To respond to the increasing demand for a workforce equipped to meet the sustainability challenges of the 21st century, The City College of New York offers the Sustainability in the Urban Environment graduate program. This innovative, hybrid, and interdisciplinary program draws upon emerging approaches across the disciplines of architecture, engineering, science, and the social sciences.
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Interdisciplinary Master of Science in Urban Sustainability
Online option for Sustainability in the Urban Environment and Advanced Certificate in Urban Sustainability, (in-person/fully online).
Student capstone project research teams often partner with external organizations such as The City of New York, NOAA, and NASA.
More than 10 International students join the Program each year.
Three current students have been awarded NOAA-CESSRST Fellowships to support their studies.
Faculty Info
Sustainability coursework is taught around the University with the flexibility for students to study with faculty from several different Departments and Divisions. The governing Executive Committee, for example, is currently made up of two Architects, two Chemical Engineers, two Earth and Atmospheric Scientists, an Economist, and a Geographer. Our Program Director Professor Kyle McDonald is also Part-Time Faculty in the Carbon Cycle and Ecosystems Group of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology.
Student Info
A passion for climate change mitigation and adaptation in urban areas is the uniting feature of our culturally and academically diverse student body. While students most often join the Sustainability Program with an undergraduate background in Architecture, Engineering, or Science, we are also a Program of Policymakers, Educators, and Artists, just to name a few. Graduates go on to work in various settings—City Agencies, Architecture Firms, and Sustainability Consulting Practices among them. Some students continue with their studies at the PhD level and several alumni now teach in the Program. Pre-BIC Degrees from: CUNY/SUNY, NYU, Yale, Howard, Cornell, Dartmouth, Syracuse, University of Kanas, etc.
Curricular Innovation
Opportunities within coursework to build technical and software skills in Remote Sensing, Geographic Information Systems, Python, and Life Cycle Assessment // Pathways for students to become Certified Passive House Designers // New electives on emerging Sustainability trends offered each year on topics such as energy transition, urban farming, and climate and environmental justice // Capstone projects with topics selected by student teams. Many projects go on to present at conferences and/or publish their work.
Admissions Facts
Sustainability in the Urban Environment, MS (In-person or fully online options)
Total Credits: 30
GRE Required: No
Minimum Language Test Scores: 550 (TOEFL PBT), 79-80 (TOEFL IBT), 6.5 (IELTS), 53 (PTE) or 100 (Duolingo)
Degree Awarded: M.S.
Supporting Documents Required:
- Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended
- 3 letters of recommendation
- Resume/CV
- Personal Statement
Total Credits: 12
GRE Required: No
Minimum Language Test Scores: 550 (TOEFL PBT), 79-80 (TOEFL IBT), 6.5 (IELTS), 53 (PTE) or 100 (Duolingo)
Degree Awarded: Advanced Certificate
Supporting Documents Required:
- Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended with proof of bachelor's degree
- 1 letters of recommendation
- Resume/CV
- Personal Statement
Program Administrative Contact: Katherine Gloede Silverman, kgloede@ccny.cuny.edu
For more information, visit the Program Website.
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Application Process Apply Today
Last Updated: 03/12/2025 10:38