Sustainability (Graduate Certificate)
Business, Community, Environment, Food, Green, Interdisciplinary, Organizations, Solutions, applied, leadership
A connected world faces increasing challenges, so leaders need to understand the relationships between humans, the environment and the economy. You can join others from diverse backgrounds and use innovative, solutions-based thinking to address critical issues facing this planet.
The development and implementation of sustainable solutions depends on the development of core sustainability competencies, effective collaboration and inspiring leadership. The graduate certificate program in sustainability provides the foundational knowledge required to promote sustainable solutions in any professional field.
The skills developed in this program, like systems thinking and futures thinking, are essential to addressing sustainability challenges across many kinds of organizations. Students in the program learn to communicate and collaborate with colleagues from varied backgrounds, preparing them to lead teams in the future.
Courses introduce students to the foundations of sustainability through a disciplinary overview and problem-solving methodology. With electives, students can explore specific areas that are of greatest interest to them.
Students in the online graduate certificate program can take courses from the Master of Sustainability Leadership degree. Classes in that program focus on leadership, communication, sustainability strategy and enterprise sustainability.
This program is designed to be taken independently or as a supplement to another graduate degree program. If done independently, a graduate certificate does not meet the requirements for a student visa.
- College/school:
College of Global Futures
- Location: Downtown Phoenix, Polytechnic, Tempe, West Valley or Online
- STEM-OPT extension eligible: No
15 credit hours
Required Core (6 credit hours)
SOS 508 Pathways to Sustainability (3)
SOS 509 Leading Sustainability Transitions (3)
Electives (9 credit hours)
Additional Curriculum Information
Students select six credit hours of sustainability-focused electives from EMS, SFS and SOS course prefixes. Other coursework may be used with approval of the sustainability graduate committee. In addition, students take three credit hours of other elective coursework related to sustainability.
Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the College of Global Futures.
Applicants must have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in any field from a regionally accredited institution.
Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.
Applicants are required to submit:
- graduate admission application and application fee
- official transcripts
- proof of English proficiency
Additional Application Information
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.
ASU offers this program in an online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. Applicants may view the program’s ASU Online page for program descriptions and to request more information.
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | In Person | Rolling | |
| Session A/C | Online | Rolling |
| Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session A/C | In Person | Rolling | |
| Session A/C | Online | Rolling |
Study abroad is encouraged for graduate students. Nearly all of the College of Global Futures faculty-directed programs offer graduate credit. In addition, the Global Education Office offers more than 50 program opportunities, with programs on every continent.
Faculty-directed programs tend to be the best fit for graduate students; taking courses with ASU professors over the summer or during academic breaks offers students close mentorship and professional network growth in many fields of study while they earn ASU credit. Exchange program participation is also possible with careful planning.
Students can find programs specific to their interests on the College of Global Futures study abroad webpage, and additional opportunities and information on the ASU Global Education Office website. These sites also include additional information about applying for funding to support global travel.
Graduates of this program can pair the certificate with a range of graduate degrees to enhance their expertise and career prospects related to sustainability.
Because many organizations seek to implement greener initiatives, knowledge of sustainability may be valuable across many areas, including business, engineering, government, nonprofit and education sectors. Graduates can use their skills to bring sustainable initiatives to organizations in a variety of industries.
Career examples include the following. Additional advanced degrees or certifications may be required for some roles.
- chief sustainability officer
- civil engineer
- economist
- energy engineer
- environmental economist
- environmental restoration planner
- industrial ecologist
- project coordinator
- sustainability specialist
- urban planner
- water resource specialist
School of Sustainability
|
WCPH 3rd floor
SustainabilityGrad@asu.edu
480-727-6963
3 year programs
These programs allow students to fast-track their studies after admission and earn a bachelor's degree in three years or fewer while participating in the same high-quality educational experience of a 4-year option. Students should talk to their academic advisor to get started.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Acceptance to the graduate program requires a separate application. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master’s during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
