Online M.S. in Sustainable Management | ACE

SUST5003

Social Entrepreneurship and Building Businesses for Good

3 Semester Credits

This course focuses on the concept of entrepreneurship, from starting, maintaining, or running a business focusing on social impact. The key skills require strategic thinking, innovation, and leadership. This course emphasizes how to lead social innovation within organizations. Students identify theories on social change and build a framework on how to manage effective social movements within organizations, such as building and maintaining businesses as a force for good. Benefit Corporations are a major emphasis in the course, as students examine the major tenants of certifying as a B-Corporation.

SUST5013

Social Impact on People and Community

3 Semester Credits

This course focuses on the tenants of employees, community, suppliers, and customers within Benefit Corporations. Fair, equitable, and good treatment of people are important parts of developing and sustaining community partnerships. Students connect the concepts of social impact to the code of ethics, transparency, accountability, and leadership. Some topics include building partnerships, vendor selection to include sourcing and supplier evaluation process, enhancing organizational policies, and creating value for a variety of stakeholders.

SUST5023

Social Impact on the Environment and Sustainability

3 Semester Credits

The tenant of environment and governance are other areas of focus for qualifying as a Benefit Corporation covered in this course. This course also emphasizes the importance of sustainability practices within organizations. Students connect the concepts of sustainability to the business strategy, regulations, and leadership. Some topics include environmental sustainability, financial sustainability, green purchasing, energy efficiency, and how to create opportunities for a business.

SUST5033

Foundations of Global Sustainability

3 Semester Credits

This course introduces sustainability through the Triple Bottom Line, a corporate framework that includes economic, environmental, and social dimensions of sustainability. This course focuses on the history of sustainability and current trends.

Students analyze ways sustainability impacts many industry sectors and investigate sustainability within their chosen area of focus. Students explore various topics of economic, environmental, and social sustainability through individual activities, research, and a team collaboration project. Special focus will be given to the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals

SUST5043

Ethics and Legal Issues in Sustainability

3 Semester Credits

Legal issues exist within development at the local, national, and international levels. Students examine and compare ethical and regulatory impacts from a social, economic, environmental, and political perspective. This course focuses on the roles and responsibilities of diverse stakeholders, such as corporations, advocacy groups, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and governing bodies. Students will examine the current issues and trends, as well as future outlook of sustainable development.

SUST5053

Eco-justice for Change Agents

3 Semester Credits

Environmental justice (commonly referred to as eco-justice) addresses cultural aspects of sustainability and examines how people and communities face systematic economic and environmental injustices. This course addresses various global eco-justice issues such as food deserts, access to water, and clean air. Students become agents of change by exploring leadership approaches, analyzing case studies to examine problems, identifying stakeholder impact, and collaborating to design practical solutions through a service-learning model. 

SUST5063

Developing Sustainable Business Strategies

3 Semester Credits

Sustainable business strategies guide organizations in creating value and filling a need in society in an economical manner. Students will apply developing sustainable business strategies as it applies to marketing, finance, management, and operations. Students will also evaluate and compare different sustainable business theories, business models, and corporate social responsibility frameworks. Goal setting, strategy assessment, and sustainability metrics will also be explored.

SUST5091

Capstone for M.S. in Sustainability Management

1 Semester Credits

The Capstone Experience is designed for students to demonstrate and document the impact of their knowledge and competencies gained throughout, and as a result of studies related to management of socially responsible and sustainable projects, use of business administration tools.  A focus on sustainability’s key tenets of building businesses for good while being socially responsible considering social impact on people, community and the environment.