Business Sustainable Practices
The Business Sustainable Practices program prepares professionals to compete in a business environment that increasingly requires an understanding of sustainability practices that are proven to increase the financial return, competitiveness and effectiveness of business and operations. It explores and provides strategies on how to weave this knowledge into business practices at all levels of the organization including manufacturing, retail, energy, building management, financial and other services as well as across profit and non-profit sectors.
On this page:
- Sustainable Business Practices - Associate in Arts Degree
- Sustainable Business Best Practices - Certificate of Completion
- Sustainability Coordinator - Certificate of Achievement
- Sustainable Business Accounting - Certificate of Accomplishment
- Sustainable Systems Best Practices - Certificate of Accomplishment
Associate in Arts Degree Sustainable Business Practices
Brief Description
The associate degree in Sustainable Business Practices prepares graduates to become active and successful professionals in promoting and implementing sustainable business practices in a wide range of industries and organizations. Students will explore the interactions between environmental, financial and social systems; learn to incorporate principles of sustainability into every business decision; and learn to participate in environmentally-friendly or green business activities to ensure that all processes, products, and manufacturing activities adequately address current environmental concerns while maintaining financial health for the organization.
Learning Outcomes
Degree recipients should possess the skills and abilities described below:
- Present and discuss the complexity and breadth of sustainable business practices, corporate responsibilities, ethics, regulations and their implications for business organizations as part of a larger ecosystem that includes environmental, societal and economic systems
- Assess the sustainability of existing business practices and develop recommendations for improvement, as well as identify their short and long-term economic impacts
- Perform business analysis and audit regarding sustainable business practices and develop a cost/benefit analysis of existing and proposed practices
- Assess the effectiveness of resource and waste management practices throughout all aspects of a product or service life cycle and supply chain management
- Develop an effective communication and PR strategic plan to best train stakeholders and position an organization's commitment to sustainability and the environment
- Develop in depth economic analysis of business practices taking into account various scenarios to decrease overall organization impact on resources and the environment
- Compute an organization carbon footprint including assumptions and analysis, using basic processes and information technology tools
- Plan, implement and evaluate sustainability programs; and develop sustainability and environmental management reports
- Present the trends and various options in energy generation and management systems, and compare advantages and constraints based on specific industries, geographic locations and existing infrastructures
- Discuss corporate responsibilities, ethics and regulations as they relate to the environment
Completion Worksheet
Download the completion worksheet for this degree [PDF]
Requirements
| Course No. | Course Name | Credit Hrs. |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT 101 | Practical Accounting I | 5 |
| BSUST 280 | Sustainable Business Accounting | 5 |
| BSUST 101 | Introduction to Sustainable Business Practices | 5 |
| BSUST 110 | Communication for Sustainable Business Practices | 4 |
| BSUST 150 | Introduction to Carbon Footprint | 5 |
| BSUST 160 | Sustainable Business Analysis | 5 |
| BSUST 201 | Whole Systems Thinking & Change Management | 5 |
| BUS 120 | Survey of Energy Systems Management | 5 |
| BTS 165 | Business Spreadsheet Analysis & Design | 5 |
| BUS 260 | Business Ethics | 5 |
| ECON 250 | Economics of Sustainability | 5 |
| ENGL& 101 | English Composition I | 5 |
| EXPRL 191 / EXPRL 192 / EXPRL 193 |
Academic Internship Experience | 1-5 |
| PHIL 122 | Environmental Ethics | 5 |
| Choose 5 credits from the following: | 5 | |
| BUS& 101 | Introduction to Business (5 Cr) | |
| INTST 150 | International Business (5 Cr) | |
| Choose 5 credits from the following: | 5 | |
| ENVS& 100 | Survey of Environmental Science (5 Cr) | |
| METR 211 | Global Climate Change (5 Cr) | |
| Sub Total | 75-79 | |
| CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING PATH EMPHASES FOR 15 CREDITS | 15 | |
| SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT: | ||
| BSUST 120 | Energy Systems and Management | 5 |
| BSUST 130 | Resource and Waste Management | 5 |
| BSUST 260 | Product Lifecycle and Supply Chain Management | 5 |
| Sub Total | 15 | |
| SUSTAINABLE DESIGN CERTIFICATE: | ||
| INDES 145 | Introduction to Sustainable Design | 5 |
| INDES 146 | Practical Applications of Sustainable Design | 5 |
| INDES 147 | Healthy and Sustainable Interiors | 5 |
| Sub Total | 15 | |
| Total | 90-94 | |
Certificate of Completion Sustainable Business Best Practices
Brief Description
This certificate is for business professionals who want to expand their current business skills to include best practices in managing for sustainability. It will provide an overview of sustainability practices that are proven to increase business effectiveness and competitiveness at all levels of the organization. Graduates will understand frameworks and learn to translate practices in order to make recommendations that support the organization's environmental, social and economic growth and understand how the foundation of sustainability can be leveraged to increase the financial bottom line.
Learning Outcomes
Certificate recipients should possess the skills and abilities described below:
- Present and discuss the complexity and breadth of sustainable business practices, and their implications for business organizations as part of a larger ecosystem that includes environmental, societal and economic systems
- Assess the sustainability of existing business practices and develop recommendations for improvement, as well as their short and long-term economic impacts
- Compare the effectiveness and assess the cost/benefit of various sustainable business strategies in selected industries – such as healthcare, manufacturing, retail, high tech – and in small and large organizations
- Discuss corporate responsibilities and regulations as they relate to the environment
- Apply basic economic analysis tools as they relate to carbon footprint computing; resource economics and management; green supply chain management; and energy management solutions
- Apply basic strategies to best position and communicate an organization’s commitment to sustainability and the environment
- Apply basic processes and information technology tools involved in performing analysis and audit of various businesses with an emphasis on sustainability, including planning, implementation and evaluation of sustainability programs; and sustainability and environmental management reporting
- Discuss emission trading regulations, trends and practices;
- Discuss legal issues and regulatory compliance in sustainability
Completion Worksheet
Download the completion worksheet for this certificate [PDF]
Requirements
| Course No. | Course Name | Credit Hrs. |
|---|---|---|
| BSUST 101 | Introduction to Sustainable Business Practices | 5 |
| BSUST 110 | Communication for Sustainable Business Practices | 4 |
| BSUST 150 | Introduction to Carbon Footprint and Resource Economics | 5 |
| BSUST 160 | Sustainable Business Analysis | 5 |
| Total | 19 |
Certificate of Achievement Sustainability Coordinator
Brief Description
The Sustainability Coordinator certificate prepares business professionals to take on the role of planning, managing, coordinating, reporting and assessing sustainable business practices across all organizational functions. Students will learn to incorporate principles of sustainability into every business decision; and learn to coordinate sustainability initiatives throughout the organization to ensure that all processes, products, and manufacturing activities adequately address current environmental concerns while maintaining financial health for the organization. It is recommended that students have taken ACCT 101 or have equivalent experience with Accounting before starting this program.
Learning Outcomes
Certificate recipients should possess the skills and abilities described below:
- Assess the sustainability of existing business practices and develop recommendations for improvement, as well as their short and long term economic impacts
- Perform business analysis and audit regarding sustainable business practices and develop a cost/benefit analysis of existing and proposed practices
- Assess the effectiveness of resource and waste management practices throughout all aspects of a product or service life cycle and supply chain management
- Develop an effective communication and PR strategic plan to best position and communicate an organization's commitment to sustainability and the environment
- Compute an organization carbon footprint including assumptions and analysis, using basic processes and information technology tools
- Plan, implement and evaluate sustainability programs; and develop sustainability and environmental management reports
- Apply basic processes and information technology tools involved in performing analysis and audit of various businesses with an emphasis on sustainability, including planning, implementation and evaluation of sustainability programs; and sustainability and environmental management reporting
- Present the trends and various options in energy generation and management systems, and compare advantages and constraints based on specific industries, geographic locations and existing infrastructures
- Discuss corporate responsibilities, ethics and regulations as they relate to the environment
- Present emission trading regulations, trends and practices, and legal issues and regulatory compliance in sustainability, and explain how they impact an organization's business practices and decisions
Completion Worksheet
Download the completion worksheet for this certificate [PDF]
Requirements
| Course No. | Course Name | Credit Hrs. |
|---|---|---|
| BSUST 101 | Introduction to Sustainable Business Practices | 5 |
| BSUST 110 | Communication for Sustainable Business Practices | 4 |
| BSUST 120 | Energy Systems and Management | 5 |
| BSUST 130 | Resource and Waste Management | 5 |
| BSUST 150 | Introduction to Carbon Footprint | 5 |
| BSUST 160 | Sustainable Business Analysis | 5 |
| BSUST 201 | Whole Systems Thinking & Change Management | 5 |
| BSUST 250 | Economics of Sustainability | 5 |
| BSUST 260 | Product Lifecycle and Supply Chain Management | 5 |
| BSUST 280 | Sustainable Business Accounting | 5 |
| Total | 49 |
Certificate of Achievement Sustainable Business Accounting
Brief Description
The Sustainable Business Accounting certificate prepares business professionals to focus on the financial aspects and reporting of sustainable business practices. The focus is on performing analysis of businesses with emphasis on how to best integrate sustainability into business and financial strategies; to analyze business processes in each functional area and as a whole to assess sustainability performance using triple bottom line accounting methods; and to develop recommendations for increased efficiencies and decreased environmental footprint.
Learning Outcomes
Certificate recipients should possess the skills and abilities described below:
- Perform business analysis and audit regarding sustainable business practices and develop a cost/benefit analysis of existing and proposed practices
- Develop in depth economic analysis of business practices taking into account various scenarios to decrease overall organization impact on resources and the environment
- Compute an organization carbon footprint including assumptions and analysis, using basic processes and information technology tools
- Discuss corporate responsibilities, ethics and regulations as they relate to the environment
- Present emission trading regulations, trends and practices, and legal issues and regulatory compliance
Completion Worksheet
Download the completion worksheet for this certificate [PDF]
Requirements
| Course No. | Course Name | Credit Hrs. |
|---|---|---|
| ACCT 101 | Practical Accounting I | 5 |
| ACCT 102 | Practical Accounting II | 5 |
| ACCT 270 | Cost Accounting | 5 |
| BSUST 101 | Introduction to Sustainable Business Practices | 5 |
| BSUST 160 | Sustainable Business Analysis | 5 |
| BSUST 280 | Sustainable Business Accounting | 5 |
| Total | 30 |
Certificate of Accomplishment Sustainable Systems Best Practices
Brief Description
The Sustainable Systems Best Practices certificate prepares business professionals to focus on a whole systems approach and change management for sustainability initiatives throughout the organization. The focus is on strategic approaches to change management based on whole systems thinking with an emphasis on economic, social and environmental impacts.
Learning Outcomes
Certificate recipients should possess the skills and abilities described below:
- Present and discuss the complexity and breadth of sustainable business practices, and their implications for business organizations as part of a larger ecosystem that includes environmental, societal and economic systems
- Assess the sustainability of existing business practices and develop recommendations for improvement, as well as their short and long-term economic impacts
- Assess the effectiveness of resource and waste management practices throughout all aspects of a product or service life cycle and supply chain management
- Compute an organization carbon footprint including assumptions and analysis, using basic processes and information technology tools
- Present the trends and various options in energy generation and management systems, and compare advantages and constraints based on specific industries, geographic locations and existing infrastructures
- Discuss corporate responsibilities, ethics and regulations as they relate to the environment
Completion Worksheet
Download the completion worksheet for this certificate [PDF]
Requirements
| Course No. | Course Name | Credit Hrs. |
|---|---|---|
| BSUST 101 | Introduction to Sustainable Business Practices | 5 |
| BSUST 120 | Energy Systems and Management | 5 |
| BSUST 130 | Resource and Waste Management | 5 |
| BSUST 150 | Introduction to Carbon Footprint | 5 |
| BSUST 201 | Whole Systems Thinking & Change Management | 5 |
| BSUST 260 | Product Lifecycle and Supply Chain Management | 5 |
| Total | 30 |
Professional or technical program offerings and course requirements listed in this website may be altered by the college to reflect the needs of industry, student interests and availability of resources.
