Program Description

The MS in Sustainability Planning and Policy is a multidisciplinary graduate program designed to prepare students for leadership roles in sustainability, environmental policy, and urban planning. Offered through the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, the program integrates geographic information systems (GIS), public policy, economics, and environmental science to address complex sustainability challenges. The program curriculum includes foundational and advanced coursework in GIS, sustainability, disaster management, urban planning, and environmental economics, equipping students with both technical and policy-oriented skillsets. The program is accepting applications for Fall 2026.

Benefits

• Interdisciplinary Curriculum: Combines sustainability studies with public policy, economics, and GIS technologies.
• Practical Skill Development: Emphasizes real-world applications in environmental planning, hazard management, and policy analysis.
• Career-Focused Training: Prepares students for high-demand roles in government, NGOs and the private sector.
• Strategic Location: Situated in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, offering access to a growing job market in sustainability and planning.

Career Opportunities

Graduates will be prepared for roles such as:

• Environmental Policy Analysts
• Environmental Economists
• Sustainability Specialists
• Urban and Regional Planners

The program addresses workforce needs by preparing students to support green infrastructure and sustainable development at local, state, and national levels.

Application Deadlines and Requirements

Please take note of all application deadlines and visit the webpage to begin the application process. See the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences graduate website for additional information.

Applicants to the Sustainability Planning and Policy master’s degree program should have:

• A baccalaureate degree in a relevant field or its equivalent from an institution of higher education.
• A grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 out of a 4.0 scale, although applications are reviewed holistically.
• Test Scores: A GRE/GMAT test score is not required. Additional standards may apply to applicants requesting Teaching Assistantships.
• Transcripts: Applicants should submit transcripts from all postsecondary institutions that they have attended.
• Letters of Recommendation: Applicants must submit at least one letter of recommendation from an individual able to judge the candidate’s potential for success in the master’s degree program. The letter can be academic or professional.
• Admissions Essay: Applicants must submit an essay outlining their academic interests and professional goals.
• A resume.
• International applicants must submit a TOEFL score of at least 80 on the internet-based test. Scores must be less than two years old. See the Graduate Catalog for additional information regarding English proficiency requirements for international applicants.

About the School of Economic, 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 a graduate 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, nonprofits 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 

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.