SDP_MSDP - Sustainable Development Practice (M.S.D.P.)

Program Information

Director: G. Galloway
Program Coordinator: A. Noss

The Master of Sustainable Development Practice (MDP) Program offers the following academic programs:

• An interdisciplinary Master’s degree in Sustainable Development Practice (MDP)
• A graduate certificate in Sustainable Development Practice (SDP)

The MDP Program is jointly administered by the Center for Latin American Studies and the Center for African Studies. The Master’s degree is described in the Other Master’s Degrees section of the Graduate Catalog.

The MDP prepares development practitioners to address development challenges in creative and dynamic ways, integrating the academic and development pillars of natural sciences, social sciences, health sciences and management through a vigorous and innovative program curriculum. The MDP Degree requires 45 credits of course work: 24 major or core credits across the four pillars, and 21 elective credits through which a student focuses on a specialization (for example entrepreneurship, agriculture, ecotourism, gender, community forest management, nonprofits, or M&E). The MDP is a non-thesis degree. Each student must successfully complete a set of requirements including a summer field practicum with a host organization, the development of a poster presented in a public poster session, a final practicum report approved by their committee, and a public presentation and private defense with committee members of the final report. All students will be expected to meet learning outcome objectives defined for knowledge, skills and professional behavior. Students are required to develop a study plan approved by the MDP Program Graduate Coordinator and by their supervisory committee.

The SDP certificate provides training in interdisciplinary knowledge and skills related to sustainable development practice. The 12 credits for Master’s students and 15 credits for Ph.D. students include one required cross-cutting overview course plus 3-4 additional courses in the fields of social sciences, health sciences, natural sciences, and management skills.

MDP major or core courses are listed under the listings for Sustainable Development Courses, African Studies Courses, and Latin American Studies Courses. Please visit the MDP program's website for additional information on the SDP certificate, MDP degree and curriculum, including detailed course descriptions and syllabi: http://mdp.africa.ufl.edu.