Business and Environmental Sustainability Certificate
Blend your business mind with a new environmental consciousness at Empire State University.
As more and more companies focus on environmental stewardship, it’s no longer enough to know about traditional business practices. Many positions now require employees to be knowledgeable about environmentally sustainable, cost-saving measures and socially responsible practices. Developing expertise in this area is essential for advancement.
The undergraduate certificate in business and environmental sustainability is designed to provide historical, economical, legal and ethical knowledge needed to make sound, forward-thinking and environmentally conscious business decisions.
Program Design
This certificate program combines multiple study options, including online instruction and face-to-face meetings with Empire State University mentors. Business and Environmental Sustainability Certificate courses are fully applicable to an undergraduate degree program developed in the business, management and economics area of study.
The courses must be taken sequentially beginning with an introductory course and culminating with the capstone course. The capstone, Managing Sustainable Organizations, provides an opportunity to synthesize and integrate all that you have learned.
Courses and Studies
4 credits, introductory, liberal studies
An introduction to key concepts and thinking associated with environmental sustainability. Topics include systems thinking; natural laws; ecosystem organization and functions; diversity and complexity; flexibility and adaptation. The environmental impact of human activities such as agriculture, manufacturing, and transportation, is also considered.
4 credits, advanced, liberal studies
Students learn to think critically and analytically about natural resources and the environment, economics and policy and sustainability. Focus will be on understanding economic concepts and tools and how to apply them to real-world natural resource and environmental issues.
4 credits, advanced, liberal studies
Students will explore ethics and ethical theories that serve to frame business ethics. Students will learn about the relationship between business and the environment and how business practices create conditions that adversely affect ecological stakeholders, including people, air, water and land. Students will learn how to re-imagine business practices that work in concert rather than in conflict with these stakeholders.
4 credits, advanced
Focus is on strategic planning and “greening” of business operations. Students learn the practical foundation needed to understand the role of management in the context of business and environmental sustainability. Ethical dilemmas, corporate social responsibility and leadership will also be discussed.
Enroll in the Certificate Program for Business and Environmental Sustainability
Currently enrolled students: Submit the online Degree Add/Change Request Form, select “add”, select “CUG” for degree, and choose “Business and Environmental Sustainability” for program.
Not Currently Enrolled?
If you are not currently enrolled, you can still register for a certificate program. Apply onlinefor the certificate program. Applicants to undergraduate certificate programs are required to submit the same admissions requirements as the associate and bachelor’s degrees.
Certificate students who are concurrently enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program are eligible to apply for federal financial aid, while those students who enroll only in the certificate program are not.
Certificate Program Coordinator
Duncan P. RyanMann, Ph.D., Professor/Mentor
School of Business
Email questions about the certificate courses to sustainabilitycert@sunyempire.edu.