MSc in Sustainable Development is a 2-year or 4-semester long postgraduate course pursued by individuals who wish to make their careers in environmental sciences and protection fields. MSc in Sustainable Development is an extremely important branch of education that deals with using the organically available resources to their optimum utilization, properly and sustainably. 

The Sustainable Development course is offered by many universities in India with annual fees ranging from INR 20,000 to 3 Lakhs.

Top Colleges for pursuing MSc Sustainable Development are:

Candidates aspiring to pursue this course must have graduated, in any discipline, from a recognized university with a minimum of 50% aggregate. 

MSc in sustainable development graduates can work in the public and private sector in important managerial positions. Candidates seeking employment in ministerial posts can also work under the ministry of environment and climate control to further enrich and enhance their inherent capabilities. The candidates can also actively work in NGOs and environmental protection and awareness firms and organizations as well as get employment opportunities with the prestigious United Nations environmental awareness wing to spread the message of protection and proper allocation of natural and organic resources globally.

Eligibility

What is the MSc Sustainable Development Eligibility Criteria?

Candidates aspiring for admission to the course are required to fulfil the following eligibility criteria:

• Graduation in any discipline, from a recognized university.
• A minimum aggregate score of 50% (45% for SC/ST/OBC candidates) at the level of graduation.
• Candidates appearing for their final graduation-level examination are also eligible to apply for the course on a provisional basis.

What are the MSc Sustainable Development Entrance Exams?

Entrance Exams	Exam Dates
CUET PG	Check Here
BITSAT	Check Here
NEST	Check Here
IIT JAM	Check Here
DUET	Check Here
TISS NET	Check Here

• BHU PET- Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi conducts an entrance test for its post-graduation admissions called PET to allot admission to its aspirants. This exam consists of multiple-choice questions along with simple reasoning and comprehension skills.
• TISS NET 2023- Tata Institute of Social Sciences conducts its own entrance test for admission in all master in arts and master in science admissions. This exam consists of 100 multiple choice questions and is a computer based test.

How to prepare for entrance exam

How to prepare for the entrance examination?

• Candidates are advised to go through NCERT books on environmental studies thoroughly. 
• Candidates are advised to regularly practice by making notes as it helps in retention of the information.
• Candidates are also advised to go through an online mock test series and take help of YouTube tutorials to understand complex environmental processes and procedures.
• Candidates must go through previous year question papers and study them thoroughly.

Top Colleges

 What are MSc Sustainable Development Top Colleges?

College	Average Fee
Shoolini University, Solan	INR 1.5 Lakhs
Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala	INR 2.1 Lakhs
Shri Ramswaroop Memorial University, Lucknow	INR 1.2 Lakhs
Amity University Noida	INR 2 Lakhs
Annamalai University Chidambaram	INR 27,000
Banaras Hindu University Varanasi	INR 60,000
Savitri Bai Phule University Pune	INR 1 Lakh
Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda	INR 1 Lakh
Integral University Lucknow	INR 80,000

MSc Sustainable Development College Comparison

Parameters	IGNOU	Banaras Hindu University
Overview	IGNOU was established by an Act of Parliament in 1985 and offers various diploma degrees.	BHU is a Public Central University established in 1916. The campus spreads over an area of 1,300 acres and is structured into 6 institutes and 14 faculties.
Location	Delhi	Varanasi
Course Level	Post Graduation Diploma	Post Graduation
Course Duration	1 year (can be extended to maximum 5 years)	2-years
Admission Process	Merit Based	Entrance Based
Average Annual Fees	INR 6,600	INR 7,000

Details about Course

MSc Sustainable Development: What is it About? 

• MSc Sustainable Development is a 2-year postgraduate degree, set over 4-semesters concerned with the discipline of the concept of sustainable development, that is the usage of resources in a way that does not compromise the availability of those resources for the future generations. 

Top MSc Colleges in India

Top MSc Courses in India

• Sustainable development teaches the concept of proper allocation of resources.. 
• MSc Sustainable development also imparts knowledge on how these resources can be protected and used to their optimum limit so we can derive maximum output from available and current resources.
• MSc Sustainable Development is a holistic course that provides information on sustainable ways and methods for proper usage of earth's natural resources and sets forth the knowledge about the importance of protection, awareness and helps in understanding earth's processes as well as natural, environmental and social sciences that aid this planet into producing such abundance.

MSc Sustainable Development Course Highlights

Course Level	Post-graduation
Full form	Master of Science in Sustainable Development
Duration	2-years
Examination Type	Semester System
Eligibility	Under-graduate in any discipline or under graduation in earth and life sciences, energy studies or Geology (desirable)
Admission Process	Counselling after qualification of a relevant entrance examination
Course Fee	INR 20,000 to 3 Lakhs
Average Salary	INR 2 Lakhs to 13 Lakhs
Top Recruitment Organizations	Anti-pollution boards/firms, ministry of environment and water management, ministry of forest and wildlife protection, energy research industries, agriculture and agrochemicals industries
Job Profiles	Consultants, environmental scientists/specialists, teachers and advisors.

PGDESD vs. MSc Sustainable Development

PGDESD vs. MSc Sustainable Development: Course Comparison

Parameter	PGDESD	MSc Sustainable Development
Full name	Post-Graduate Diploma in Environment and Sustainable Development	Masters of Science in Sustainable Development
Course Type	Post Graduation	Post Graduation
Duration	1 year	2 years
Course Overview	It covers all important components and elements of sustainable development and allocation of resources but often does not provide deep insight on theoretical and practical aspects of sustainable development.	Candidates learn in depth knowledge of all sustainable development elements and are also introduced with internships and projects that are interactive and provide much deeper understanding of the curriculum.
Admission process	Merit Based	Merit Based/Entrance Based
Average Fees (INR)	INR 6,600	INR 20,000 to INR 2 Lakhs
Top Colleges	IGNOU	Amity University, Thapar University, SGT University, etc.

Syllabus

What is MSc Sustainable Development Syllabus?

Semester I	Semester II
Environmental chemistry	Unit operations and processes
Environmental microbiology	Air and noise pollution and prevention
Environmental physics and statistics	Water pollution, prevention and control
Environmental monitoring	Environmental compliance requirements
Ecology and biodiversity + practical	Management of solid waste Practical II
Semester III	Semester IV
Industrial safety and hygiene	Information and communication technology (APTIS MODEL)
Environmental management tools	Sustainability and CSR II
Designing of water and wastewater treatment systems	Risk management
Environmental modeling and computer applications + dissertation and placement grooming	In plant training for three months
Sustainability and CSR I	-

What are MSc Sustainable Development Books?

Some recommended books for the MSc Sustainable Development curriculum:

Name of the book	Name of the author
Microbiology	Pelczar Michael J
Bioremediation technology	M H Fulekar
Environmental physics	D D Sood
Pollution management (noise)	S K Agarwal
Instrumental method of analytical chemistry	S M Khopkar
Air pollution volume III	Stern Arthur C
Modern concept of ecology	H D Kumar
Solid waste management	H V Bijlani
Conservation biology: voices from the tropics	Gibson L and Raven P.HG
Standard methods for the examination of water and wastewater	American public health association and others

Job Prospects

What are the Job Prospects after MSc Sustaianbale Development?

Name of the job	Description of the Job	Average Salary (INR)
Research scientist	MSc in sustainable development graduates can always work as scientist or research associates and contribute their analysis and interpretation of various processes and methods to better the ecosystem of our planet and to further protect its resources and assets. These individuals actively engage in studying various disciplines of environmental sciences such as air, water and earth biodiversity and work effortlessly to protect the same by producing information and by spreading awareness	INR 2 Lakhs to 7 lakhs
Environmental marketing specialist	Environmental marketing specialists are professional individuals that work under various government or private institutions/organizations and provide necessary advice on approaches made by the organizations which are sustainable and not harmful to associated factors. They have extensive knowledge of microbiological elements and lay emphasis on sustainable practices that can be performed by the organization to better the environment and its existing conditions.	INR 2 Lakhs to 9 lakhs
Conservation scientists	Under various ministries of India, especially concerning the Wildlife, forest and environmental avenues, conservation scientists are hired to provide plans, strategies and methods to protect existing flora and fauna as well as natural heritage fossil fuels and mineral ores in order to conserve and give them time for replenishment and growth. These conservation scientists study the natural phenomenon of such resources and provide information on how they can be used without sabotaging or overly usage of these valuable resources.	INR 2 Lakhs to 6 lakhs
Program coordinator	Various private and public undertakings initiate projects and programs to enable awareness among citizens as well as to protect, conserve and extraction of resources with care on behalf of organizations they work for, program coordinator are individuals responsible for such initiatives and are expected to create timely reports on budget allocation, creating of lists of materials procured, safe transportation of goods etc.	INR 2 Lakhs to 4 lakhs
Teachers/ lecturers	Individuals with an MSc in sustainable development can also go for higher studies such as PhD and seek employment as a teacher in institutes that teach sustainable development. Teachers will be a guide to many other aspiring students who wish to pursue their career in sustainable development and teach them with the basics and fundamentals of this course program	INR 3 Lakhs to 7 lakhs

MSc Sustainable Development graduates can benefit in many ways after successfully completing their degree. Apart from starting off their professional careers, they can also opt for higher education and get themselves enrolled in PhD for gaining further knowledge in this field.

Top PhD Colleges in India

Top MBA Colleges in India

MSc Sustainable Development graduates can also opt for entrepreneurship and open businesses related to eco friendly products and services.

Individuals with this degree can work as or directly under ministerial posts such as minister and vice minister/deputy post head in water management and wildlife or environment protection ministries, etc. Furthermore, they can be potential policy makers and strategists in leading private and public organizations. 

Source: Payscale

FAQs

MSc Sustainable Development FAQs

Ques. What is the scope of this degree abroad?

Ans. Due to the curriculum and syllabus being supported and universally acknowledged, this course can also let its aspirants work abroad as consultants and NGOs pertaining to global climate change and pollution control policy makers and protection.

Ques. What is the scope of sustainable development in India?

Ans. A graduate of this degree can work as teachers, consultants, research scientist and public servants (ministry of environment and forests, water management) etc.

Ques. Is it worth studying sustainable development?

Ans. With the current rising need to protect the environment for further deterioration, this discipline has become quite popular and demand for skilled individuals well versed with the laws and policies regarding environment and related disciplines has become quite important. Hence this degree is equally important.

Ques. Can I work in water management after pursuing MSc in sustainable development?

Ans. Yes you can. Water management and conservation is a fundamental part of this course and candidates can actively pursue this course program to further seek employment in water management industries and firms.

Ques. What's it like to study MSc in sustainable development?

Ans. Like any other courses. It is a comprehensive course combining theoretical expertise with practical knowledge through internship and projects after which a degree is awarded.

Ques. Is MSc Sustainable Development tough?

Ans. The difficulty of a degree depends solely on an individual, his or her capability to grasp knowledge and put it into practical use.