Sustainable Systems

Why Sustainable Systems?

• Gain expertise in systems-analysis techniques with a wide range of applications, including renewable energy, water infrastructure, green construction, sustainable mobility, and food systems.
• Develop the critical skills of systems thinking and systems-dynamics modeling and apply them to the challenges of global environmental and social change.
• Deepen your understanding of institutions that govern energy use and explore ways in which government and industry policy have succeeded — or failed — in order to transform energy systems and influence consumer choices, and ultimately to reduce carbon emissions.

CURRICULUM

You will gain expertise in systems-analysis techniques with a wide range of applications, including renewable energy, water infrastructure, green construction, sustainable mobility, and food systems. In your coursework, you will examine sustainability by studying global and regional environmental impacts, materials and energy flows, social values and equity issues, consumption patterns, and key policy mechanisms.

You also will develop the critical skills of systems thinking and systems-dynamics modeling and apply them to the challenges of global environmental and social change. Lifecycle assessment, risk analysis, multi-objective analysis and optimization, environmental economics, energy analysis, design for environment, carbon-emissions modeling, and spatial analysis are among the analytical tools and skills taught.

Training in environmental management strategy, decision analysis, organizational change and conflict resolution, ethics, stakeholder engagement, and scenario analysis round out your skill set. For example, you will deepen your understanding of institutions that govern energy use and explore ways in which government and industry policy have succeeded - or failed - in order to transform energy systems and influence consumer choices, and ultimately to reduce carbon emissions. 

The curriculum is organized into three areas: systems analysis, sustainable design and technology, and sustainable decision-making and enterprise. These core areas provide the knowledge and tools for evaluating and transforming systems to enhance sustainability. The overall goal is to train future leaders in sustainability careers with the expertise to create and implement sustainable solutions across the key systems for meeting societal needs: built environment, energy, food, mobility, and water.

Systems analysis
These courses cover analytical tools and methods for assessing and improving the sustainability of systems for meeting societal needs. Topics include the circular economy, life cycle assessment, environmental systems analysis, environmental economics, GIS, system thinking and multi-objective analysis.

Sustainable design and technology
These courses focus on technology assessment, design analysis and planning of systems (e.g., built environment, energy systems, mobility) for enhancing their sustainability performance. Topics include green development, energy systems analysis, renewable energy modeling, GHG emissions and carbon footprint analysis, market-based sustainable product design, and urban sustainability.

Sustainable decision-making and enterprise
These courses focus on leadership skills and transformation processes used by private and public sector organizations to create and implement sustainable systems. Topics include decision analysis, the triple bottom line, sustainability strategies, organizational change and conflict resolution, market and policy analysis, financing, entrepreneurship, stakeholder engagement, and ethics.

Examples of student projects

• Solar Energy Technology in Mexico's Coastal Regions
• Life Cycle Assessment of Connected and Automated Vehicles: Sensing and Computing Subsystem and Vehicle Level Effects
• Energy Independence in Puerto Rico
• Replacement policy of residential lighting optimized for cost, energy, and greenhouse gas emissions

CAREERS AND SELECT EMPLOYERS

Sustainability Systems graduates pursue careers in the government, private, and nonprofit sectors, often obtaining leadership roles in engineering and product development, management consulting, and strategic and sustainability planning. They work toward systems improvements including transportation efficiency, green buildings, supply chain management, public utility analysis and regulation, and renewable energy.

For more information on Sustainable Systems, contact seas-admissions@umich.edu.