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The Professional Science Masters (PSM) in Ecosystem Science and Sustainability equips students with cutting-edge knowledge in environmental science while developing professional skills for careers in sustainability. With flexible online learning, this program is ideal for working professionals aiming to address global challenges such as carbon management, water sustainability, and climate adaptation.
Students gain real-world experience through tailored coursework and internships in focus areas like Carbon Management, Climate Adaptation, and Sustainable Food Systems. Flexible pathways allow students to specialize in areas that align with their career goals.
This non-thesis program is designed to be completed in as little as three semesters. The 36-credit program includes a 4-credit internship experience that empowers students with real-world application of the skills they learn in the program. Students have worked with organizations such as the UN, Denver Water, and the Nature Conservancy.
Graduates gain valuable skills in environmental data science, R programming, and project management, ensuring they’re prepared for leadership roles in sustainability sectors.
Graduates are prepared for diverse roles in industries like environmental consulting, climate policy, and conservation. Potential career titles include:
Professionals trained in ecosystem science are in high demand across sectors such as renewable energy, environmental policy, and public service. The skills gained through this program prepare students for meaningful work that addresses global environmental challenges.
CSU’s ESS-PSM program combines advanced science with practical skills to prepare you for leadership roles in sustainability. With flexible learning paths, expert faculty, and a required internship, this program equips you with the knowledge and hands-on experience needed to excel in environmental careers.
Please note: This field experience is required only once, during a student’s first fall semester in the program. It is a one-time experience designed to build foundational knowledge and community connections.
As part of this online program, students will participate in a required five-day, in-person field experience from August 18-22. This immersive component provides hands-on learning opportunities in real-world environmental settings.
Students will spend two nights at the CSU Mountain Campus, where they will explore ecological concepts firsthand. The experience also includes:
This hands-on experience is a valuable opportunity to apply course concepts in the field, engage with experts, and connect with fellow students in a dynamic learning environment.
A minimum of 36 credits are required to complete this program.
Note: There is an in-person component for ESS 500 that includes two overnights at the CSU Mountain Campus, a visit to the Poudre River, Soil Sampling at a local farm, and a Sustainability Tour.
Next in person component takes place August 18-22
Select one course from the following: (2-3 cr.)
Nathan Mueller is an Associate Professor in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability and the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences at Colorado State University. His research analyzes the interactions between climate, water resources, and agricultural management to promote global food security and more sustainable agricultural landscapes.
Richard Conant is an ecosystem ecologist at the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, professor in the Ecosystem Science and Sustainability Department, and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the Warner College of Natural Resources. He is also an adjunct Professor at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia and a Sr Research Scientist at the International Livestock Research Institute. Dr. Conant is a participant in national and international efforts to quantify human impacts on carbon cycling. He earned his Ph.D. at Arizona State University in 1997.
I am a native of Brooklyn, New York and I started my career as an art major attending LaGuardia High School of the Arts where I earned a degree in fine arts with an interest in medical illustration. My academic career was in biological science with an emphasis on wildlife and population genetics, however at the same time, I have had several art shows and one solo ceramic sculpture exhibition. The interdisciplinary nexus between art and science is always of interest to me which led to my current research in collaborative teams. While much of my career was as an ecologist and wildlife biologist for the U.S. National Park Service with postings in Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Joshua Tree and Wrangell St. Elias National Parks, I have always been interested in the application of my research in associated with human communities whether through environmental justice or ecosystem services. Now, I work on ecological indicators of climate change with collaborative partners from many disciplines. Our most recent work is focused on ecological indicators in Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Parks and Huascaran National Park, Peru. We use citizen science apps to generate data on pollinator shifts in the various parks and tie those shifts with local livelihoods. My newest project expands that research with a Marie Curie Horizon 2020 grant from the European Union which features mountain systems from around the world working on livelihoods that are shifting in response to climate change. I am part of a team working on pollinators and biodiversity indicators in high elevations in the Alps, Andes, Rocky Mountains and other mountain ranges.
I am a conservationist, spatial ecologist and data scientist currently working with the Geospatial Centroid at Colorado State University. I recently received my Ph.D. from the University of Miami in the Department of Biology working in the Christopher Searcy Lab. My research investigates how environmental factors influence the spatial structure of species, with a diverse body of work that includes projects applying species distribution models and landscape genomics to pressing biodiversity conservation issues and developing new tools for landscape conservation design. I also lead multiple projects related to imperiled species policy, recently published in Conservation Biology and Conservation Letters. I have worked towards developing a broad skill set in geospatial analysis and data science which I use to analyze ecological data and develop tools to make important insights and contributions to biodiversity conservation. My work spans a broad range of species and systems, with the overarching goal of applying my research to conservation management decisions and policy action to best protect species and preserve natural ecosystems.
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Katie is the lab’s manager and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Watershed Science. Katie assists the lab on all sorts of projects, though a common thread within them is the munging and harmonizing of large datasets. Katie also co-teaches an environmental data science course (ESS 523a) that equips students with coding skills to make their research more efficient and less stressful.
Matt Ross is an assistant professor of watershed science in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability. He serves as both faculty director of CSU’s Geospatial Centroid and director of his own lab, the Radical Open Science Syndicate. He uses data science techniques to understand how human activities impact our water resources.
Dr. O'Connell is a landscape ecologist, data scientist, and remote sensing specialist. She is the PI of the Landscape Modeling Lab. Her research evaluates spatiotemporal processes, often in wetland-dominated landscapes, with a goal of forecasting ecosystem resiliency to stressors, such as climate change and sea level rise. Her research evaluates multiple responses, such as landscape vegetation, carbon balance, and surface water dynamics. Lab research outputs include scalable open-science tools that map ecosystem functions and trajectories. Dr. O'Connell conducted her postdoctoral research at the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Georgia. Students in the O'Connell Landscape Modeling Lab receive interdisciplinary training that spans field ecological studies, emerging computational technologies, and remotes sensing product development.
I am a critical geographer exploring intersections of climate change policy, conservation, markets and justice. My work asks how, and by whom, carbon is quantified, standardized and commodified for carbon removal and nature-based climate interventions. I have particular expertise in carbon markets and offsets, climate finance, climate tech, UNFCCC processes, and climate and environmental justice. I am Interim Director of the Soil Carbon Solutions Center at Colorado State University, where I founded the Carbon Finance Bootcamp, and hold a joint faculty appointment in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability.
Professor Scott Denning received his B.A. in Geological Sciences from the University of Maine in 1984, and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Atmospheric Science from Colorado State University in 1993 and 1994. He studied radiometric geochronology, surface water geochemistry, and mountain hydrology before becoming interested in global climate and biogeochemical dynamics. After a two-year postdoctoral appointment modeling global sources and sinks of atmospheric CO2, he spent two years as an Assistant Professor in the Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at the University of California at Santa Barbara. He joined the Atmospheric Science faculty at Colorado State University in 1998, and has served as Director of Education for CMMAP since 2006. He does a lot of outreach about climate change and takes special delight in engaging hostile audiences.
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Dr. Ogle gained an appreciation for research as an undergraduate studying in the laboratory of Dr. Don Shure at Emory University, and did his formal training as a graduate student with his mentor, Dr. Bill Reiners at the University of Wyoming. Dr. Ogle accepted a post-doctoral position with Dr. Keith Paustian at Colorado State University in 2000, focusing on research dealing with biogeochemical processes related to greenhouse gas emissions from Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Uses (AFOLU). He has become an expert on research and application of greenhouse gas inventory methods. He serves as lead compiler for the US national inventory for soil carbon and nitrous oxide emissions from agricultural lands, in addition to the US national representation of land. These inventory products are used for reporting by the US government to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). He has been a lead author on syntheses and reports prepared by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2006 National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Guidelines and Fourth Assessment Report on Climate Change), and a past member of the scientific steering group for the North American Carbon Program. He also conducts research collaboratively with economists and sociologists to better understand the drivers of land use and management decisions, and predict the likelihood of greenhouse gas mitigation in the future through adoption of conservation practices and bioenergy production in agricultural lands. Dr. Ogle has participated in international capacity-building projects to improve greenhouse gas inventory compilation in Central America, Southeast Asia, and East and Southern African Countries, providing training and tools on greenhouse gas inventory methods for the AFOLU sector. He has given numerous invited and keynote presentations at meetings for a variety of societies and organizations, such as American Geophysical Union, China Association for Science and Technology, CarboEurope-GHG Program, European Geosciences Union, Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) to the UNFCCC, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, and US Forest Service.
Dr. Elizabeth Myers Toman is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability. Prior to coming to Colorado State University, she worked as an Assistant Professor of Professional Practice at The Ohio State University and as a watershed coordinator for a non-profit organization in central Ohio. Elizabeth currently teaches classes in life cycle assessment and sustainability metrics. She received her PhD from Oregon State University in Forest Engineering and Civil Engineering (dual degree) in 2007.
Dr. Kaye Holman was a Sustainability Fellow with the Higher Education Associations Sustainability Consortium where her works focuses on developing and supporting collaborative sustainability education initiatives with national and international higher education associations. Within the field of student affairs, she is also a member of the sustainability committees for ACPA College Student Educators International and NASPA Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education.
The Professional Science Master’s in Ecosystem Science and Sustainability prepares you for jobs that are in-demand and more important than ever, like Sustainability Managers, Climate Data Analysts, Carbon Accountants, and Water Resource Managers.
Here are a few of our stellar alums and what they went on to do!
Matt Twyman
As a Supervisor for the Inventory and Reporting Unit, Matt managed a team of three responsible for compiling biennial state-wide Greenhouse Gas (GHG) inventory and for collection and assessment of GHG emissions reported to the State by regulated entities.
Carbon Management Track
Meggi Varnai
As an Environmental Data System Specialist for Northern Water, Meggi improves workflow and processes for Northern’s data network through code writing and review and project planning and coordination.
Water Resources Track
Laney Gordon
As a Life Scientist & NEPA Reviewer for the EPA, Laney helps ensure compliance with environmental laws and regulations.
Sustainable Food Systems Track
| Fall semester | July 1 |
| Spring semester |
Contact department Lauren.E.Hibbard@colostate.edu |
Applications will be reviewed and decided upon within 2-4 weeks following each application deadline.
Start your application online and upload materials directly into the online system. You can save your progress and return any time.
Apply NowThe PSM in Environmental Science and Sustainability requires that students have the following:
The core curriculum includes a robust, 5-credit introduction to data science course (ESS 523a) exploring tools and best practices for working with large environmental datasets, primarily using the programming language R. This course is intended to provide all PSM students with basic data science skills and understanding.
Prepare the materials below and upload when you apply online:
Learn more about general graduate school application requirements here: Graduate Admissions Requirements
Complete the online graduate application and pay the nonrefundable application processing fee (payable online). As soon as you have completed the required information, please submit your application. Your application will not be reviewed until it is complete and all required materials have been received. When applying, select the program of study you’re applying to.
Request one official transcript of all collegiate work completed from all institutions attended. Transcripts from Colorado State University are not required. Transcripts must be received directly from the originating institution to be considered official.
Please Note: Students may be unconditionally admitted and registered in their first semester of courses with an unofficial transcript. Official transcripts must be submitted, prior to or during your first semester, before you can register for your second semester of graduate work. Failure to meet this condition will result in your dismissal from the Graduate School.
Electronic (preferred): Digital Transcripts must be submitted by the originating institution using a secure service such as parchment, eScrip-Safe, the National Student Clearinghouse, or e-Quals. Transcripts received via emails are considered unofficial. Use institution code 4075 for Colorado State University or gradadmissions@colostate.edu if the secure service requires an email address.
Mail (if necessary) Graduate Admissions Colorado State University – Office of Admissions 1062 Campus Delivery Fort Collins, CO 80523-1062
View your application status at any time to ensure your application checklist is complete or to check on updates.
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