The Department of Community Sustainability engages with colleagues, students, stakeholders and communities to address social choices within specific environmental, economic and cultural contexts that advance or conflict with sustainability goals.

CSUS commemorates Marsha Edington in tree planting ceremony

Can solar farms develop quickly and equitably? MSU faculty awarded $2.5 million to explore conflict in solar energy development

Community Sustainability Professor chose as author for First National Nature Assessment

Nationwide survey reveals fresh insights about community perceptions of large-scale solar developments

Sustainability is about choices made within specific environmental, economic, social, and cultural contexts.  Sustainability scholarship involves creating, integrating and harnessing new knowledge to protect and improve social and natural systems and their interactions.  The Department of Community Sustainability (CSUS) is an interdisciplinary department that addresses contemporary issues of sustainability in agriculture, recreation, natural resources, and the environment. The Department of Community Sustainability (CSUS) was formerly called the Department of Community, Agriculture, Recreation, and Resource Studies (CARRS).

Consistent with its mission to assist in the development of sustainable communities, the department offers three undergraduate majors linked by a common core in community sustainability. These three majors - Environmental Studies and Sustainability (ESS); Sustainable Parks, Recreation and Tourism (SPRT); and Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Education (AFNRE) – share a set of courses centered on community sustainability. The CSUS graduate program offers two graduate majors: Community Sustainability (MS and PhD) and Sustainable Tourism and Protected Areas Management (MS and PhD). In both undergraduate and graduate programs, CSUS embraces international as well as domestic applications, engagement, and opportunities.

Undergraduate

Graduate

Featured in the News

View complete listing

Events

  • Jan 17

    CSUS Hamm-Norris Seminar- Tanya Iretskaia

    January 17, 2025 12:10PM – 1:00PM Natural Resources Building, 338

    Join the Department of Community Sustainability in the Hamm-Norris Seminar Series for the latest in sustainability. January 17th features Tanya Iretskaia presenting "‘Wow’ moments in tourism: the insiders’ perspective."

  • Feb 21

    CSUS Hamm-Norris Seminar- Lissy Goralnik

    February 21, 2025 12:10PM – 1:00PM Natural Resources Building, 338

    Join the Department of Community Sustainability in the Hamm-Norris Seminar Series for the latest in sustainability. February 21st features Dr. Lissy Goralnik, presenting "Art, science, place: Integration for creative problem-solving."

  • Apr 18

    CSUS Hamm-Norris Seminar- Lydia Kiewra

    April 18, 2025 12:10PM – 1:00PM Natural Resources Building, 338

    Join the Department of Community Sustainability in the Hamm-Norris Seminar Series for the latest in sustainability. April 18th features Lydia Kiewra presenting "Scaling up and out: engaging wildlife managers in system-wide visitor use thinking."

View complete listing

Department Information

Students

Groups, Centers, and Institutes

Michigan State University
  • Spartans Will.
  • © Michigan State University

MSU is an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer, committed to achieving excellence through a diverse workforce and inclusive culture that encourages all people to reach their full potential.

Michigan State University Extension programs and materials are open to all without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, gender identity, religion, age, height, weight, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, marital status, family status or veteran status. Issued in furtherance of MSU Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Quentin Tyler, Director, MSU Extension, East Lansing, MI 48824. This information is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names does not imply endorsement by MSU Extension or bias against those not mentioned.

The 4-H Name and Emblem have special protections from Congress, protected by code 18 USC 707.

We comply with the Federal Trade Commission 1998 Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).