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Sustainable Development Studies Program
Sustainable Development Studies Program
Overview
Overview
Sustainable Development Studies programs offer a comprehensive suite of graduate degrees designed to tackle global sustainability challenges through academic research and professional practice. The Master's level includes the research-oriented Master of Science in Sustainable Development Studies (MS SDS), which delivers foundational courses like Fundamentals of Sustainable Development and GIS, flexible cognate electives, second-year major-specific courses across seven tracks: Community Development, Economic Development, Environmental Education, Environmental Engineering, Resource Management, Rural and Urban Planning, and Peace and Conflict Transformation culminating in comprehensive exams and a thesis to build scholarly expertise. Complementing this, the Master in Sustainable Development Studies (MSDS) provides dual tracks: an Academic Track mirroring the MS SDS for in-depth analysis and thesis work, and a Professional Track geared toward practitioners with core coursework, summer intensives, 240 hours of field practice, comprehensive exam capstone for real-world application.
At the doctoral level, the Doctor of Philosophy in Sustainable Development Studies (PhD SDS) emphasizes advanced research without bridging courses (36 units total) or with qualifiers, featuring core courses such as Advanced Research Methods, Sustainable Project Management, Sustainable Development Policy and Governance, and Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation, alongside track-specific majors (e.g., Gender, Security and Sustainable Development for Community Development), cognates, special problems, exams, and a dissertation with continuous enrollment. The Doctor in Sustainable Development Studies (DSDS), its practice-focused counterpart, follows a similar structure but incorporates 320 hours of field practice and a practice-based dissertation to equip expert practitioners for impactful sustainability solutions across the same tracks. Overall, these programs blend rigorous training, interdisciplinary flexibility, and practical components to foster contributions in policy, community building, environmental management, and conflict resolution.
Master in Sustainable Development Studies
Master in Sustainable Development Studies
The Master in Sustainable Development Studies (MSDS) offers a comprehensive graduate education designed to address pressing global sustainability challenges through two distinct tracks: the research-oriented Academic Track under the Master of Science in Sustainable Development Studies (MS SDS), which emphasizes in-depth analysis, core foundational courses, cognate electives, specialized major courses, and culminates in a master's thesis to foster scholarly expertise; and the professionally focused Professional Track, which equips practitioners for immediate real-world application via core coursework, summer intensives in track-specific majors, 240 hours of field practice, and a capstone comprehensive exam to drive practical impact in sectors like community development, economic analysis, environmental engineering, resource management, urban planning, and peacebuilding.
MASTER IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STUDIES (MSDS)
MAJOR IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (ComDev)
First Year, First Semester
Fundamentals of Sustainable Development
Resource Management and Accounting
Geographical Information System (GIS) for Sustainable Development
Research Methods in Sustainable Development
First Year, Second Semester
Policy and Governance
Environmental Impact Assessment for Sustainable Development
Landscape Governance: Rural and Urban Development
Cognate
First Year, Summer
Dynamics of Community Empowerment
Gender and Human Security-Based Development
Second Year, First Semester
Field Practice
Second Year, Second Semester
Capstone
Note: With Comprehensive Exam
Major Subjects
Landscape Governance
Dynamics of Community Empowerment
Gender and Human Security-Based Development
Indigenous Knowledge System and Practices
Human Ecology
*Cognate courses to be taken from the major courses of other specialization tracks.
Download Program of Study here.
MASTER IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STUDIES (MSDS)
MAJOR IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (EconDev)
First Year, First Semester
Fundamentals of Sustainable Development
Resource Management and Accounting
Geographical Information System (GIS) for Sustainable Development
Research Methods in Sustainable Development
First Year, Second Semester
Policy and Governance
Environmental Impact Assessment for Sustainable Development
Economic Analysis of the Environment
Cognate
First Year, Summer
Foundations of Development Economics
Ecosystem Valuation
Second Year, First Semester
Field Practice
Second Year, Second Semester
Capstone
Note: With Comprehensive Exam
Major Subjects
Economic Analysis of the Environment
Local Economic Development Strategies
Foundation of Development Economics
Ecosystem Valuation
*Cognate courses to be taken from the major courses of other specialization tracks.
Download Program of Study here.
MASTER IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STUDIES (MSDS)
MAJOR IN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION (EnviEd)
First Year, First Semester
Fundamentals of Sustainable Development
Resource Management and Accounting
Geographical Information System (GIS) for Sustainable Development
Research Methods in Sustainable Development
First Year, Second Semester
Policy and Governance
Environmental Impact Assessment for Sustainable Development
Information, Education and Communication (IEC) Materials Development for Sustainable Development
Cognate
First Year, Summer
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for Sustainable Development
Environmental Education for School and Community
Second Year, First Semester
Field Practice
Second Year, Second Semester
Capstone
Note: With Comprehensive Exam
Major Subjects
Information, Education and Communication (IEC) Materials Development for Sustainable Development
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for Sustainable Development
Environmental Education for School and Community
Educational Management for Sustainable Development
*Cognate courses to be taken from the major courses of other specialization tracks.
Download Program of the Study here.
MASTER IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STUDIES (MSDS)
MAJOR IN ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING (EnviEng’g)
First Year, First Semester
Fundamentals of Sustainable Development
Resource Management and Accounting
Geographical Information System (GIS) for Sustainable Development
Research Methods in Sustainable Development
First Year, Second Semester
Policy and Governance
Impact Environmental Assessment for SD
Solid and Hazardous Waste Management
Cognate
First Year, Summer
Wastewater Engineering
Water Quality Management
Second Year, First Semester
Field Practice
Second Year, Second Semester
Capstone
Note: With Comprehensive Exam
Major Subjects
Solid and Hazardous Waste Management
Wastewater Engineering
Water Quality Management
Air and Noise Pollution Control Engineering
*Cognate courses to be taken from the major courses of other specialization tracks.
Download Program of Study here.
MASTER IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STUDIES (MSDS)
MAJOR IN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (ResMgt)
First Year, First Semester
Fundamentals of Sustainable Development
Resource Management and Accounting
Geographical Information System (GIS) for Sustainable Development
Research Methods in Sustainable Development
First Year, Second Semester
Policy and Governance
Environmental Impact Assessment for Sustainable Development
Land Resources Management
Cognate
First Year, Summer
Water Resources Management
Energy Resources Management
Second Year, First Semester
Field Practice
Second Year, Second Semester
Capstone
Note: With Comprehensive Exam
Major Subjects
Health and Environmental Toxicology
Land Resources Management
Water Resources Management
Energy Resources Management
Mineral Resources Management
*Cognate courses to be taken from the major courses of other specialization tracks.
Download Program of Study here.
MASTER IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STUDIES (MSDS)
MAJOR IN RURAL AND URBAN PLANNING (RUP)
First Year, First Semester
Fundamentals of Sustainable Development
Resource Management and Accounting
Geographical Information System (GIS) for Sustainable Development
Research Methods in Sustainable Development
First Year, Second Semester
Policy and Governance
Environmental Impact Assessment for Sustainable Development
Planning and the Development Process
Cognate
First Year, Summer
Planning Laws, Legislation and Practice
Strategies in Rural and Urban Planning
Second Year, First Semester
Field Practice
Second Year, Second Semester
Capstone
Note: With Comprehensive Exam
Major Subjects
Planning and the Development Process
Planning Laws, Legislation and Practice
Planning Strategies and Technique
Planning Systems and Management for Sustainability
*Cognate courses to be taken from the major courses of other specialization tracks.
Download Program of Study here.
MASTER IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT STUDIES (MSDS)
PEACE AND CONFLICT TRANSFORMATION (PCT) TRACK
First Year, First Semester
Fundamentals of Sustainable Development
Resource Management and Accounting
Geographical Information System (GIS) for Sustainable Development
Research Methods in Sustainable Development
First Year, Second Semester
Policy and Governance
Environmental Impact Assessment for Sustainable Development
Peace Education
Cognate
First Year, Summer
Culture and Peace
Peace Process in Minadanao
Second Year, First Semester
Field Practice
Second Year, Second Semester
Capstone
Note: With Comprehensive Exam
Major Subjects
Peace Education
Conflict Analysis
Culture and Peace
Peace Processes in Mindanao
Dealing with the Past
Peacebuilding and Policy Making
Community-based Peacebuilding
Political Economy of Conflict and Peace
Special Topics
*Cognate courses to be taken from the major courses of other specialization tracks.
Download Program of Study here.
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