Executive Master in Sustainability Leadership Curriculum
Program Requirements
The following is a draft curriculum. Courses are subject to change prior to the beginning of classes.
Course Schedule
Course Descriptions
SUS 501 - Fundamentals of Sustainability
Students experience and investigate the linkages among society, economics, and the environment, including positive and negative feedbacks. They explore different approaches to and definitions of sustainability and evaluate the appropriateness of those approaches and definitions through experimentation, case studies, discussions, reflections, and the occasional lecture.
SUS 502 - Sustainability and Systems
In this course, students will develop skills necessary to understand, describe, and communicate complex systems. Working from examples, exercise and interactive discussions, students will learn to identify key drivers and leverage points for change. Students will learn to solicit useful information, model, and enact change using a various systems-based tools.
BUS 609 - Business and Sustainability
This course defines sustainability in business as balanced progress toward economic performance, social justice and environmental quality. Students will critically examine sustainability drivers, organizational conceptions of sustainability, strategic approaches to value creation and the challenges and opportunities of implementing a sustainability vision.
BUS 576 - Organizational Behavior
This class will develop an understanding of the key issues managers need to master in order to manage the interface between people and organizations. The course begins with a focus on the individual within the organization, then progresses to a broader focus on the organization as a whole, and organizational culture.
BUS 640 - Sustainability Metrics, Assessment and Reporting
This course will include a study of how to create effective Social Responsibility reports, how to analyze such reports, and the standards currently used to measure sustainability such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards. Additionally, this course will teach students how to monitor and measure sustainability issues from within a business.
SUS 610 - Communicating Sustainability
Students learn how "sustainability" is constructed, perceived, imbued with meaning, and used by diverse audiences, and how these perceptions impact choice and action. From this foundation, students develop strategies for communicating effectively about sustainability in a range of relevant contexts. Finally, students will develop model tools and tactics for communicating sustainability.
SUS 631 - Implementing Sustainability
In this course, students work in teams with fellow students to create and put into place sustainability strategies to implement sustainability across diverse organizations. This includes developing financing opportunities, grant writing, and communication strategies. Student teams will change each semesters, with a goal of developing strategies for a range of settings with a variety of colleagues.
SUS 632 - Cases in Sustainability Leadership
This course engages students in sustainability leadership through a series of case studies. Working in teams, participants develop strategies to engage diverse constituents, including making the business case, communicating to multiple audiences, and working in novel and unexpected environments. Six days residence at Chatham University, followed by an online component.