Sustainability (Graduate Certificate)
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.
Quick facts
Additional facts
Accreditation
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Certificate description
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 you with 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. You learn to communicate and collaborate with colleagues from varied backgrounds, preparing you to lead teams in the future.
Courses introduce you to the foundations of sustainability through a disciplinary overview and problem-solving methodology. With electives, you can explore specific areas that are of greatest interest to you.
In the online graduate certificate program, you 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 doesn't meet the requirements for a student visa.
Curriculum
This graduate degree includes courses focused on a specialized topic, so you can advance your skills for further professional opportunities. Explore all courses below.
15 credit hours
Required Core (6 credit hours) Electives (9 credit hours) Additional Curriculum Information
SOS 508 Pathways to Sustainability (3)
SOS 509 Leading Sustainability Transitions (3)
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.
Admission requirements
Here are the admission and application details
All students are required to meet general university admission requirements.
U.S. applicants (opens in new window) | International applicants (opens in new window) | English proficiency (opens in new window)
Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the Rob Walton 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: Additional Application Information
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.
Application deadlines
| 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* |
*A rolling deadline means that applications will continue to be reviewed on a regular basis until the semester begins. International students should be mindful of visa deadlines to ensure there is time to produce necessary visa documents. Applicants are encouraged to complete and submit application materials as soon as possible for consideration.
Explore expanded study opportunities
Students can complete two graduate certificate programs and combine them into a Master of Advanced Study degree, giving ultimate flexibility to build their own master's degree. Interested students can learn more about MAS requirements and the admission process.
Study abroad is encouraged for graduate students. Nearly all of the Rob Walton 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 Rob Walton 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.
Paying for college
Use our calculator to estimate your full-time or part-time tuition fees for this program prior to any financial aid. Keep in mind that most of our students recieve financial aid, which can reduce out-of-pocket costs.
Get an estimateCareer opportunities
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
Contact information
Use the contact information below to get in touch if you're a current student or have general questions.
Prospective students should fill out the Request for Information form.
School of Sustainability
|
WCPH 3rd floor
SustainabilityGrad@asu.edu
480-727-6963
Frequently asked questions about degree programs
Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.
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. 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.
Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.
Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.
ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the "New Programs" option.
ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.
The Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) provides a reduced tuition rate to non-resident graduate students who qualify. Visit the WRGP/WICHE webpage for more information: https://graduate.asu.edu/wiche.
