IX. Graduate Programs

Rural Studies

Rural Studies core faculty are from within the School of Environmental Design & Rural Development (Capacity Development and Extension, Landscape Architecture, Rural Planning and Development).

The program focuses on two fields:

• Sustainable Rural Communities Sustainable rural communities are characterized by long-term well-being based on the integration of economic, social and environmental factors in their planning and activities. Four sectors of sustainable rural communities have been designated: environment and sustainability, social structure and processes, human resource development, and sustainable rural economic development.

• Sustainable Landscape Systems The sustainable landscape systems field examines structure, process, and change in the rural landscape through research on bio-physical and socio-cultural sectors.

A number of different disciplines are represented and an interdisciplinary approach is taken to integrate across subject areas. Students may choose among fields and choose a sector within the field for relatively more-intensive study.