James Kernan, associate professor of geography and sustainability studies coordinator, with students (SUNY Geneseo/Keith Walters '11)
A partnership agreement between SUNY College at Geneseo and Rochester Institute of Technology’s Golisano Institute for Sustainability (GIS) will enable qualified students from Geneseo to enroll in RIT’s sustainable systems master's degree program beginning next fall. Application fees are waived for the program.
The partnership involves Geneseo’s sustainability studies program, or other bachelor’s degree programs that meet the admission criteria for the MS degree in sustainable systems, and the sustainability department at GIS and set forth by RIT-GIS.
Once accepted, eligible SUNY Geneseo juniors will be able to enroll in GIS and take two classes in their senior year toward their grad program.
“This is an excellent opportunity for graduates from our sustainability studies and related programs to continue to advance their education and preparation for professional careers,” says David Robertson, professor and chair of SUNY Geneseo’s Department of Geography and Sustainability Studies. “We are excited to be partnering with RIT to grow graduate school opportunities for Geneseo students in the region.”
“This private-public partnership allows qualified SUNY Geneseo undergraduate students to come to RIT to pursue a degree in one of our flagship offerings at the graduate level—namely, the MS in sustainable systems,” says Amit Batabyal, Distinguished Professor and the Arthur J. Gosnell Professor of Economics in RIT’s College of Liberal Arts.
The agreement came together under the leadership of Nabil Nasr, associate provost and GIS director, Batabyal, and Melanie Blood, associate provost for academic affairs at SUNY Geneseo.
The sustainable systems MS degree at GIS accepts students from any academic background and encompasses a wide range of interdisciplinary studies in sustainability science. Students comprehensively learn and experience the methods that lead to environmental, social, technological, and business success, working one-on-one with a faculty advisor to tailor the degree to their sustainability interests.
(Adapted from RIT announcement)