MS Resilient & Sustainable Communities

The Master of Science degree in Resilient & Sustainable Communities (MRSC) is the first of its kind and is a truly unique program designed to instill in students the skills needed to develop, advocate, and implement fundamental changes in how our communities function. At the heart of the program is the understanding that attaining sustainability depends on the creation of resilient communities, able to adapt to ever-changing conditions and evolve without losing their fundamental identities. Students in the MRSC program will learn about land-use planning, economic development, energy production, food systems, and resource management, while developing skills in leadership, organizational management, and conflict resolution.

Highlighting Green Mountain College’s visionary bioregional approach to distance education, students apply the skills and knowledge learned to issues and ecosystems in their local area. This enables our students to go beyond conventional education and learn to identify and solve problems facing their own communities. The goal is for students to apply what they learn locally and to learn from classmates how similar concepts may take different forms in various settings. This style of applied learning is a natural expression of Green Mountain College’s independent spirit and our mission to advocate for social, environmental and economic sustainability.

What Experts Are Saying:
“If we have one need on this planet, it’s for resilient and sustainable communities, so it’s good someone is thinking hard about how the heck to build them!”
– Bill McKibben

“The MRSC program is comprehensive and well built throughout. Rather than being just another generic sustainability program, it provides a systemic context for understanding the modern world’s environmental crises, and offers practical skills … to prepare students for the challenges we will face in an energy-constrained, climate-disrupted world. Anyone wanting to build a sustainable and resilient community would do well to start here.”
– Richard Heinberg

What Students Are Saying:
“The program has really sharpened a lot of my skills, and added a whole lot of new colors and tools that enable me to accomplish my goal of changing the world. I feel empowered by this program.”
– Erin Willett

“You can’t change way we eat food without policy change and you can’t create new systems without understanding whole picture. There really wasn’t anything existing that was interdisciplinary in approach. The MRSC program brings different perspectives from all walks of life.”
– Gavin Whittle