Sustainable Development and Climate Change, AUNE
Posted on Tuesday, November 15th, 2011
Beyond the program description in the catalog, program directors at Antioch University New England feel that the most compelling aspect of the Sustainable Development and Climate Change program is the practice in theory and skills that students obtain. Also, the experience they gain with the ability to build a competitive portfolio for prospective employers is a valuable asset to the students.
During the time spent in the program, students prepare for environmental careers in the public and private sector including environmental regulation, environmental consulting, local and regional planning and environmental nonprofit leadership. Graduates have found professional positions in:
- Nonprofit conservation and advocacy organizations at the local, national and international level.
- Government/Intergovernmental institution departments that manage natural resources, regulate pollution or monitor environmental compliance.
- Public agencies concerned with local and regional land use planning, or which acquire and manage open space.
- Environmental consulting businesses engaged in land management and sustainable development, wetlands protection, water resource management and environmental impact assessment.
- Private industry and institutions engaged in meeting regulations for environmental compliance and developing ecologically sustainable management systems.
The Sustainable Development and Climate Change program at AUNE is the first Professional Science Master’s program in New Hampshire and one of only 212 in the United States. It is a non-thesis graduate degree of advanced training in science or mathematics without a PhD, that at the same time develops workplace skills in its graduates.
The student’s practicum and capstone projects provide experience and are useful in networking and expanding job opportunities. Students work with faculty on consulting projects, such as:
- The Lake Sunapee Watershed Infrastructure project, estimating impacts from climate change to support programs to adapt civil infrastructure in the Lake Sunapee watershed region of New Hampshire.
- Community Technical Assistance Project, a comprehensive growth management initiative for a region of twenty-six local communities that will be affected by the reconstruction of I-93.
- Developing micro-enterprises that address the urban collection of waste, provide clean drinking water and assist in the removal of waste water in Liberia.
In SDCC courses, students learn the scientific and social complexities of environmental studies. These include ethics, sustainability and social justice. They also learn to comprehend the dynamics of environmental change on many scales and to understand organizations and to solve complex environmental issues. They practice team problem-solving and develop a final product of a quality they would be expected to create as a professional. One of the capstone options open to SDCC students is a collaborative service initiative – a substantive research or consultation project linked to an external partner’s identified need.
