Our Story
Begun in 1994, SID led the way for graduate training on sustainable development. We built a holistic and innovative professional curriculum that integrates development with the study of political and economic institutions, the allocation of scarce resources, the connection of policy and practice with ecology, demography, human rights and capabilities – and that draws upon intellectual and cultural histories of justice and social change. We equip our students with practical skills in project and program planning and implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and organizational management.
The second year of our degree program applies that learning to real world problems through field practicums within host development organizations throughout the world. An option for second year advanced study furthers learning through faculty directed independent study.
An accelerated 1 year degree is available for advanced professionals.
SID is among the world’s largest and most diverse development graduate training programs with over 140 students in residence and many others in field practicums. Each year approximately two thirds of our students come from developing nations, typically representing more than 60 countries and speaking over 100 languages. SID provides an intellectually challenging forum for the cross-pollination of innovative ideas across cultures and fields of expertise and offers students a truly global community embracing and celebrating the world’s cultures and religions and learning from each other.