Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)
Master of Science in Sustainable Systems
Rochester, USA
MSc
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
USD 41,424 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* $41,424 - $54,974 | based on credits taken
Key Summary
Choose from virtual and on-campus events where you can interact with other prospective students and admissions counselors, meet with our graduate program directors, and gain insight into how applicants are reviewed and evaluated.
Sustainable Systems accepts students from any academic background and encompasses a wide range of interdisciplinary studies in sustainability science. Here, you won’t be restricted to one sustainability topic or methodology. You will comprehensively learn and experience the methods that lead to environmental, social, technological, and business success, working one-on-one with a faculty advisor to tailor the degree to your sustainability interests.
In the Sustainable Systems MS, you will start with a broad foundation of knowledge in environmental life cycle assessment, sustainable decision making, economic and policy strategies, and more. Then, you will have the opportunity to customize your degree in areas that suit your interests and career goals—such as renewable energy or mobility—as well as get the hands-on experience that employers are seeking. In as little as one year of study, you will be prepared to make sustainability decisions that you can apply to any career.
Not only will you be able to focus on an area that interests you, but you will be able to get hands-on in your projects with the use of one of our many labs or through design modeling tools. This degree allows you the flexibility to adapt your career over time and in response to the ever-changing developments in sustainability. The Golisano Institute for Sustainability is dedicated to groundbreaking sustainability research and its business applications. Our research facilities are second to none, including Sustainability Institute Hall, a 75,000 sq. ft. LEED Platinum certified research building and multiple state-of-the-art research centers.
You don’t need a background in sustainability to join this program; just a desire to create positive change in the world. We bring in students of all ages, from all backgrounds—from mechanical engineering to political science—and from all over the world so that your learning experience comes not just from the classroom, but from the different perspectives of fellow students.
RIT awards more than $37 million in merit scholarships and assistantships to graduate students each year. Scholarship awards range from 5% of tuition all the way up to full tuition. Awards are based on an applicant's academic excellence. Many things are considered when awarding scholarships - undergraduate grades, graduate placement test scores, and your research and work experience all factor in.
Graduate assistantships are offered to full-time matriculated graduate students to serve as teaching, research, or administrative assistants. Graduate Assistants receive wages (determined by the department making the appointment) in exchange for work performed. Many graduate assistants also receive tuition remission (i.e., tuition support) in addition to receiving wages for assistantship duties.
Graduate students can be awarded both scholarships and assistantships. These funding opportunities are the same for both US and international applicants.
RIT awards more than $30 million in merit scholarships and assistantships to graduate students each year. Scholarship awards range from 10% - 40% of tuition. Our median scholarship amount is around 30% of tuition or $13,000. Awards are based on an applicant's academic excellence. Many things are considered when awarding scholarships - undergraduate grades, graduate placement test scores, and your research and work experience all factor in.
Graduate assistantships are offered to full-time matriculated graduate students to serve as teaching, research, or administrative assistants. Graduate Assistants receive wages (determined by the department making the appointment) in exchange for work performed. Many graduate assistants also receive tuition remission (i.e., tuition support) in addition to receiving wages for assistantship duties.
Graduate students can be awarded both scholarships and assistantships. These funding opportunities are the same for both US and international applicants.
Optional Co-Op
Cooperative education is paid work assignments with corporations and organizations around the U.S. and abroad. Co-op allows students to spend one or more semesters employed in a full-time, paid position related to their academic program before they graduate. Many students use co-op earnings to help finance their education.
Work-Study
Graduate students studying full-time may apply to work part-time on campus. RIT has more than 9,000 jobs available yearly, and students typically work 10 – 20 hours per week. International students studying on an F-1 or J-1 visa may work up to 20 hours per week on campus and 40 hours during break periods.
Potential tracks
Sustainable Energy
- Sustainable Energy Systems
- Food-Energy-Water Nexus
- Energy Policy
Example Research Project: Inspection of wind turbine blades with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)
Circular Economy
- Intro to Geographic Info Systems (GIS)
- Data Analysis for Sustainability
- Innovation Policy
- Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
Example Research Project: Assessing a baseline case for reaching carbon neutrality in Monroe County by 2027
Sustainable Urban Systems
- Sustainable Mobility Systems
- Graduate Sustainable Communities
- Sustainable Building Metrics
Example Research Project: Evaluating strategies for sustainable renovation of RIT campus buildings
Plan of Study
Through a flexible and interdisciplinary curriculum, you’ll begin your degree with core courses in industrial ecology, risk assessment, the economics of sustainability, and more. Several electives from across the university will allow you to further tailor your degree to your talents and career goals, from sustainable craft brewing and distilling to corporate social responsibility.
Your degree culminates with a research thesis or a capstone project. Recent thesis examples include:
- Techno-Environmental Analysis of Generating Animal Feed from Wasted Food Products
- Fabrication and life cycle assessment of organic photovoltaics
- Characterizing adaptive capacity to climate change in developing countries: a case study on Peru
You must complete 24 credit hours of course work plus a 6 credit hour thesis or capstone project, which can be completed in as little as one year by full-time students.
Community involvement
Rochester, NY, is a hub for sustainability professionals and entrepreneurship. Students in the Sustainable Systems degree program are often regularly involved with local companies and organizations, from teaching about sustainability practices at inner-city high schools to completing a capstone project for companies including Rochester Regional Health or Wegmans’ corporate headquarters.
Curriculum
Sustainable Systems (capstone option), MS degree, typical course sequence (semesters)
First Year
- ISUS-702 Fundamentals of Sustainability Science
- ISUS-704 Industrial Ecology
- ISUS-706 Economics of Sustainable Systems
- ISUS-780 Capstone
- ISUS-806 Risk Analysis
- ISUS-808 Multicriteria Sustainable Systems
- PUBL-810 Technology, Policy, and Sustainability (or approved substitute)
- Electives
Sustainable Systems (thesis option), MS degree, typical course sequence (semesters)
First Year
- ISUS-702 Fundamentals of Sustainability Science
- ISUS-704 Industrial Ecology
- ISUS-706 Economics of Sustainable Systems
- ISUS-806 Risk Analysis
- ISUS-808 Multicriteria Sustainable Systems
- Electives
Second Year
- ISUS-790 Thesis
- PUBL-810 Technology, Policy, and Sustainability (or approved substitute)
- Elective
Enhanced career opportunities
Our graduates have a 100% placement rate, in part because of RIT’s dedication to career counseling and ongoing relationships with employers. This means that all of our graduates go on to get a job or further their education shortly after graduating. And If you’re interested in pursuing a career more focused on academia or research, the master’s degree is also an excellent stepping stone to a doctoral program, such as RIT’s PhD in Sustainability, if you take the route of completing a thesis while here.
Industries
- Oil and Gas
- Manufacturing
- Utilities and Renewable Energy
- Research
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