Economics of Sustainability: Term Project

Summary: This page defines the term project for Economics of Sustainability, SUST64001.

Term Project Description

The SUST640 syllabus indicates that a paper or project is a requirement of the course: A term paper (or other approved project) of around 12 double-spaced pages based on your proposal @ 32 points. The term paper or project should support economic aspects of your anticipated final project or contribute in any other way to your goals as a student pursuing advanced study around an economic aspect of a theme related to sustainability. The paper will be graded as to depth, content, writing style, and integration. The project is due by May 10.

The term paper should be around 12 couble-spaced pages in length. Please use 12-point font.

Use the term project to meet the second goal of SUST640: You will contribute a research project demonstrating how to promote the economics of sustainability. That is, you should make economic aspects of sustainability practicable to your life and work. Your topic must pertain to the substance of SUST640, Economics of Sustainability, but should also further your interests. I will be flexible and supportive in the development of a suitable theme.  Some intentions that can be pursued here include: 

  1. Your project can develop economic aspects of a final project that you have in mind or may wish to develop.
  2. Your project can pursue a topic of burning concern to you.
  3. Your project can define a career path or business plan for sustainability.
  4. Your project can further a goal or intention you wished to pursue for the Master of Arts in Sustainability Studies  

I will grade your essay on four criteria, each worth 8 points:

  1. Depth: Demonstrate a reasoned, thoughtful, coherent, and comprehensive understanding of the topic. Depth points to profound, in contrast to shallow, and typically displays critical thinking.
  2. Content: Demonstrate that you have assimilated additional sources but may still include the material of the course.Your essay should convey substance. Please cite your sources in the MLA or the APA format. 
  3. Coherence: The paper must be clearly organized and well structured. Your paper must develop and connect themes, concepts, research content, and analysis into a coherent whole.
  4. Writing style: The paper must be clearly and logically presented, succinct, and intelligible. Obviously, the paper must be free of spellling and grammatical errors.

Preliminary Draft

A preliminary draft of your paper is due on April 1. I will make suggestions to improve the paper. The draft should indicate progress on the paper but should contain more content than an outline or sketch. Concentrate on the substance of the final paper but do not be concerned in the draft with citations or attention to format. The depth and coherence of your thinking and the preliminary reporting of the content is what ultimately counts here. Stick to basics and to organization of your paper.

I will respond with comments and suggestions. The preliminary draft counts 10 points, weighted equally for content and coherence.

© Wayne Hayes, Ph.D. | ™ ProfWork | wkhayes@gmail.com
Initialized: 2/18/2013 | Last Update: 04/21/2013 | V. 0.3, Build #4