Sustainable Business, MS
Program Requirements
Required Certificate
Modality: Online-only
The following is the required certificate of the MS Sustainable Business program that sets the foundation for success in sequential certificates and coursework from within the Business School and beyond. As such, this certificate serves as a pre-requisite certificate that should be completed prior to beginning the elective certificates.
Foundations of Sustainable Business Certificate
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses: | ||
| SUSB 6000 | Key Concepts and Issues in Sustainable Business | 3 |
| SUSB 6821 | Managing for Sustainability | 3 |
| SUSB 6285 | Accounting and Finance for Sustainability | 3 |
| SUSB 6827 | Global Climate Change | 3 |
| SUSB 6828 | Sustainable Supply Chains and Circularity | 3 |
| Total Hours | 15 | |
Elective Certificates
Students will need to earn two of the following six elective certificates in pursuit of the MS Sustainable Business. Some individual courses appear as options toward the completion of multiple certificates. However, individual courses taken to fulfill one certificate cannot be double-counted and applied toward the completion of a second certificate. Alternative courses from the approved lists will need to be selected instead to avoid double-counting.
Environmental Sustainability Certificate
Modality: Online, with many in-person options
Description: This certificate is designed to introduce students to the various environmental challenges (e.g., water and natural resources, climate change, environmental wastes, and pollution) that companies face. Courses in this certificate will teach students not only how to manage and report on a company’s environmental performance, but how to develop sustainable and regenerative business practices to protect, restore, and improve our natural environments and resources.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Course: | ||
| SUSB 6826 | Environmental Sustainability and Stewardship | 3 |
| Complete 2 of the following: | 6 | |
| Environmental Life Cycle Assessment | ||
| Earth Environments and Human Impacts | ||
| Water Quality and Resources | ||
| Climate Change: Causes, Impacts and Solutions | ||
| Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) Trends in Energy & Commodities | ||
| Carbon Markets: Navigating the Future of Business | ||
| Sustainability in Resources Management | ||
| Science, Policy and the Environment | ||
| Seminar in Environmental Politics and Policy | ||
| Travel Study Topics | ||
or RISK 6028 | Global Enterprise Sustainability and Resilience | |
| Environmental Justice | ||
| Environmental Planning/Management | ||
| Total Hours | 9 | |
Sustainable Energy Certificate
Modality: Online primarily with a few in-person options
Description: Courses in this certificate introduce students to the key concepts for understanding and managing sustainable energy resources, how to lead the global energy transition to renewable energy, and lead decarbonization efforts in corporations.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete 3 of the following: | 9 | |
| Foundations of Commodities | ||
| 21st Century Global Energy Issues and Realities | ||
| Environmental, Regulatory, Legal & Political Environment in the Energy Industry | ||
| Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG) Trends in Energy & Commodities | ||
| Project Development, Management and Leadership in Renewable Energy | ||
| International Special Topics 2 | ||
| Carbon Markets: Navigating the Future of Business | ||
| Sustainable Energy Policy | ||
| Total Hours | 9 | |
Risk Management and Resilience Certificate
Modality: Offered online, with many in-person options
Description: Courses in this certificate introduce students to the concepts of risks, hazards, exposure, and resilience. Students will learn how to successfully manage and lead a company through periods of volatility, complexity, uncertainty, and ambiguity typical of many sustainability and environmental challenges.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Course: | ||
| RISK 6309 | Strategic Risk Management | 3 |
| Complete 2 of the following: | 6 | |
| Leading Organizational Change | ||
| Global Enterprise Sustainability and Resilience | ||
| Practical Enterprise Risk Management | ||
| Global Risk Management | ||
| Principles of Property & Casualty Insurance | ||
| Disaster/ClimateChangePlanning | ||
| Total Hours | 9 | |
Social Enterprise Certificate
Modality: Online with a few in-person options
Description: Ready to become an ecopreneur and build a company that changes the world, not just your bank account? This specialized graduate certificate is the founder's fast-track for launching a profit-driven, planet-positive, impactful business. Unlike programs focused on general corporate sustainability, this three-course credential provides a sequential, hands-on blueprint for new company formation and launch. Upon completion, you will not just earn a certificate; you will possess an investor-ready business plan, a validated pitch, and a clear execution strategy for a venture rooted in sustainable practices. This credential signals you have the rare ability to marry entrepreneurial drive with a deep commitment to building a better future for both people and the planet. Become an ecopreneur with this certificate and drive sustainable solutions through business innovation.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses: | ||
| ENTP 6020 | Strategizing the Startup Prelaunch | 3 |
| ENTP 6200 | Purpose-Driven Innovation in Social Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| ENTP 6842 | Fundamentals of Idea Feasibility | 3 |
| Total Hours | 9 | |
Managing for Sustainability Certificate
Modality: Primarily online, with a few in-person options.
Description: Courses in this certificate train students to launch and lead strategic initiatives in their enterprises that improve social and environmental outcomes, and build sustainable enterprises that thrive in any business environment.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Course: | ||
| SUSB 6825 | Transformative Leadership for Sustainability | 3 |
| Complete 2 of the following: | 6 | |
| Project Management | ||
| Leadership for New and Innovative Ventures | ||
| Project Development, Management and Leadership in Renewable Energy | ||
| Leading Organizational Change | ||
| Strategic Management | ||
| Visionary Leadership | ||
| Managing for Social Equity | ||
| Managing Change | ||
| Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility | ||
| Total Hours | 9 | |
Urban Sustainability and Infrastructure Certificate
Modality: Offered in-person, with a few online options.
Description: Cities are the most rapidly growing regions globally. They must be designed collaboratively with public, private, and civic sectors to make them more sustainable in the future. This certificate is designed for aspiring business leaders who plan to engage or collaborate with the public and civic sector to make our cities more just, livable, affordable, and sustainable through urban design, infrastructure planning, land use, and other urban sustainability concepts.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Course (Choose 1): | 3 | |
| Urban Sustainability | ||
| Urban Sustainability and Resiliency: Perspectives and Practice | ||
| Complete 2 of the following: | 6 | |
| Introduction to Sustainable Urban Infrastructure | ||
| Sustainable Transportation Systems | ||
| Transit System Planning and Design | ||
| Urban Design Economics and Equity | ||
| Urban Design and the Environment | ||
| Urban Redevelopment Strategies | ||
| Affordable Housing Fundamentals | ||
| Real Estate Development and Finance | ||
| Transportation, Land Use, and the Environment | ||
| Total Hours | 9 | |