Sustainability planning and policy is an interdisciplinary field focused on developing strategies and policies that promote environmental, economic and social sustainability. The program involves understanding and addressing complex challenges such as climate change, urban development, resource management and environmental justice through informed planning and policymaking.

At its core, the field combines knowledge from environmental science, public policy, economics, urban planning and geospatial technologies—such as GIS and remote sensing—to create sustainable solutions for communities and ecosystems. Professionals in this area work to design and implement policies that support long-term environmental health, economic resilience and social equity.

Sustainability Planning and Policy at UT Dallas

The Bachelor of Science in Sustainability Planning and Policy is an interdisciplinary program that prepares students to address the environmental, economic and social dimensions of sustainability. The program integrates coursework in public policy, economics, urban planning and geospatial sciences. It is designed for students who are passionate about creating sustainable communities and influencing policy at local, national and global levels.

This undergraduate degree provides a strong academic foundation for students interested in pursuing graduate studies—including sustainability planning and policy—and careers in public service, nonprofit organizations and private-sector roles focused on sustainability and environmental planning.

The program emphasizes a systems-thinking approach to sustainability, combining theoretical knowledge with practical skills. Students engage with topics such as climate change, sustainable urban development, environmental economics and policy analysis. The curriculum includes core courses in sustainability, GIS, economics and public policy, as well as electives that allow students to explore areas such as disaster management, health and environmental GIS, and international environmental policy.

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Sustainability Planning and Policy are prepared for a wide range of careers in government agencies, nonprofit organizations, consulting firms and private industry. Potential roles include sustainability coordinator or analyst, environmental policy assistant, urban planning associate and community development specialist

About the School of Economics, Political and Policy Sciences

Founded in 1975 as the School of Social Sciences, the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences (EPPS) is a compact, focused policy school embedded within a large, Carnegie-recognized Tier One university. EPPS students receive all of the benefits of studying at a major research university while also capitalizing on personalized instruction and close connections with faculty and classmates of a small college. 

An EPPS education is interdisciplinary. Our 11 discipline areas include: 

• Computational and Geospatial Science
• Criminology and Criminal Justice
• Cyber and Big Data Analytics
• Economics
• Geospatial Information Sciences
• Political Science
• Public and Nonprofit Management
• Public Policy and Political Economy
• Public Health
• Sociology
• Sustainability Planning and Policy

All 11 disciplines are interrelated, and an understanding of one informs a better understanding of the others. For this reason, we encourage our students to explore the various majors and minors within EPPS and to take classes across majors.  

As an undergraduate in EPPS, you will have the opportunity to work with professors who are probing issues that will affect your future. You will develop the vital skills you need to thrive in a rapidly evolving, highly competitive job market. EPPS will prepare you for careers in government, non-profits and the private sector that enable you to make a real difference in the world of today and tomorrow.  The school has six affiliated centers and initiatives:

• Texas Schools Project
• Institute for Urban Policy Research
• Army ROTC – Comet Battalion
• North Texas Quality of Life Initiative
• Taiwan Studies Program
• Initiative for Civil Leadership

Degrees Offered

Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts: Criminology, economics (BA), economics (BS), geospatial information sciences, international political economy, political science, public affairs, public health, public policy, sociology, computational and geospatial science, sustainability planning and policy

Master of Science: Applied sociology, criminology, cyber security, technology and policy, economics, geospatial information sciences, international political economy, social data analytics and research, and sustainability planning and policy (Fall 2026). 

Master of Arts: Political science 

Master of Public Affairs: Public affairs 

Master of Public Policy: Public policy 

Doctor of Philosophy: Criminology, economics, geospatial information sciences, political science, public affairs, public policy and political economy 

Undergraduate Certificates

EPPS offers the following 12-hour undergraduate certificates, which generally can be completed in one year of part-time evening classes:

• Nonprofit Management: designed to provide an overview of the nature and context of nonprofit organizations and develop competencies needed by nonprofit managers.

Graduate Certificates

EPPS offers the following 15-hour graduate certificates, which generally can be completed in one year of part-time evening classes: 

• Arts Management and Leadership: focuses on the knowledge and skills necessary to work in the nonprofit sector professional settings providing visual or performing arts content and services. 
• Crime Mapping and Analysis: designed to provide knowledge and skills to professionals in the criminal justice field who seek to specialize in crime mapping and analysis 
• Economic and Demographic Data Analysis: focusing on the understanding and application of quantitative analysis of demographic and economic data.
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS): focusing on the application of GIS in government, private sector and scientific areas.
• Geospatial Intelligence: focusing on the application of geospatial ideas and techniques to national security and other intelligence activity. 
• International Banking and Monetary Systems: focusing on applications for monetary economics, forecasting, and macroeconomic aspects of banking 
• Local Government Management: designed to broaden knowledge of important issues and approaches employed by professional local public administrators. 
• Nonprofit Management: designed to broaden knowledge of important issues in the nonprofit sector and learn practical skills of managing people and data that are key to securing managerial positions and being successful in the nonprofit sector. 
• Program Evaluation: designed to provide students the opportunity to gain competencies in the design and implementation of program evaluations in fields such as education, health care, human services, criminal justice and economic development.
• Public Budgeting and Financial Management: designed to enhance students’ understanding and experience in public budgeting and financial management and control, governmental or non-profit accounting, and public expenditure planning, management, and fiscal control. 
• Public Human Resources Management: designed to give students a full introduction to the principles, strategies, and techniques of public human resources management. 
• Remote Sensing: focusing on remote sensing and digital image processing. 
• Spatial Data Science: focusing on big data handling, machine learning, programming skills, and capabilities in geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing/drone, geovisualization, locational intelligence, and spatial pattern analysis. 
• Nonprofit Management: designed to broaden knowledge of important issues in the nonprofit sector and learn practical skills of managing people and data that are key to securing managerial positions and being successful in the nonprofit sector. 

Fast-Track Program

The Fast-Track program enables exceptionally gifted UT Dallas students to include master’s level courses in their undergraduate degree plans. Students who meet the requirements for admission to graduate school and the minimum GPA requirement for their major can take up to 15 hours of graduate level coursework that can apply toward their undergraduate and graduate level coursework. To take graduate courses in the Fast-Track program, upper-division undergraduates must have completed 90 semester credit hours and petition their associate dean for permission to take graduate courses. 

Pre-Law Program

The Pre-Law Advising and Resource Center at UT Dallas works with students interested in pursuing a legal career. Their guidance begins in the students’ early years at the University and continues through preparation for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT). 

Many pre-law students at UT Dallas are admitted to the nation’s top 10 law schools, and the majority earn admission to law school on their first attempt. Undergraduates may enroll in classes included in the school’s master’s programs in constitutional law studies, legislative studies, public policy or general political science.