Introduction

East Carolina University now offers the nation’s first interdisciplinary Master of Science in Sustainable Tourism (MS-ST) degree. Approved courses were first offered in Fall 2009, with the arrival of the first enrolled students.  

East Carolina University now offers the nation's first interdisciplinary Master of Science in Sustainable Tourism (MS-ST) degree. Approved courses were first offered in Fall 2009, with the arrival of the first enrolled students.  A faculty committee representing the College of Business, the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Human Ecology, the College of Fine Arts and Communication, the College of Technology and Computer Science and the College of Health and Human Performance provides direction and oversight to this degree program and the students enrolled.

Sustaining environments, businesses, and social and cultural identities requires an interdisciplinary approach and perspective. The MS-ST program draws upon emerging sustainability sciences ranging from the physical to the social to address complex sustainable tourism issues. Science and education are critical partners in the sustainable, long-term management of tourism, and this program provides the foundation for this new approach to sustainable management.

The program is anchored on four core sustainability and tourism courses—an introductory course, a science course, a business course, and a planning and policy course. In addition, students will choose from a set of electives and can opt for independent study or internship experience. Both thesis and non-thesis options are offered.

Electives for the program are drawn from disciplines across campus, utilizing the expertise of faculty at ECU and, as appropriate, from other universities. Electives are chosen to fit the career aspirations of the student and reflect the “triple bottom line” of sustainable tourism—economic, environmental, and sociocultural viability. Courses from the management, social, and biological sciences are taken to provide a broader understanding of the complexities of tourism and the challenge of sustainability.

These courses provide students the opportunity to study sustainability within a research-intensive tradition balanced with innovative planning, development, and management solutions for the growing challenges that face the future of tourism.

Again, thank you for your interest in the sustainable tourism offerings of East Carolina University and the Center for Sustainable Tourism! Tomorrow Starts Here.