Guide to Columbia University’s Sustainability Management

The world’s top sustainability programs

Aspirants, who pursue a Master of Science in Sustainability Management degree at Columbia University obtain interdisciplinary training that will, in addition to receiving an education from one of the world’s most prestigious universities. Students learn to employ cutting-edge policy and management techniques to assist public and private enterprises and governments in addressing environmental impacts and hazards, pollution control, and remediation to attain sustainability.

Courses in sustainability management by the world’s finest sustainability academics, researchers, and prominent sustainability practitioners. To prepare students for the labor market, the program stresses the physical components of sustainability (e.g., water, energy, greenhouse gas emissions, and environmental infrastructure), general and financial management, economics, quantitative analysis, and policy. Graduates benefit from Columbia’s unrivaled resources, a network of sustainability professionals, and its global alumni base.

The program is intended for working professionals and is a full-time or part-time term of study. To advance their careers, students can select from a variety of courses. It serves as a living laboratory for students to enhance their sustainable practices and a source of several firms that recruit program alums.

Application deadline

Early applications are a recommendation. The application date for Spring enrollment is November 1. The application date for Fall enrollment is May 15. The program accepts applications on rolling basis. After completing their applications, applicants get the notification of admissions choices within 4 – 6 weeks.

Duration of the program

Students enrolled full-time to complete the program in three semesters. Part-time students can complete the program in up to nine semesters. Students can attend classes in the fall, spring, and summer.

M.S. in Sustainability Science vs. M.S. in Sustainability Management

The M.S. in Sustainability Management program prepares students for management positions that require strategic, financial, and policy analysis. Students learn to comprehend and manage the physical components of sustainability (e.g., energy, water, greenhouse gas emissions, and environmental infrastructure) through a curriculum that stresses general and financial management, economics, quantitative analysis, and policy. Global Director of Product Sustainability; Director of Facilities and Sustainability; Senior Manager, Sustainability & Legal Compliance; Manager, Environment, Policy & Social Initiatives; Energy & Sustainability Project Manager are some typical job titles for Sustainability Management graduates.

Applicants with undergraduate degrees in engineering, math, physics, and other related subjects who desire to work in technical sustainability should pursue an M.S. in Sustainability Science. These jobs are involved with environmental dangers and their implications, as well as pollution prevention and remediation. Sustainability Science graduates may advance to leadership positions in science and other technological disciplines. Director, Division of Environmental Science and Assessment, Environmental Program Manager of Environmental Technologies, Supervisor, Environmental Monitoring, Environmental Engineer, and Environmental Compliance Specialist are some frequent job titles for Sustainability Science graduates. 

Graduates from both programs could collaborate in separate areas to incorporate environmental concerns into organizational operations. 

Curriculum

The Sustainability Management curriculum prepares students for professions in sustainability’s dynamic and continuously changing sector. The curriculum stresses the practical skills and essential knowledge that practitioners will need to tackle both known and unknown challenges in the future. The M.S. in Sustainability Management requires completing 36 credits spread over five broad curriculum area

Sustainability management students can take classes at any of Columbia’s graduate schools, including the School of International and Public Affairs, the Mailman School of Public Health, the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, Columbia Business School, Columbia Law School, the Graduate School of Arts and Science, and the Fu Foundation Graduate School of Engineering.

Areas of study

• Integrative Courses in Sustainability Management – 9 credits
• Economics and Quantitative Analysis – 6 credits (3 Economics, 3 Quantitative Analysis)
• The Physical Dimensions of Sustainability -9 credits
• The Public Policy Environment of Sustainability Management – 3 credit
• General and Financial Management – 6 credits

Prerequisites for admission

The only formal requirement for entrance to the program is an undergraduate degree. There are various criteria, none of which alone is decisive in granting or denying admission to an applicant. These requirements include grade point average, math and science coursework, work experience, knowledge of sustainability, clarity of professional goals, mainly as they apply to the program, and recommendation letters.

Key takeaways

• The Earth Institute at Columbia University is the world’s most prominent university-wide research institution dedicated to sustainability research, practice, and education.
• Each year, Columbia provides more than 200 environmental and sustainability courses than any other university.
• The program is designed for working professionals and is available as a full-time or part-time term of study.

Did you find this blog helpful? Please share your views and perspectives in the comments below. Please contact us for more information on the universities in Norway by clicking here. We would be happy to assist you with your queries.

Liked this blog? Read next: University of Saskatchewan | Guide to rankings, programs, and more!

FAQs

Q1. Do I have to take the GRE for this program, M.S. in Sustainability?

Ans. This program does not require general test scores for the official Graduate Record Exam (GRE).

Q2. Does the M.S. degree lead to a Ph.D.?

Ans. The M.S. in Sustainability Management is intended as a capstone, pre-professional degree. The program is designed for students who want to advance their careers as sustainability professionals or transition into the subject. The program is not really to prepare students for a Ph.D. degree in a relevant discipline.

Q3. Is the application fee refundable?

Ans. No, the application fee is non-refundable.