New Degree Program Designed To Grow Leaders in Sustainability

The University of Texas at Dallas has introduced a new Bachelor of Science degree that will help create a new generation of sustainability leaders.

The sustainability planning and policy degree program, which began this fall in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences (EPPS), enables students to look at sustainability from an interdisciplinary perspective and prepares them for myriad careers and postgraduate paths, said Dr. Jennifer S. Holmes, EPPS dean and the Lloyd V. Berkner Professor of political science and of public policy and political economy.

“The degree program will prepare students to work in sustainability with core expertise in GIS, public policy and planning,” she said. “In the program, we will develop a new generation of sustainability leaders who can conduct policy analysis, plan studies and create innovative strategies for addressing sustainability concerns locally and abroad.”

“In the program, we will develop a new generation of sustainability leaders who can conduct policy analysis, plan studies and create innovative strategies for addressing sustainability concerns locally and abroad.”

Dr. Jennifer S. Holmes, dean of the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences

Dr. Muhammad Tauhidur Rahman, associate professor of geospatial information sciences (GIS) and sustainability, took a leading role in developing the new program, which was approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in January 2025. He worked with Dr. John McCaskill Jr., clinical professor of public and nonprofit management, and Dr. Elías Cisneros, assistant professor of public policy and political economy and of sustainability, to design the program.

Sustainability is a broad topic that lends itself to a specialization in planning and policy, especially from the environmental perspective, Rahman said.

“For example, how does human urbanization affect energy consumption? How do you make cities more sustainable and use less energy?” he said.

The program’s goal is to equip students with the skills to address the complex environmental, social and economic challenges of sustainable development. Students will gain a deep understanding of the principles, concepts and theories of sustainable development; analyze human-environment interactions and their impacts on environments; apply advanced methods to address sustainability challenges; and evaluate environmental policies.

Graduates of the program will have many opportunities for employment, Rahman said.

“Many companies have departments of sustainability,” he said. “Employees’ jobs are to consult with the company to make sure that the things they’re doing are actually going to reduce the impacts on the environment.

“Jobs like energy managers, renewable energy analysts and computer scientists focusing on sustainability are all possibilities. There are so many jobs for people to get hired into after graduating from our program.”

Environmental jobs are expected to continue to grow over the next five years, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. For example, growth of 4% is forecast for environmental scientists and specialists.

While other schools at UT Dallas offer academic certificates and concentrations related to sustainability, EPPS’ program is unique, Rahman said.

“The policy and planning pieces of this degree set it apart,” he said. “We’re looking at sustainability from perspectives such as economics and population development.

“We also have courses in Climate Change and Sustainable Solutions, along with technical courses, such as introduction to GIS and Introduction to Remote Sensing. Policy analysis theory and methods and political perspective will be included as well.”

Some of the program’s upper-level classes include Economics of Sustainability, Smart and Sustainable Cities, and Fundamentals of Sustainability.

EPPS leaders expect interdisciplinary interest in its sustainability classes from students enrolled in other programs. Rahman encourages students with an interest in geology, biology or any other field of study to consider this new degree.

“It is a very welcoming program,” he said.