Program: Sustainability and Business Graduate Certificate - University of Southern California

Apr 04, 2025

USC Catalogue 2016-2017

Business is increasingly involved in social and environmental issues. On the one hand, government and civil society are exerting increasing pressure on the business sector to help address the world’s pressing social and environmental sustainability challenges, and on the other, a growing number of businesses are seeking to respond proactively to these challenges. The Sustainability and Business Graduate Certificate prepares students to help shape solutions to social and environmental sustainability challenges, both from within and from outside the business sector.

Admission

Applicants must meet the same admission requirements as degree seeking students. Some exceptions are made for current USC students and USC alumni. Visit www.marshall.usc.edu/SUSB for details.

Applicants may apply for admission to begin the program in the fall or spring semesters as well as in the summer, depending on course availability. Applications are submitted online through the USC Graduate Admissions Website at http://gradadm.usc.edu/. International applicants are advised to see the instructions for international students at http://gradadm.usc.edu/apply/international-students/.

Program Requirements

The program requires completion of 15 units.

Core - Complete at Least 9 Units From the Following

BAEP 591 Social Entrepreneurship Units: 2, 3
DSO 505 Sustainable Supply Chains Units: 1.5
DSO 506 Sourcing and Supplier Management Units: 1.5
FBE 557 Business Law and Ethics Units: 3
GSBA 554 Digital Strategies for Sustainability in Global Markets Units: 3
MOR 566 Environmental Sustainability and Competitive Advantage Units: 1.5, 3

Electives - Complete 0-6 Units From the Following

ARCH 519 Sustainability in the Environment: Infrastructures, Urban Landscapes, and Buildings Units: 3
ARCH 579 Sustainable Building and Environment using LEED Metrics Units: 3
BAEP 564 Investing in Impact Ventures Units: 3
CMGT 577 Communicating Corporate Social Responsibility Units: 4
DSO 586 Global Healthcare Operations Management Units: 3
ENE 502 Environmental and Regulatory Compliance Units: 3
ENST 530 Environmental Risk Analysis Units: 4 or
PPD 587 Risk Analysis Units: 4
GEOL 525 The Science of Climate Change Units: 4
ISE 576 Industrial Ecology: Technology-Environment Interaction Units: 3
LAW 655 Environmental Law Units: 2, 3, 4
POSC 546 Seminar in Environmental Policy Units: 4
PPD 568 Environmental Governance and Sustainability Units: 2
PPD 688 Business and Public Policy Units: 4
PPD 689 The Nonprofit Sector and Philanthropy Units: 4
PPDE 632 Sustainable Cities Units: 4
PPDE 660 Environmental Policy Design and Analysis Units: 2
PSYC 456 Conservation Psychology Units: 4
SAE 515 Sustainable Infrastructure Systems Units: 3

Note:

Students may also earn credit toward the certificate electives with up to 4 units of Independent Study (e.g., Marshall 592 or 593) or Directed Research (590 in non-Marshall departments) subject to approval by the faculty directors.

For current USC graduate students, courses credited to the Graduate Certificate in Sustainability and Business may be completed in conjunction with course work required for the program in which the student is already enrolled. Applicability of these courses to the student’s primary degree program is determined by the student’s home department. For USC alumni, courses completed in conjunction with a previously conferred degree may not be credited toward the certificate.

Successful completion of the program is acknowledged by a certificate (diploma) awarded by the university.

For more information, please visit www.marshall.usc.edu/SUSB.