Dec 29, 2025

2025-2026 Graduate Catalog

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2025-2026 Graduate Catalog

Global Sustainability, M.A.

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Patel College of Global Sustainability (CS)

Department: Dean’s Office

Major Contacts, Deadlines, and Delivery Information

Concentrations:

Climate Mitigation and Adaptation
Sustainable Business
Sustainability Policy

Also offered as a Concurrent Degrees

This major shares a core with the Global Sustainability, M.S. and Sustainability Management, M.S.

The Master of Arts (M.A.) in Global Sustainability provides students with a broad education in sustainability studies and applied practices, emphasizing systems and nexus thinking, circular economies, sustainable development goals, and the triple bottom line of supporting people, planet, and prosperity. The curriculum is designed to prepare students to address complex regional, national, and global challenges related to sustainability, with the ability to innovate in diverse cultural, geographic, and demographic contexts. The major offers a dynamic graduate curriculum, career preparation through top-notch internships, certification training, applied projects, and an overall academically superior education that equips students for diverse sustainability-focused careers.

Major Research Areas: Sustainable development, sustainability policy, environmental policy, livable communities, climate mitigation, green business.

Admission Information

Must meet University Admission and English Proficiency requirements, as well as requirements for admission to the major, listed below.

At least two letters of recommendation from professors or supervisors (signed, dated, and on official letterhead).
Resume
Statement of Purpose (Up to 350 words including the student’s academic and professional background, choice of concentration, reasons for pursuing this degree, and their professional goals in terms of contributing to global sustainability).

International Students
International students who have not completed a bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. institution and do not have a GPA on a 4.0 scale, must submit a transcript evaluation that outlines U.S. degree equivalency, along with a GPA estimation.

Non-English transcripts must be translated by a foreign transcript evaluation service that certifies the U.S. degree equivalency and GPA estimation.

For specific University requirements -– https://www.usf.edu/admissions/international/admission-information/graduate/requirements-and-deadlines.aspx

Curriculum Requirements

Total Minimum Hours - 36 credits

Shared Core Courses – 12 credit hours
Concentration courses – 9 credit hours
Electives – 9 credit hours
Internship/Research – 6 credit hours
Comprehensive Exam

Shared Core Courses (12 Credit Hours)

IDS 6233 Concepts and Principles of Sustainability Credit Hours: 3
IDS 6234 Systems Thinking: The Key to Sustainability Credit Hours: 3
IDS 6235 Economics and Finance for Sustainability Credit Hours: 3
IDS 6272 Research Methods for Sustainability Credit Hours: 3

Concentration Requirements (9 Credit Hours Minimum)

Students select one concentration.

And choose one of the following courses (3 Credit Hours)

IDS 6206 Energy and Resources: Policy, Society and Innovation Credit Hours: 3
IDS 6938 Special Topics/Seminars Credit Hours: 1-6 Taken as Environmental Law & Sustainable Business Practices (3 Credit Hours for this Program)
ENT 6606 New Product Development Credit Hours: 3

Sustainability Policy (9 Credit Hours)

COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING (6 Credit Hours):
IDS 6275 Policy for Sustainability Credit Hours: 3
IDS 6279 Sustainability Policy Analysis and Implementation Credit Hours: 3

And Choose one of the following courses (3 Credit Hours)

IDS 6216 Implementing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Credit Hours: 3
IDS 6206 Energy and Resources: Policy, Society and Innovation Credit Hours: 3
IDS 6163 Environment, Social and Governance for Business Sustainability Credit Hours: 3

Electives (9 Credit Hours Minimum)

An additional nine (9) graduate credit hours is required. Any other concentration’s courses are preferred electives.

Internship/Research Requirement (6 Credit Hours)

The required six (6) credit Internship or Research Project will be completed in the student’s last semester

Choose one of the following:

IDS 6935 Capstone Research Project Credit Hours: 3-6 (6 credits for this program)
IDS 6946 Sustainability Internship Credit Hours: 3-6 (6 credits for this program)

Comprehensive Exam

The Internship or research report serves as the program’s comprehensive exam. As part of this process students write a final report and deliver a presentation based on their internship work or research project, both of which are graded.

University of South Florida

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