University of Dayton
AC-4: Graduate Program

Climate change represents an existential threat to civilization. When you join our renewable and clean energy master's program (RCL), you’ll be committing to developing solutions for this challenge, which affects every person and all life on our planet, to help create a world with a sustainable future.

RCL attracts the best and brightest from around the globe, with students coming from over 30 countries, including Fulbright scholars from places like Afghanistan, Indonesia, Brazil, Haiti, and Upper Mongolia. Our program has developed clean energy and sustainability professionals serving as leaders in their profession, communities, regions and nations.

Our program is available for both on-campus and remote students.

A 12-credit hour course of study open to students who already hold a Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent. A goal of the certificate curriculum should be to stretch student learning beyond what they are already doing; to be interdisciplinary and community focused; to be flexible in its structure, allowing for the variety in the professional goals and interests students may bring to the program. Completion of the certificate requires the following:

Grade of 3.0 or higher in the following four courses:

• SEE 500: Foundations in Sustainability. The course would address a broad range of topics, and be applicable to students with different academic backgrounds. The Graduate Certificate in Sustainability Working Group Report (WRG) recommended a team-taught approach. The SEE Advisory Committee emphasized the need for rigor in truly establishing a foundation that is impactful for students. This would also be enabled by a team-taught approach. Two faculty representing different academic fields would be ideal. An instructor of record could also organize several experts to participate in teaching specific topics in their areas of expertise. (3 credit hours)

• Two elective courses determined in consultation with and approval by both the graduate student’s advisor and the Sustainability Studies Program Director. Based on the student’s program of study in consultation with the student’s advisor, a selection of two graduate-level courses will satisfy the depth requirement. In special cases and allowance may be made for a 400-level undergraduate course. (6 credit hours)

• SEE 590: Sustainability-Applications and Research. This seminar capstone is centered on a project-based transdisciplinary approach to as specific sustainability scenario on campus or in the community. Emphasis will be placed on the three pillars of sustainability; the social, economic, and environmental. Students will gage whether a hard or soft sustainability approach is warranted, and will consider how the project intersects with one or more of the Millennium Sustainability goals outlined by the United Nations. The foundational course would be a pre-requisite for this course. (3 credit hours)

Successful completion of a student portfolio that contains the following:
• A comprehensive plan of study developed in consultation with the student’s graduate advisor and the Sustainability Studies Program Director. The plan must include a rationale for the coursework and research undertaken, a set of goals learning goals developed with his or her advisor, and a personal assessment plan to be done after coursework has been completed.
• Demonstration of research in the student’s area of specialization. This should not be considered a thesis, but rather a requirement that the student engage in graduate-level research, and demonstrate the capacity to do so effectively.

• A summative assessment of the student’s achievement after completion of coursework for the certificate. The assessment is a learning tool meant to guide further study and consider how the learning experience intersects with the student’s vocation. The assessment will be completed in consultation with the student’s advisor, and possibly a second faculty member.