Sustainable Community Development

In the Sustainable Community Development major, students can explore a variety of perspectives on creating a more sustainable world through planning and design.  The planning and design of a sustainable world is complex, and this major offers students the opportunity to prepare academically to deal with this complexity by drawing on a variety of disciplinary fields and working at a range of scales.

Undergraduate program options include a Bachelor’s degree and a minor.

Welcome to the Sustainable Community Development Community

The Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Community Development (SCD) offers opportunities to study many aspects of the built environment from a developmental design and planning point of view. Formerly titled Environmental Design, this program was established in 1966 as a pre-professional undergraduate degree. The name change in the fall of 2014 and the curriculum update in the fall of 2017 reflect the evolving nature of our field, dealing with social, built, and natural environments in their interdependence.

Graduates from the BS-SCD program will be prepared to pursue a professional or higher degree in the various fields related to urban design and planning and to make informed and effective development decisions that can have a lasting impact on the social, built, and natural built environments. The core curriculum broadly exposes students to the theories and techniques of planning and design so that they can understand how human and ecological activities can and do shape a landscape and what is involved in the sustainable development of a city and region. It provides the academic background needed for dealing with a wide range of cultural, social, political, economic and ecological aspects in the design and planning of sustainable communities across multiple scales.

Faculty Spotlight: How Faculty Office Hours Support Your Academic Aspirations

The biggest misperception about faculty office hours is that you have to be struggling with the class to meet with your professor outside of class. This could not be further from the truth. You can take advantage of faculty office …

By Koni Denham
Koni Denham Director of Student Success - SBS
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SBS Award for Summer Internships

This scholarship award supports SBS students who will complete internships during the summer ’23 semester. Candidates must be in good academic standing with at least 45 credits. Preference will be given to students with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0. Students can apply …

By Koni Denham
Koni Denham Director of Student Success - SBS
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Thomas R. Will Scholarship – Criminal Justice

Supporting students in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences who have a criminal justice, law enforcement, or military background or focus. Preference will be given to students with financial need as determined by UMass Amherst. Additional preference will be …

By Koni Denham
Koni Denham Director of Student Success - SBS
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Featured Alumni

Audrey Ortega’13, Sustainable Community Development

Alumni
  • Chelsea, MA
  • High School Biology Teacher Chelsea High School
Meet Audrey >

Olivia Horte’19, Sustainable Community Development

Alumni
  • Boston, MA
  • Programs Coordinator Rose F. Kennedy Greenway Conservancy
Meet Olivia >
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Featured Resources

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Skill-Building With Linkedin Learning Classes

See below for skill-building classes – visit LinkedIn Learning for more.

Build a Successful Career in Project Management

Build a Successful Career in Project Management

Oliver Yarbrough
Do you want to get into project management? Maybe you’re already in project management, but you want to grow. Either…
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Learning Infographic Design

Learning Infographic Design

Amy Balliett
To create a truly successful infographic, you must understand the power of visual communication. Properly executed visuals can connect with…
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InDesign 2021 Essential Training

InDesign 2021 Essential Training

David Blatner
InDesign is an essential tool for design firms, ad agencies, magazines, newspapers, book publishers, and freelance designers around the world.…
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User Experience (UX) for Non-Designers

User Experience (UX) for Non-Designers

Tom Green
User experience (UX) design is more than just pushing pixels and adding interactivity. It’s a people-centric practice that involves many…
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Business Analysis Foundations: Business Process Modeling

Business Analysis Foundations: Business Process Modeling

Haydn Thomas
When you’re trying to grapple with user demands and market changes, it can be difficult to mentally zoom out and…
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Six Sigma Foundations

Six Sigma Foundations

Richard Chua
Learn how to apply Six Sigma to drive improvements in the performance of your processes, products, and services. Dr. Richard…
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ArcGIS Pro Essential Training (2019)

ArcGIS Pro Essential Training (2019)

Gordon Luckett
ArcGIS Pro is a popular geographic information system (GIS) that combines the power of 2D and 3D mapping with cloud-based…
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Learning Canva

Learning Canva

Marley Jaxx
Canva is an easy way—without any graphic design experience—to create professional graphics for social media, presentations, newsletters, business cards, brochures,…
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Cert Prep: PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)®

Cert Prep: PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP)®

Kelley O'Connell
The agile approach to project management can help companies respond faster and more effectively to change. As a result, having…
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Introduction to Graphic Design

Introduction to Graphic Design

Tony Harmer
Graphic design is a complex art. To become a graphic designer, you need to master many different skills and tools.…
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Learning Design Thinking: Lead Change in Your Organization

Learning Design Thinking: Lead Change in Your Organization

Turi McKinley
Design thinking is a user-centered way of solving problems. It involves extensive collaboration, using strategies such as mapping customer journeys,…
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Relevant Courses

SBS College to Careers – SOCBEHAV 250

SBS College to Careers – SOCBEHAV 250

SOCBEHAV 250: College to Careers This class is all about YOU. • One credit, highly-participatory course • Learn about yourself…
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Research Opportunities

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Explore Outcomes

The SBS Office of Career & Professional Development annually surveys graduating seniors in order to provide a snapshot of their post-graduation plans.  The survey begins just prior to graduation, and continues until six months after graduation.  Our data collection process is guided by the industry standard put forth by the National Association of Colleges & Employers, and includes information collected by the SBS Office of Career & Professional Development, the Office of Institutional Research at UMass Amherst, and by various academic departments, as well as from information that is made publicly available by students.  The SBS undergraduate outcomes knowledge rate for 2020 was 60%, though knowledge rate varies among departments.

The SBS Office of Career & Professional Development annually surveys graduating seniors in order to provide a snapshot of their post-graduation plans.  The survey begins just prior to graduation, and continues until six months after graduation.  Our data collection process is guided by the industry standard put forth by the National Association of Colleges & Employers, and includes information collected by the SBS Office of Career & Professional Development, the Office of Institutional Research at UMass Amherst, and by various academic departments, as well as from information that is made publicly available by students.  The SBS undergraduate outcomes knowledge rate for 2022 was 70%, though knowledge rate varies among departments.

  • First Destination
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  • Fields of Study

First Destination

SBS graduates pursue a range of plans after graduation, including employment, continuing education, and volunteering/service, among others.  This graph depicts what recent SBS graduates tell us they are doing within six months after graduation.