Hira Aamir, who has years of experience in planning for cities across the country, said the new master's degree in sustainability planning and policy was just what she was looking for to expand her skills.

The University of Texas at Dallas has introduced a new Master of Science degree combining sustainability planning with policy in a way that offers a distinctive approach to sustainability education.

The sustainability planning and policy master's degree program, which began this fall in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences (EPPS), provides graduates with skills to turn complex sustainability science into actionable policy.

"We're equipping students with the analytical tools, geospatial insights and governance strategies needed to tackle pressing challenges like climate resilience, environmental crises and rapid urban growth," said Dr. Dohyeong Kim, Robert E. Holmes Jr. Professor of public policy, geospatial information sciences (GIS) and social data analytics and EPPS' senior associate dean of graduate education. "It's not just about understanding the issues - it's about empowering leaders to engineer practical, equitable solutions for our communities."

Dr. Muhammad Tauhidur Rahman, associate professor of GIS and sustainability, led the development of the new program, which was approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. He designed the curriculum with John McCaskill Jr. MS'20, PhD'12, clinical professor of public and nonprofit management; Dr. Elías Cisneros, assistant professor of public policy and political economy and of sustainability; and Dr. Jennifer S. Holmes, EPPS dean and the Lloyd V. Berkner Professor of political science and of public policy and political economy.

The interdisciplinary program is designed to complement any undergraduate background, Rahman said.

"We start off with the very basics - technical GIS, remote sensing, fundamental sustainability and natural disaster hazards management. Then we also have the political economy and public policy courses," he said.

Students also can customize their degrees with electives.

Rahman said potential career paths for graduates of the program are diverse, from city governments and federal agencies to private-sector companies, including those in the oil industry.

Hira Aamir, a sustainability planning and policy graduate student who has years of experience in planning for cities across the country, said the EPPS master's degree was just what she was looking for.

"I looked at the classes and said, 'This is exactly what I want to do.' It has GIS, sustainability and policy. So far, I'm loving it," Aamir said. "I'm grateful that this kind of program exists, because when I was looking earlier, there wasn't one."

Aamir said the GIS component is especially applicable to her work.

"I've definitely used GIS in planning, and it's come a long way from 10 years ago when I originally became certified in it through a college program," she said. "As a planner, it's important to have that background. Developing stronger GIS skills can make you a more knowledgeable, effective and well-rounded community planner."

Aamir said combining her planning experience with stronger sustainability and policy knowledge will make her more successful at her job.

"If I do that, then I can help plan communities better," she said. "Policy is so important. It's essential to understand when something is no longer working, because so many policies are outdated. If you want to move toward the future, we need to be willing to evaluate those policies and make changes when necessary."