Sustainability-related issues are now at the forefront of both global society and management practice. Whether it be organizational efforts related to decarbonization, decolonization, or diversity, managers are increasingly tasked with designing, orchestrating, and measuring organizational efforts to engage in more sustainable business practices.

We are excited to share that the MBA specialization in Sustainability and the Graduate Diploma in Business and the Environment have undergone significant revisions for the academic year 23/24 with the introduction of several new SUST courses and the retirement or change in status of others.

The Sustainability specialization is designed to provide students with the skills, knowledge, and experience necessary to manage sustainability initiatives across different functional areas. Through a combination of in-class discussions, role-playing exercises, experiential learning opportunities (both domestic and international), and interactions with sustainability professionals, students will learn how to effectively engage with key internal and external stakeholders. Students will also learn how to navigate the increasingly complex set of sustainability-related disclosure and reporting demands facing organizations globally.

Schulich graduates with a specialization in sustainability have many different career paths available to them in today’s business environment. Such opportunities may be more general in nature (e.g., sustainability manager) or much more specific (e.g., ESG analyst, DEI consultant, social procurement specialist). While demand for sustainability professionals continues to grow significantly within the for-profit sector, a number of career opportunities also exist within the non-profit, cooperative, and government sector.

 

Specialization Requirements

 

Students must complete 12.00 credits consisting of the following Required and Elective courses, specifically:

  • A minimum of 6.00 credits of Required Courses (minimum of 2 of 3 Required courses)
  • Remaining 6.00 credits of Elective Courses (a third Required course may also be taken)

Required Courses (minimum 2 of 3)

  • SUST 6250 3.0 Integrating Sustainability Across Functions
  • SUST 6350 3.0 Orchestrating Sustainability Initiatives
  • SUST 6450 3.0 Sustainability Reporting & Disclosure

Elective Courses

  • SUST 6151 3.0 Innovating for Sustainable Impact
  • SUST 6950 1.5 Ethics and Finance
  • ENTR 6655 3.0 Social Entrepreneurship
  • FINE 6880 3.0 Sustainable Finance and Impact Investing
  • ORGS 6600 3.0 Diversity & Inclusion in Organizations
  • PROP 6550 3.0 Sustainable Cities: Urbanization, Infrastructure, and Strategic Choices
  • SUST 6900 1.5 or 3.0 Independent Study (only upon special approval from the Area Coordinator)

 

Students who began their degree prior to academic year 23/24 are encouraged to follow the new requirements but accommodation can be made if they have already completed courses that were previously counted towards the specialization credit requirements.

Please contact SUST@schulich.yorku.ca to set up an appointment to indicate your interest in the Sustainability Specialization or for more information.