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.
Featured in the News
-
Greenest Cities in America (2025)
Published on October 1, 2025 by Wallet Hub
-
Ep. 40: SBN Detroit, The Green Stream, Feat: Terry Barclay, Dan Pitera, Rebecca Jordan, Tony Reames
Published on October 1, 2025 by SBN Detroit
-
Will electric tractors gain traction? At a pilot event for farmers, researchers see possibilities
Published on September 19, 2025 by AP News
-
Bringing new life to the Red Cedar River
Published on July 14, 2025 by MSU Today
-
Ferrero to Buy WK Kellogg in Candy-Meets-Cereal Deal
Published on July 10, 2025 by The New York Times
Events
-
Oct 15
CSUS Student Reminder- Kaneene Study Abroad Scholarship Applications Due
October 15, 2025
Frances Kaneene Study Abroad Scholarship applications are due October 15th. Scholarship is available to all current Community Sustainability undergraduate students.
-
Nov 7
CSUS Hamm-Norris Seminars- Trio of Talks fall 2025
November 7, 2025 11:00AM – 12:00PM NRB 338
Join the Department of Community Sustainability in the Hamm-Norris Seminar Series for the latest in sustainability. November 7th features three CSUS speakers, Rachel Szczytko, Rafael Lembi, and Vicki Morrone.