The NRSD degree requires 37 credit hours, which can be completed through full-time enrollment over four semesters. Alternatively, it can be completed while enrolled part-time during the American University period and then full-time while at the United Nations-affiliated University for Peace (UPeace), outside San José, Costa Rica.
Typically, students begin in Washington, DC in the fall taking core courses at American University. Then in January through December, students usually join the University for Peace in Costa Rica, only returning to American University for their final semester. Summers are free for students to choose where they want to work, take internships, or take courses. At UPeace, students are immersed in sustainable development theory and practice as well as electives in courses such as Indigenous Perspectives on Environment and Development. The summer is then devoted to professional experience, elective coursework for expedited completion of degree, employment, or travel. The final semester at AU includes two electives and a substantial research project (SRP) or practicum. Please note that while most students begin in the fall semester, students may also elect to begin their degrees in the spring or summer or undertake the DC and Costa Rica semesters in a different order.
The core of the NRSD experience is the chance to engage in the classroom and beyond, at the center of US policy and in a developing country that is a model of sustainability. This is a decidedly different experience from what any US-only program can offer.
