{"id":44,"date":"2018-08-21T10:30:59","date_gmt":"2018-08-21T17:30:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vendor.hub.wp.nau.edu\/sustainable-communities\/program\/"},"modified":"2025-04-22T23:31:50","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T23:31:50","slug":"program","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/program-sustainable-communities\/program\/","title":{"rendered":"M.A. in Sustainable Communities"},"content":{"rendered":"

About Our Master’s<\/h1>\n

A Community Approach to Transformative Sustainability<\/h4>\n

The Sustainable Communities program prepares students to enact positive social change. We take an interdisciplinary and intersectional approach to sustainability, enabling and encouraging our students to develop their own vision for a just world. Our graduate curriculum provides a theoretical foundation to understand societal problems and to identify opportunities for moving through them. Students engage dominant and alternative economic, political, social, and philosophical paradigms as they develop their understanding of how to work for a more just and sustainable world. Students work closely with community organizations and initiatives, developing organizing and leadership capacity that build on skills they workshop and study in the classroom. Combining robust theoretical grounding with applied community engagement sets our program apart and positions our students as capable participants and leaders of social change.<\/p>\n

<\/pre>\n\n\n        \n      \n          What\u2019s sustainability? Accordion Closed<\/span><\/h4>\n          <\/span>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/a>\n    \n        \n\nSUS takes an interdisciplinary and intersectional approach to sustainability, defining it as the sustenance of ecological and social well-being<\/em> that centers on resilience, flourishing, equity, democracy, justice, and interdependence. The complexity of this definition strengthens our students as community leaders because they have the skills to understand and act in response to a variety of approaches to sustainability<\/em>, and also challenge those frameworks as they strive toward justice.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n        \n      \n          What can I do with this degree? Accordion Closed<\/span><\/h4>\n          <\/span>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/a>\n    \n        \n\nOur graduates enter the workforce ready to engage with their communities through transformative careers. Some examples of career fields following graduation include:<\/p>\n\nmunicipal and regional governance<\/li>\n
environmental, sustainability, and social justice education<\/li>\n
non-profit program coordination<\/li>\n
sustainable food systems<\/li>\n
natural and sustainable building<\/li>\n
community organizing<\/li>\njustice and equity leadership<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nFind out what our alumni are up to!<\/a><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
\n        \n      \n          What will I learn? Accordion Closed<\/span><\/h4>\n          <\/span>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/a>\n    \n        \n\nSocial and Ecological Justice<\/span><\/p>\n
The SUS program asserts that social and ecological justice are foundational to any sustainable community. Without equitable access to the resources that make a vibrant, healthy, autonomous life possible, sustainable communities are not possible. Through coursework and community engagement, students learn about the systems, institutions, and histories of power and domination that shape ongoing struggles for justice and sustainability. We prioritize visions of long-term, radical transformation of oppressive systems, and also give students the chance to work pragmatically for change.<\/p>\n
Community Engagement<\/span><\/p>\n
All of us in the SUS program recognize that we are embedded within the fabric of both the NAU campus and our regional communities. Community engagement includes the reflexive examination and use of various models of activism, organizing, historical analysis of movements for social change, and other democratic practices. Through community engagement, students directly learn from and participate in the creation, maintenance, and renewal of communities, interacting with, and in some cases becoming, local leaders.<\/p>\n
Interdisciplinary Research<\/span><\/p>\n
Interdisciplinarity is integral to all aspects of the SUS  program, how we teach, and the students we mentor. Students from varied disciplines join the program, and faculty from an array of disciplines teach within it. Our work to understand, reflect, and act toward just and sustainable communities embraces problem-solving theories and methods from a wide array of academic fields. This enables our students to excel at interdisciplinary thinking, writing, problem-solving, and organizing.<\/p>\n
Applied Scholarship<\/span><\/p>\n
Scholarship in the SUS program is grounded in both rigorous theory and practice. Students in the program are encouraged to synthesize theoretical discussions in class with on-the-ground initiatives that respond directly to the needs of communities. SUS students may engage in applied scholarship in their classes, research projects, internships, and graduate assistantships.<\/p>\n
Social Transformation<\/span><\/p>\n
Students in the SUS program critically study and practice the arts of social transformation. We believe that sustainable communities require widespread social transformation at political, economic, and cultural levels. While individual change is one component of social transformation, SUS places its focus upon broader, collective forms of transformation with the greatest potential to address the socio-ecological crises we face.<\/p>\n
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see also “What is Sustainability?” above<\/em><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n        \n      \n          Can I get funding? Accordion Closed<\/span><\/h4>\n          <\/span>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/a>\n    \n        \n\nWe offer tuition waivers and graduate assistantships on a competitive basis to students who:<\/p>\n\nare admitted to the Sustainable Communities program<\/li>\n
are enrolled as full-time graduate students (taking a minimum of 9 hours per semester)<\/li>\nmaintain a 3.0 GPA (with no grades below B and no grades of “incomplete”)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nClick here to learn more about financial aid in the SUS program!<\/a><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
\n        \n      \n          Why NAU? Accordion Closed<\/span><\/h4>\n          <\/span>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/a>\n    \n        \n\nNo matter what state or country you’re from, NAU will be a home for your intellectual, personal, and professional growth. You’ll join more than 29,000 students from 80 countries who have all chosen to pursue their educational passions here. Located in the stunning southwestern United States, Flagstaff, Arizona is nestled in the mountains and experiences all four seasons. It’s the perfect place to pursue your studies—and there is no place quite like it. Check out our FAQ page<\/a> and take part in virtual tours of our campus<\/a> and the Flagstaff area<\/a> to learn more.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
\n        \n      \n          Where do I apply? Accordion Closed<\/span><\/h4>\n          <\/span>\n      <\/div>\n    <\/a>\n    \n        \n\nApply today<\/a><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
More about our program<\/h3>\nThe M.A. program in Sustainable Communities (SUS) at NAU integrates many areas of study, including anthropology, the arts, business, humanities, economics, education, environmental science, history, political science, psychology, religion, sociology, women’s studies, and technology. Students gain both depth and breadth in understanding issues important to sustaining community life by choosing from among our own courses and those from across the university.\u00a0This is a 36-credit-hour program that culminates in a thesis or final project and encourages you to pursue social and environmental sustainability issues.<\/p>\n
Our guiding principles are:<\/p>\n\nInter-disciplinary inquiry<\/li>\n
Linking theory and practice<\/li>\n
Issue-based research<\/li>\n
Learner-based curriculum<\/li>\n
Working with community<\/li>\nFlexible pedagogy<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nRecent theses and final projects<\/h3>\nStudents in the Sustainable Communities program at NAU choose coursework that provides them with the unique perspectives and skills they need to complete a thesis or final project. They work closely with a committee, often made up of faculty from across the university. Here’s a sampling of their work.<\/p>\n\nRebecca Ed<\/a>: Caught Between Two Worlds: A Study of Water Access on the Navajo Reservation and the Educational Fallout of the Youth Who Thirst<\/span><\/li>\n
Lindsey Falkenburg<\/a>: Uprooting Domination in Restoration: Seeding Utopian Futures Through Collaborative Fiction<\/span><\/li>\n
Marie Gladue: Re-Indigenizing the Sacred Homescape of Dinetah<\/span><\/li>\n
Adediran Ikuomola: African Migrants and Ethnic Food Consumption Patterns (Foodways) in Phoenix, Arizona<\/span><\/li>\n
Bryson Leander<\/a>: Earthen Accessory Dwelling Units: A Bioregional Proposal for Affordable Housing in Phoenix, Arizona<\/span><\/li>\n
Zenya Ledermann<\/a>: Feeding Equality: A Comprehensive Analysis of Food Justice in the Verde Valley, Arizona<\/span><\/li>\n
Caleb Martin<\/a>: Just Transition: An Analysis of Civil Society-Led Renewable Energy Development in Tohoku Japan<\/span><\/li>\n
\nRobinLi Uber<\/a>: Flowers for Mama: An Arts-Based Inquiry Into Continuing Bonds<\/span><\/p>\n
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Student spotlight<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\nSufyan Suleman<\/h4>\n\n\n    \nSufyan’s<\/strong> academic journey has taken him across continents from his home in Wa, Ghana to New Zealand to the United States. However, his heart remains rooted in his home. After completing his undergraduate degree in Agribusiness at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana in 2014, he spent a year and a half in New Zealand at Lincoln University studying a master’s program in Agribusiness Management. He then returned home to work with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture for four years. His role focused on working with smallholder farmers to improve their production and to connect them<\/span> with high-value markets, helping to strengthen their economic opportunities.<\/span><\/p>\n
But as he deepened his agricultural work, Sufyan saw how Ghana\u2019s vast natural resources, particularly gold, led to an increase in illegal mining, locally termed \u201cGalamsey\u201d. These activities degraded the environment, affected farmers, disrupted their livelihoods, and threatened food systems.<\/span><\/p>\n
Determined to address these challenges, Sufyan came to Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff to pursue a master\u2019s degree in Sustainable Communities. \u201cThis program allows me to practice what I learn and not just memorize what I\u2019ve read,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n    \n<\/h1>\nHis research, titled \u201c<\/span>The Contribution of Urban Agriculture to Sustainable Food Systems in Wa Municipality\u201d <\/span><\/i>is deeply personal, shaped by his experiences growing up and his commitment to improving his community. Sufyan also works with the Rural Food Systems pod in the Community-University Public Inquiry (CUPI) program, teaching undergraduate students about research techniques and leadership skills.<\/span><\/p>\n
Sufyan\u2019s thesis seeks actionable means to support growers and promote urban agriculture in Ghana. He plans to return to Ghana to implement his findings but is also considering pursuing a PhD or getting a job in a sustainability or food system field to gain experience. No matter what form his path takes, his mission remains clear: to find sustainable solutions that heal the environment and the people who depend on it.<\/span><\/p>\n
 <\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
 <\/p>\n\nMcKenna Bean<\/h4>\n\n\n    \n<\/p>\n
Growing up in inland San Diego, around an agricultural landscape, McKenna Bean developed an early connection to food systems. Her journey in food justice is deeply personal. Before coming to NAU, she pursued a degree in Sustainability at Sierra Nevada University at Lake Tahoe, where she was drawn to agroecology and the intersection of food and environment. She worked with the Sierra Community House, a wraparound social services nonprofit, where she played a critical role in food assistance programming during COVID-19. She also served on the board of Slow Food Lake Tahoe, engaging with food banks and community gardens.<\/span><\/p>\n
For McKenna, food has always been the \u201cred thread\u201d connecting every aspect of her life. Her work is driven by the belief that \u201cfood insecurity is a symptom of a larger issue.\u201d She said, \u201cWhen times are tough, food is the first thing people stop paying for, it\u2019s an expense that can be sacrificed, unlike medical bills or rent.\u201d Yet, the cheapest food is often the least nutritious, compounding long-term health inequities.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n
\n    \nNow in Flagstaff, drawn by the Sustainable Communities program, she has found her niche in studying rural hunger relief agencies. Her thesis examines how food pantries, food banks, and community food hubs operate, not just as transactional charity models but as relational, community-driven spaces. She asks,\u00a0\u201c<\/b>How have we adopted these\u00a0transactional<\/i>\u00a0models of charity?\u201d and challenges the notion of one-size-fits-all solutions working in food assistance. Through her research, she highlights best practices among organizations that see food as the first barrier to accessing a person\u2019s full range of needs. The most effective programs go beyond food, integrating housing, workforce assistance, transportation, crisis support, and safe spaces, creating true community hubs.<\/p>\n
Her work is shaped by mutual<\/span> aid and the understanding that communities inherently help one another, even if they don\u2019t call it that. She says that mutual aid can be a political oppositional stance, not as a rejection of the state for its own sake, but as an acknowledgment of its failures. \u201cHumanity could not have gotten to where it\u2019s at without helping each other.\u201d At the core of her research is food justice: a holistic approach that not only addresses hunger but also confronts the systemic inequalities driving it. She believes in breaking down the false divide between \u201cus\u201d and \u201cthem.\u201d In her words: \u201cWe are them, and they are us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
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<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n    \n<\/div>\n\n <\/p>\n
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\n    \n\n      \n        Join our Graduate Program<\/h3>\n    <\/div>\n          \n      \n\nRequest more information<\/a><\/p>\n
Visit us<\/a>\u00a0(in person or via webinar)<\/p>\n
Apply now<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n          <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n\n
\n      \n        Possible careers<\/h3>\n    <\/div>\n          \n      \n<\/div>\nOur graduate students find employment in fields related to:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n* Municipal and regional governance<\/li>\n
* Environmental, sustainability, and social justice education<\/li>\n
* Non-profit program coordination<\/li>\n
* Sustainable food systems<\/li>\n
* Natural and sustainable building<\/li>\n
* Community organizing<\/li>\n* Justice and equity leadership<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nRead where some of our recent alumni<\/a> are now.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n          <\/div>\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
About Our Master’s A Community Approach to Transformative Sustainability The Sustainable Communities program prepares students to enact positive social change. We take an interdisciplinary and intersectional approach to sustainability, enabling and encouraging our students to develop their own vision for a just world. Our graduate curriculum provides a theoretical foundation to understand societal problems and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":356,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"my-templates\/catalog.php","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","ring_central_script_selection":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-44","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/program-sustainable-communities\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/44","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/program-sustainable-communities\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/program-sustainable-communities\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/program-sustainable-communities\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/84"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/program-sustainable-communities\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=44"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/program-sustainable-communities\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/44\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1500,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/program-sustainable-communities\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/44\/revisions\/1500"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/program-sustainable-communities\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/356"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/in.nau.edu\/program-sustainable-communities\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=44"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}