Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 71.75
Liaison Cindy Shea
Submission Date July 24, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
AC-4: Graduate Program

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 3.00 / 3.00 Cindy Shea
Director, Sustainability Office
Campus Enterprises
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution offer at least one sustainability-focused major, degree program, or the equivalent for graduate students (I.e. an interdisciplinary academic program that concentrates on sustainability as an integrated concept)?:
Yes

Name of the sustainability-focused graduate-level degree program:
Master's Degree Program in City and Regional Planning

A brief description of the graduate-level degree program:

The program is structured to provide: 1) a core of planning theory, urban theory and planning methods, 2) in-depth coverage of substantive knowledge, methods, techniques and institutions in an area of specialization, 3) elective courses to broaden or deepen knowledge and skills in particular areas of interest, and 4) application of knowledge and skills in a problem-solving workshop and Master’s Project.

In addition to the core curriculum, taken during the first year in residence, the department offers five specializations associated with professional planning practice in placemaking & real estate development, economic development, housing & community development, land use and environmental planning, and transportation planning. Sustainable development is the overarching concept for these specializations. Each emphasizes equity, environmental quality, economic viability, and social participation and grapples with the interconnections among these dimensions of sustainability.


The website URL for the graduate-level degree program:
Name of the sustainability-focused, graduate-level degree program (2nd program):
Master's Degree in Environmental Science and Engineering

A brief description of the graduate degree program (2nd program):

Intended for incoming students with a strong background in the sciences or engineering. It prepares students for careers in practice as well as for further studies and careers in advanced education, research or management in the field of public health with emphasis in environmental sciences and engineering.


The website URL for the graduate degree program (2nd program):
Name of the sustainability-focused, graduate-level degree program (3rd program):
Master of Public Health - Health Behavior and Health Education

A brief description of the graduate degree program (3rd program):

Program integrates social and behavioral science theory, research, and practice through core courses, community-based fieldwork, and professional development and career support. Students use a social ecological framework to study, develop, and evaluate interventions and policies to promote health, prevent disease and injury, and reduce health disparities. The HB MPH program prepares students for leadership positions in a wide range of public health settings.


The website URL for the graduate degree program (3rd program):
The name and website URLs of all other sustainability-focused graduate-level degree programs:
Does the institution offer one or more graduate-level sustainability-focused minors, concentrations or certificates?:
Yes

Name of the graduate-level sustainability-focused minor, concentration or certificate:
MBA Sustainable Enterprise Concentration

A brief description of the graduate minor, concentration or certificate:

Sustaianble enterprise is a way of doing business that makes profits through means that reduce harm to society and the environment. It turns challenges into business opportunities that serve a triple bottom line of profits, society and the environment. The result is often unique market solutions that leapforg the competition or help firms to enter new markets with products better suited to long term growth.

This concentration applies across functional areas and industries. It complements other career concentrations taken at the same time. Students taking it will learn how to craft strategies that help companies pursue a triple bottom line, a skill that more and more companies say they seek.

Students may take courses outside the business school in areas such as:
Public Policy
International Studies
Social Work
City and Regional Planning
Environmental Studies


The website URL for the graduate minor, concentration or certificate:
Name of the graduate-level sustainability-focused minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
Graduate Certificate Program in Geographic Information Sciences

A brief description of the graduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):

The Graduate Certificate Program in Geographic Information Sciences offered within the Department of Geography is designed to educate and train students in geographic information systems, remote sensing, quantitative methods, spatial analysis, global positioning systems, and data visualization. The Program is intended to provide a mix of theory and practical knowledge having wide application in business, health, environment, planning, and in other areas. The Program is designed to serve (1) students in the arts and sciences as well as the health sciences and information technologies who wish to acquire technical expertise to support the topic knowledge gained in their undergraduate and graduate programs, and (2) returning students who wish to acquire specialized education and training to meet current or future job requirements calling for knowledge in geographic information sciences. The primary goal of the Program is to ensure that students become sufficiently grounded in theoretical underpinnings of Geographic Information Sciences to enable them to make informed use of existing applications software and to construct new applications of moderate size in both the physical and social sciences. Through lab exercises, course projects, and the Capstone project, experiences will be acquired in the use of major GIScience software packages including: ArcView, ArcGIS, ERDAS Imagine, S-Plus, GRASS, Fragstats, IPW, and more. By teaching cocnepts, spatial reasoning, and hands-on uses, the Program differs from a typical short course designed to teach a particular software package and a relatively narrow range of spatial concepts germane to the software. The basic intent is for students to achieve a balanced combination of education and training in the use of a diverse set of tools, techniques, data, and spatial concepts that collectively reside within the analytical framework that defines Geographic Information Sciences.


The website URL for the graduate minor, concentration or certificate (2nd program):
Name of the graduate-level sustainability-focused minor, concentration or certificate (3rd program):
Graduate Certificate in Natural Hazards Resilience

A brief description of the graduate minor, concentration or certificate (3rd program):

The Department of City and Regional Planning in partnership with the Coastal Resilience Center of Excellence at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are co-sponsoring a graduate certificate program in the study of Natural Hazards Resilience. The 10 credit hour certificate program, which will begin in the Fall of 2015, focuses on the nexus between the threats and impacts of natural hazards and disasters on human settlements, including those exacerbated by climate change, and how individuals, organizations, communities, and larger systems of governance prepare for, respond to, mitigate against, recover from, and adapt to these events.

Emphasis is placed on the concept of disaster resilience, or "the ability to prepare and plan for, absorb, recover from, and more successfully adapt to adverse events" (National Research Council 2012). The curriculum provides students with an academic and practice-based exposure to the science underlying our understanding of natural hazards phenomena and a critical analysis of the policies, programs, and plans in place that are intended to help societies manage the effects of natural hazards and disasters, to include an emphasis on those actions that increase disaster resilience. The certificate program serves enrolled graduate students only and is not available to practicing professionals located outside the university.


The website URL for the graduate minor, concentration or certificate (3rd program):
The name and website URLs of all other graduate-level, sustainability-focused minors, concentrations and certificates:

Certificate in Global Health
http://sph.unc.edu/global-health/gh-certificates/

Interdisciplinary Certificate in Health Disparities
http://sph.unc.edu/echo/unc-interdisciplinary-certificate-in-health-disparities/

Graduate Certificate in Global Transmigration http://ssw.unc.edu/programs/Global_Transmigration_Certificate


Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
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