Graduate Certificate in Environmental Sustainability For Business

Now more than ever, competitive advantage is crucial to success. The Graduate Certificate in Environmental Sustainability for Business enables practitioners to explore and evaluate how their organizations can address environmental issues to meet societal needs while creating competitive advantages that enhance their bottom line.

The certificate can be completed as an emphasis area within the MBA Program at the Goddard School of Business and Economics, or as a stand-alone graduate certificate.

• Acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to evaluate environmentally sustainable business practices.
• Identify the importance of sustainable business practices to the firm and to society.
• Understand the interdependence between markets, environmental and regulatory constraints
• Explore opportunities for cost savings, process improvement, and community engagement.

COURSES

MBA 6700 Managing for Environmental Sustainability
This course explores how business organizations can address environmental issues to meet societal needs and create competitive advantages. Emphasis is placed on understanding the impacts of businesses on the natural environment; identifying the opportunities for businesses to align their strategies and practices toward more sustainable business models; and using various methods and tools for measuring and improving the environmental performance of individual business organizations and the business system as a whole. Major topics include frameworks for understanding business and environmental sustainability; innovation, design and assessment of green products/services; green marketing issues; green purchasing; environmental management systems; operations and supply chain management issues for environmental sustainability.
Fall Semester Session I (starts Aug. 28, 2012)

MBA 6720 Environmental Economics
Environmental economics considers the efficient and equitable use of society’s scarce environmental resources. Environmental resources include air, water, land, wildlife, biodiversity, and ecological systems. The allocation of environmental resources will be considered from different perspectives: (1) market allocations; (2) efficient allocations; (3) equitable allocations; and (4) government attempts to allocate these resources efficiently. Topics of the course include property rights, market failures, benefit-cost analysis, welfare economics, non-market valuation, environmental regulation, and sustainable development and business practices. Emphasis will be placed on the impacts on the firm resulting from environmental problems and regulations; and on sustainable business practices.
  Fall Semester Session II (starts Oct. 23, 2012)

MBA 6710 Accounting & Finance for Environmental Sustainability
This course will expose MBA students to contemporary accounting and finance thought on environmental sustainability. The course will be divided into accounting and finance modules. The focus of the accounting module will include measurement and reporting of the environmental sustainability of business practices. The focus of the finance module will include capital budgeting for sustainability, financial assessment of sustainable business practices, and investing in environmental sustainability.
Spring Semester Session I (starts Jan. 9, 2013)

MBA 6730 Consulting Project in Sustainability
Graduate students are given the opportunity to consult with an existing organization, evaluate sustainable business practices, make recommendations for improvements, and assist in implementing changes in the organization. Students meet periodically with supervising faculty to review results. Prerequisites: Instructor approval and MBA 6700, 6710, and 6720.
Spring Semester Session II (starts March 4, 2013)

CERTIFICATE ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

For those who wish to pursue the Graduate Certificate in Environmental Sustainability in Business independently of the Goddard School MBA Program, we are now accepting applications. The following are required for admission to the certificate program:

• Regionally-accredited bachelor’s degree in any field (original undergraduate transcripts)
• Resume
• Two letters of recommendation
• Application fee
• Completion of the online application

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

• Applications should be completed online - please follow the instructions on the application page. You must create a user account, and can save the application, and login to further edit and add information before before final submission of the application. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.
• Online applicants may upload their resumes.
• Official copies of undergraduate transcripts and international transcript evaluations should be sent directly to the MBA Program Office.
• Applicants must enter e-mail addresses of those providing references, and they will be contacted by e-mail to upload their recommendations online.
• When you have completed the application, please print and keep a copy of your completed application for your records.

For more information about applying, please contact us.