
https://www.prescott.edu/mba-and-sustainable-food-systems-dual-degree

The Sustainable Food Systems program has a common core of courses that are foundational to understanding and influencing sustainable and resilient food systems across disciplines. Many students will choose to follow the core MSFS program to apply sustainable food system concepts to address food and nutrition insecurity; incentivize agroecological approaches to enhance ecosystem services like pollination, water quality and nutrition; find leverage points in policy and community planning practices; and examine sustainable business practices from farm to table. All students complete a capstone project.

From policy, law, and ethics to conservation, restoration, and education, environmental issues encompass many disciplines; the study of these interrelationships is increasingly important as we enter the Anthropocene and struggle with how to live sustainably on this planet. Our Master of Science in Environmental Studies is ideal for those who want to influence our direction in meeting the challenges of our time, whether they are working professionals, career changers, or just starting out. Its applied emphasis on practical and local application of knowledge prepares students for professional work. It provides breadth through the common core, as well as depth in their choice of concentration. The bioregional focus of the program helps students become connected to their local natural and human communities, enabling them to go beyond a conventional education and learn to identify and solve problems at multiple scales.