Sustainability (Complex Adaptive Systems Science), PhD

Program Overview

The Sustainability (Complex Adaptive Systems Science) PhD program at ASU trains scientists in advanced concepts and methods to address sustainability challenges. It emphasizes transdisciplinary collaboration, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary teamwork. Graduates are prepared for careers in research, sustainability leadership, and environmental management, with 100% of employed alumni working in sustainability-related fields.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

• **Focuses on both sustainability and complex adaptive systems science.

• **Trains the next generation of scientists in advanced concepts and methods to approach diverse social and life sciences phenomena.

• **Grounded in concrete examples and applications.

• **Emphasis on transdisciplinary approach to solve sustainability challenges.

• **Promotes communication across disciplines, to policymakers, and the public.

• **Develops critical thinking skills for a systems perspective and effective interdisciplinary teamwork.

• **Meets the need for more robust theories and sophisticated methods to understand complex adaptive systems.

• **Prepares graduates to lead research and address the urgent sustainability challenges of the century.

Outline:

• Total credit hours: 86
• Required Core (8 credit hours):
• SOS 510: Perspectives on Sustainability (3)
• SOS 520: Research Design and Methods for Sustainability (3)
• SOS 589: Community of Graduate Student Scholars (2)
• Solutions Workshop Electives (6 credit hours):
• Open Electives (36 credit hours):
• Concentration (12 credit hours):
• CASS fundamentals (3)
• Mathematics of CASS (3)
• Modeling CASS (3)
• Application of CASS approaches (3)
• Research (12 credit hours):
• SOS 792: Research (12)
• Culminating Experience (12 credit hours):

Careers:

• Graduates are prepared for careers in:
• Research
• Chief Sustainability Officer
• Energy Engineer
• Environmental Economist
• Environmental Restoration Planner
• Environmental Sciences Professor
• Industrial Ecologist
• Natural Science Manager
• Professor
• Program Director
• Research Scientist
• Sustainability Consultant

Other:

• **The program is eligible for the STEM-OPT extension for international students.

• **The program is offered in-person at the Tempe campus.

• **The program offers global opportunities through study abroad programs.