Specialization in Leadership of Sustainable Systems

The Masters of Arts program in Leadership of Sustainable Systems makes a unique contribution to the exciting and growing field of sustainability education by putting the human experience, the human condition, and the practice of engaged collaborative leadership at the center of questions of resilience and regeneration for a viable future. We are living in a time when new economic, environmental, and social challenges and opportunities call for innovative leadership to create thriving organizations and institutions across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Our program brings a unique focus on the human dimensions of sustainability.

With a transformative and systems approach, this program encourages students to use systems thinking to understand the complex problems and opportunities of our time to engage in collaborative leadership, learning, and actions to build partnerships across diverse organizations, cultures, and sectors. Students participate in a cohort-based learning community in which they will combine scholarly activities with skill-building field research projects that address how our individual, collective, and organizational actions are deeply connected to one another, and to larger environmental, economic, and social systems locally and globally.

 

Our Vision of Sustainability

Our approach to sustainability embraces paradox as an opportunity to enable a creative change process. The true challenge presented to leaders committed to fostering sustainable organizations is the ability to manage the tension between diverse individuals, interests, groups and sectors, and design an inquiry process that leads towards a collectively desired future.Our belief in the power of human and organizational systems drives our approach to educating a new generation of change agents committed to healthy and thriving human communities, organizations, and ecosystems.

Our Students

Our program is for individuals who are passionate about their leadership role in facilitating transformative learning and design toward sustainability. They understand that the problems they seek to address cannot be solved through one sector, one organization, one discipline, or one leader but that rather systemic, cross-sector, and collaborative approaches are necessary in the complex world in which we live.

Our program supports the development of students' interests and professional experience through a well-crafted portfolio of experiential projects and internships.

Leadership of Sustainable Systems Program Booklet: Fall 2010 pdf | 1mb