University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
AC-4: Graduate Program

The planet, for better or worse, is becoming urbanized. By 2050, according to former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, six billion people, representing two-thirds of humanity, will be living in towns and cities. Today, one billion people-or one of every three urbanites-live in slums. The solutions to this and other environmental challenges hinge on sustainability: preserving the earth's resources, inhabitants, and environments for the benefit of present and future generations. The School of Architecture at the University of Minnesota's College of Design (CDes) has responded by developing the M.S. in Architecture-Sustainable Design Track (M.S.-S.D.). Bringing together a rich group of multidisciplinary courses, projects, and research opportunities, students can customize the program to meet their individual needs. Options for an M.S.-S.D. + M.Arch. professional degree are also available. The school's unique dual-degree program allows students to combine professional architecture studies with a focus on sustainable design theory and practice. This dual-degree curriculum provides designers and researchers with the knowledge and expertise to address issues including energy and resource efficiency, water, waste reduction, materials, and technological innovations in sustainable design. The dual degree prepares students to integrate sustainable design practice and research in the design professions, government agencies, research institutes, and business. The M.S.-S.D. can be completed in three semesters (34 credits). The dual degree, which combines the M.S.-S.D. and the professional Master's of Architecture (M.Arch.) degree, can be completed concurrently as a full-time student in three-and-a-half years (100 credits).

Global Issues Environmental Chemistry Explore the interactions of pollutants with air, water, soil and their exposures to humans and wildlife. Environmental Infectious Diseases Examine the emergence of food borne and infectious diseases. Global Environmental Health Examine global health from a public health perspective, including analyzing issues around water and air quality, food safety, industrialization and deforestation. Exposure Sciences Study methods for the identification, measurement, and simulation of human exposure and dose resulting from multimedia environmental exposures. Workplace Interventions

Society's grand challenges—rapid urbanization, climate change, sustainable energy transitions, governance of emerging and/or disruptive technologies—require innovative leadership and collaboration among academia, communities, government, businesses, and nonprofit organizations, anchored upon interdisciplinary and systems thinking rooted in real-world projects. The STEP area focuses on public issues arising at the intersection of science, technology, environment, and society that shape economic development, environmental sustainability, human health, and well-being. The mission of the STEP area is to integrate science with public policy, community action, and multi-sector governance to advance the common good in a complex and diverse world.

http://www.susteducation.umn.edu/graduate/graduate-programs-2/

The environmental engineering research program seeks innovative and sustainable solutions to soil-, air-, and water-related problems in natural and engineered systems. Focus areas include the following: environmental chemistry, water, wastewater, and stormwater treatment, water quality, soil and groundwater remediation, environmental microbiology, pollution prevention, energy and environment, air pollution, and pollutant fate and transport. Research may be laboratory, field, or computer model based. Environmental engineering is a broad and interdisciplinary subject. The diverse backgrounds of our faculty and students and wide range of our current research projects reflect this breadth. Graduate students in our program have undergraduate degrees from civil or environmental engineering, chemical engineering, chemistry, biology and environmental science. Graduate enrollment includes about 30 full-time and 10 part-time students. Approximately half of the full-time students are in the Ph.D. program. Students not only take courses in environmental engineering, but also in other departments, such as public health, public policy, chemistry, chemical engineering, microbiology, ecology, soil science, and mechanical engineering. Some of the activities that our students are involved with include Minnesota Environmental Engineering Students, Engineers Without Borders, and the 3-year dual masters program between Civil Engineering and the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. Environmental Engineering and Water Resources Engineering also offers a Master’s International with the Peace Corps. The program has five full-time faculty members, and draws on faculty in other areas of the department with closely related research interests. The faculty members who teach and conduct research in environmental engineering are listed below.

The minor in Sustainable Agriculture Systems is open to students enrolled in any program within the Graduate School at the University of Minnesota. The program provides a curriculum with strong emphasis on systemic approaches to analyzing current agricultural production systems in the U.S., as well as environmental, economic, and social conditions that influence changes in agriculture. Courses designed specifically for this program integrate biology, ecology, agriculture, sociology, history, philosophy and economics. Students completing the requirements for the program receive a minor in Sustainable Agriculture Systems applicable to master's (M.S. and M.A.) and doctoral programs.

Whether you want to advance in your current field or break into a new one, the Master of Liberal Studies (MLS) degree can help you create rewarding opportunities by building on your existing experience and expertise. The program starts with you: your interests, your goals. Working with an adviser, you’ll design a course plan in subject areas that truly excite and inspire you, all with an eye to enhancing your personal or professional trajectory.

http://www.susteducation.umn.edu/graduate/graduate-programs-2/