SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS IMPACT LOOKS LIKE

Master's in Sustainable Business

AT A GLANCE

Credit hours: 33

Full-time, part-time

Online and evening class options

Fully online option

Start terms: fall, spring

GMAT/GRE Optional

YOU are the future of ethical and resilient business

The CU Denver MS in Sustainable Business prepares professionals to lead in sustainability by combining core business concepts with knowledge of sustainable energy, risk and resilience, environmental stewardship, urban sustainability, and other topics to drive business innovation for sustainability. The program equips graduates for impactful roles to decarbonize our economy and improve sustainability performance across public and private sectors, including accounting and finance, energy and water systems, information systems, public policy, global supply chains, and more. With a strong emphasis on real-world applications, CU Denver’s program develops business leaders ready to drive sustainability, innovation, and global business success.

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certificates to
tailor your degree

Classes offered in
the evening and online

Top ranked faculty leading
the field in their research

Real-world impact through a
sustainability impact challenge with a $10,000 prize

Robert Hobbins

"With an MS in Sustainable Business from CU Denver, you’ll gain deep sustainable business knowledge while having the opportunity to acquire interdisciplinary knowledge and skills from across CU Denver’s schools to earn a series of certificates tailored to your career goals. We offer the most flexible and customizable MS program on the market – at an incredible value – to accelerate your career as a sustainability professional in the private sector.”
– Robert Hobbins, Director of Sustainable Business

The CU Denver MS in Sustainable Business program offers flexibility and depth, with six certificate options, interdisciplinary courses, and a wide selection of 8-week online classes. Through connections with the Sustainable Business Advisory Council and industry partners, you'll benefit from networking opportunities, events, and guest speakers who bring real-world sustainability expertise into the classroom.

You'll gain expertise in essential topics such as Sustainable Business Accounting, Managing for Sustainability, Sustainable Supply Chains and Circularity, and Impact Investing. Along the way, you can earn certificates in Environmental Sustainability, Sustainable Energy, Risk Management and Resilience, Social Enterprise, Managing for Sustainability, and, for on-campus students, Urban Sustainability and Infrastructure, starting with the foundational Foundations of Sustainable Business certificate.

Unlike a traditional MBA, this program prepares you to evaluate business decisions through the lens of long-term risk, resource constraints, stakeholder expectations, and environmental impact. You'll develop the tools to create solutions that are both economically viable and socially and environmentally responsible, across finance, supply chains, technology, energy, infrastructure, risk management, and community development.

Beyond the classroom, you'll have multiple opportunities to engage with local and global sustainability leaders. These include the program's annual study abroad trip to France and Spain, Sustainability Corps independent study, site visits to local sustainable brands, and interaction with the Sustainable Business Advisory Council and Mentorship Network. You can also compete in the Blair Gifford Mile High Sustainability Impact Challenge, where student teams design and pitch real solutions to downtown Denver's urban sustainability challenges for funding and implementation support.

You'll have full access to our Business Career Center team for life. With over 10 years of recruiting and advising experience, they'll help you navigate your way through the corporate recruiting process. Our connections to over 300 business partners provide exclusive opportunities to network with industry leaders. Their services include:

Career workshops – perfect your resume, LinkedIn profile, and job search process
Individual appointments – explore what your personal career path looks like, review your resume, or schedule a mock interview
Career events – hone your networking skills and meet hiring managers from top companies
Job announcements – monthly emails with the latest job and internship opportunities specific to your degree

Curriculum (33 hours)

The Master of Science in Sustainable Business curriculum consists of one required 15-credit certificate called the Foundations of Sustainable Business and two certificates of 9 credits each (18 credits) that complete the elective requirements for a total of 33 credit hours. Click on the Certificates tab below to learn about the Foundations of Sustainable Business Certificate and each of the elective certificates in detail.

There are also several optional experiential learning opportunities to apply your knowledge in sustainable business. These include sustainability consulting experiences as part of the Sustainability Corps in Denver and around the US, as well as consulting experiences with international businesses if you join the EU Enterprise Sustainability and Resilience study abroad program in Spain and France – designed specifically for students in the MS Sustainable Business program. Both experiential learning opportunities can be applied towards earning the two elective Certificates. To learn more about the Sustainability Corps, click on the Experiential Learning Opportunities tab.

Certificates (33 hours)

First, MS Sustainable Business Students take the Foundations of Sustainable Business Certificate (15 credits). Then, based upon their interests, students choose two additional certificates, 9 credit hours each, to complete the remaining 18 credit hours of electives in the MS SUSB degree.

Foundations of Sustainable Business Certificate

This certificate introduces the foundational knowledge and concepts for success in any sustainable business career. You’ll be able to compare and contrast competing conceptualizations of sustainable business models, redesign supply chains and products for waste reduction and circularity, set and achieve net-zero carbon targets, apply and report using various sustainability disclosure standards, manage and lead innovative sustainability initiatives and projects, and be aware of various impact investment strategies. Offered online only.

Key concepts and issues in sustainable business
Sustainable supply chains and circularity
Sustainability accounting, finance, and impact investing
Corporate decarbonization strategies and carbon accounting
Managing and leading sustainability initiatives

Environmental Sustainability

This certificate is designed to introduce students to the various environmental challenges (e.g., water and natural resources, climate change, environmental waste, and pollution) that companies face. Courses in this certificate will teach students not only how to manage and report on a company’s environmental performance but also how to develop sustainable and regenerative business practices to protect, restore, and improve our natural environments and resources. Offered online, with many face-to-face options A sample of course topics include:

Environmental sustainability and stewardship
Earth environments and human impacts
Water quality and resources
Climate change: causes, impacts, and solutions
Environmental risk assessment
Carbon markets
ESG trends in energy and commodities
Sustainability in resources management
Global enterprise sustainability and resilience
Environmental justice
Environmental planning and management
Science, policy, and the environment
Environmental Politics and Policy
Environmental Life Cycle Assessment

Sustainable Energy

Courses in this certificate introduce students to the key concepts for understanding and managing renewable energy resources and how to lead the global energy transition to renewable energy. Offered primarily online with some in-person options. A sample of course topics include:

21^st century global energy issues and realities
Technical aspects of energy science
Strategic management of the energy industry
Carbon markets
Global history of energy
Sustainable energy policy
ESG trends in Energy and Commodities
Project development and leadership in renewable energy

Risk Management & Resilience

Courses in this certificate introduce students to the concepts of risks, hazards, exposure, and resilience. Students will learn how to successfully manage and lead a company through periods of volatility, complexity, uncertainty, and ambiguity typical of many sustainability and environmental challenges. Offered online, with some face-to-face options. A sample of course topics include:

Strategic risk management
Leading organizational change
Practical enterprise risk management
Global risk management
Global enterprise sustainability and resilience
Disaster/Climate change planning

Social Enterprise

Courses in this certificate build students’ abilities to design and launch successful businesses that are responsive and sensitive to social needs, equity and justice, and human well-being. Offered online, with many face-to-face options. A sample of course topics include:

Social enterprise
Mission-driven and social entrepreneurship
Human health and environmental pollution
Marketing challenges at the global frontier
Civil society and non-governmental organizations
Managing for social equity
Public-private partnerships
Environmental justice
Community development

Managing for Sustainability

Courses in this certificate train students to launch and lead strategic initiatives in their enterprises that improve social and environmental outcomes and build sustainable enterprises that thrive in any business environment. Offered online only. A sample of course topics include:

Managing for sustainability
Leadership in new ventures
Project development, management, and leadership in renewable energy
Leading organizational change
Strategic management
Visionary leadership
Business ethics and corporate social responsibility
Managing for social equity
Transformative Leadership for Sustainability

Urban Sustainability and Infrastructure

Cities are the most rapidly growing regions globally. They must be designed collaboratively with public, private, and civic sectors to make them more sustainable in the future. This certificate is designed for aspiring business leaders who plan to engage or collaborate with the public and civic sector to make our cities more just, livable, and sustainable through urban design, infrastructure planning, land use, and other urban sustainability concepts. Offered face-to-face only. A sample of course topics include:

Urban sustainability
Urban design and environment
Sustainable urban infrastructure
Urban design economics and equity
Transportation, land use, and the environment
Sustainable transportation systems

One of the key differentiators of this MS in Sustainable Business from other programs in the United States is the opportunity to engage in applied consulting projects with industry leaders in Denver, the United States, as well as abroad.

The CU Denver Sustainability Corps, managed by the Sustainable Business Program, connects graduate students at the Business School who are passionate about sustainable business with leading businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies to tackle real-world sustainability challenges. As a member of the Corps, you will gain hands-on consulting experience, build your professional network, and strengthen your resume - all while earning academic credit.

Make an impact. Build your sustainability career.

Hands-on consulting projects with companies and nonprofits
Academic credit through independent study
Professional experience and portfolio building
Network with leaders in sustainable business

Project areas may include, but not limited to:

Sustainable fashion
Carbon inventorying, offsetting and carbon credits
Sustainable packaging and circularity
Water conservation and stewardship
Building energy and water audits
Preparing companies for various sustainability certifications
Sustainability reporting and communications
Sustainability marketing
Establishing an Environmental Management System
Internal sustainability audits and gap analyses
And much more!

Who is eligible to apply:

Any graduate student at the CU Denver Business School, though priority is given to those admitted to the MS in Sustainable Business, a sustainable business specialization, or sustainable business graduate certificate.
Students passionate about sustainability, innovation, and leadership

Time commitment: Approximately 100 hours per 3-credit course

Location: Denver/Colorado typically, though some remote project options are available

Sustainability Corps Application Process:
You will need to apply for and be admitted to a CU Denver Business School graduate program. Then, you’ll need to apply separately for the Sustainability Corps. Application deadlines for the Sustainability Corps are:

Fall: June 15 Spring: October 15 Summer: April 15

Ready to elevate your sustainability career? Apply Here

We also offer this degree entirely online. The required Foundations of Sustainable Business Certificate for the MS in Sustainability degree is offered entirely online. However, not all elective certificates can be completed entirely online. In short, the following Certificates are possible to be completed entirely online.

Sustainable Energy
Environmental Sustainability
Foundations of Sustainable Business
Managing for Sustainability
Social Enterprise
Risk Management and Resilience

Take classes in a hybrid format (classroom and online) or complete your degree in a fully online curriculum. Your online courses are taught by the same professors and lecturers that teach on campus. We also offer hybrid courses in the evening for those working full-time.

Online courses are asynchronous, meaning there is no specific meeting day/time. Hybrid courses combine in-person and online learning. The in-person experience typically occurs once a week, from 6:30-9:15 p.m., one evening between Monday and Thursday. There will be at least six in-person meetings during the 8-week session, complemented by asynchronous content.

Most graduate courses are offered as an 8-week session within the 16-week fall and spring semesters. Graduate courses in the summer semester extend for the entire semester, which is an 8-week session as well.

National research shows increased graduation rates among students taking courses in an 8-week session. The data on 8-week courses shows increased student success and course completion rates. The course material is condensed into eight weeks. So, while the weekly workload is greater, you can complete the course in half the time! It is recommended to take one course per each 8-week session, particularly if you work full-time, which allows you to place your focus on just that course.

Additionally, offering courses in 8-week sessions every semester enables you to balance and manage life responsibilities while still prioritizing your education. For instance, if you have a vacation, family commitment or business trip occurring in the first 8-week session, you can choose to enroll only in a course offered in the second eight-week session.

Learning outcomes

The MS Sustainable Business degree will prepare students specifically for the Sustainability Excellence Associate (SEA) credential granted by the Green Business Certification Institute (GBCI), which is an optional exam to be taken at the culmination of the MS in Sustainable Business. The SEA credential demonstrates to employers that a graduate has the knowledge and skills typically required of an entry-level sustainability professional. The knowledge and skills required for the SEA certification are derived from the ISSP’s 2010 Competency Survey Report (Willard et al., 2010). Each of these competencies is elaborated on below and adapted from the GBCI (2022) SEA Candidate Handbook. These concepts serve as the learning goals of the MS Sustainable Business curriculum.

Core Sustainability Concepts: Demonstrated familiarity with the core issues, trends, concepts, and frameworks of sustainability
1. Explain ideas, concepts, and importance of sustainability to various audiences
2. Choose and customize appropriate third-party sustainability resources
Stakeholder Engagement: Skills and knowledge related to collaboratively working with stakeholders to forward a mutually satisfactory beneficial agenda
1. Identify, map, and prioritize stakeholders and their primary interests or concerns
2. Develop a strategy and means of engaging with each stakeholder
3. Implement and institutionalize procedures for engaging and communicating with internal stakeholders (e.g., senior management, functional leads, line employees)
4. Implement procedures for engaging and communicating with external stakeholders (e.g. suppliers, industry partners, NGO’s community members)
5. Build relationships across organizational functions
6. Prepare communications with input from key stakeholders
Plan Sustainability Strategies: Create a comprehensive, long-term and inclusive approach to the systematic implementation of sustainability vision and initiatives
1. Develop a high level, long-term sustainability road map
2. Articulate the business case for sustainability
3. Articulate the long-term vision of sustainability for the organization and a strategy to achieve it
4. Create an overarching project framework to support the higher-level framework, that can be operationalized and implemented
5. Identify material issues and the relevant key indicators, specific metrics and targets.
6. Identify the critical components of a SMS
Implement Sustainability Strategies: Managing the ongoing activities related to the successful integration and fulfillment of sustainability goals.
1. Establish effective support and governance structures for the implementation of sustainability strategies and initiatives
2. Implement an SMS in alignment with accepted standards and protocols
3. Integrate sustainability principles into organizational functions, policies, and practices
4. Manage complex projects
5. Communicate sustainability plans and concepts and choose strategies for buy-in from all members and levels of an organization
6. Launch and support teams and work groups
7. Drive innovation, improvement, and continuous learning
8. Distribute communication and determine processes for gathering feedback.
Evaluate and Report Sustainability Efforts: Collect, analyze, and report the results of sustainability metrics.
1. Conduct an impact assessment of organizational or community inputs, operations, outputs, and stakeholder relationships
2. Design, implement, and maintain data systems for collecting accurate, timely, and reliable data (maximally integrated with other data collection systems of the organization)
3. Analyze data and draw conclusions about progress
4. Gather data, case studies, and examples, and logically compile and order them.
Adjust Plans: Continuously review efforts and adjust to meet emerging needs and opportunities.
1. Maintain and continuously refine management systems
2. Prioritize action based on context, analysis, and set targets

Careers in Sustainable Business

Become a sustainable business professional ready to lead a firm's sustainability efforts, work with teams or consult on sustainable business initiatives, or serve as a change agent or entrepreneur in initiating sustainable business practices within your organization. Examples of typical sustainable business career paths are below. By tailoring your degree carefully by choosing from two of our elective sustainable business certificates, you can tailor your MS Sustainable Business degree to pursue any of the below careers within specific spheres of interest, such as sustainable energy, environmental sustainability, sustainability management, etc.

Examples of Sustainable Business career paths:

Chief Sustainability Officer
ESG Manager
Sustainability Program Manager
Sustainability Coordinator
Sustainability Value/Supply Chain Manager
Manager of Global Sustainability
Sustainability Consultant
Circularity Manager
Sustainability Analyst
Equity, Social Justice, and DEI Manager
ESG Financial Advisor
Water stewardship and sustainability auditor

Visit our Careers page for more detailed information on the resources available.

Tuition

The cost of tuition for the MS in Sustainable Business degree is different for in-state and out-of-state students.

Residents of western states may qualify for in-state tuition. The Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) requires students to maintain current residency of WRGP state until degree completion.

Scholarships

Scholarships are available for students. As a current student, you can apply for scholarships every semester. Some awards are based on program and course enrollment.

Newly Admitted and Continuing Students:

You can apply for additional scholarships every semester of enrollment. Some awards may be specific to individual programs or enrollment in specific courses. Certain certificates, including risk management and insurance, commodities, and entrepreneurship, have additional scholarship opportunities.

Application Checklist

$50 domestic, $75 international application fee
Online application
Official transcripts from each college or university attended
Essay responses
Resume

GMAT/GRE optional
English language proficiency—international applicants only

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Application Process

Applicants are required to submit all application materials. Interviews are not a part of the admission process. To receive priority admission, we must have received your online application and all other required materials including transcripts and GMAT/GRE (if required by program) by the deadline.

You can check your admission status online through the account you created for the online application. You will receive a final decision by email within two to three weeks from the submission of all materials.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must have completed an undergraduate program at an accredited United States college or its equivalent in another country.
No work experience or formal business education is required for admission, however, you may have to provide a GMAT or GRE score if you do not have enough work experience, see below.

The GMAT/GRE is not required for this program

The MS in Sustainable Business program does not require GMAT or GRE scores for their degree program as part of the graduate admissions requirements. The requirements are a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or better from a US-accredited four-year undergraduate institution and three or more years of full-time professional work experience or the successful completion of a graduate degree.

However, if you received your bachelor’s degree with a grade point average of less than 3.25 or have less than 5 years of professional work experience, you will be asked to submit a statement that outlines other indicators of exceptional motivation, such as solid upper-division performance, GMAT or GRE scores, and other relevant professional experience. The MS in Sustainable Business admissions committee may require a minimum GMAT or GRE score for students that do not automatically qualify by GPA and prior work.

How Decisions Are Made

The admissions committee considers each candidate’s entire record of achievement. This is demonstrated through:

Academic transcripts
Essay responses
Work experience
Extracurricular and community activities
Letters of recommendation if applicable
GMAT/GRE scores if applicable

No work experience or formal business education is required for admission. However, professional experience strengthens your application. Candidates with less work experience can show potential through academic and experiential success.

For any questions, please contact our admissions team at bschool.admissions@ucdenver.edu or call 303-315-8200.

International Applicants

International applicants must also demonstrate proficiency in written and oral English.
To determine English Language Proficiency (ELP), you must complete one of the following:

English language proficiency test
Citizenship exemption
Coursework completion
CU Denver ESL Academy (Level 5) graduation
Exception for certain visa types

Please note for Business School graduate programs TOEFL minimum scores are as follows:

Programs:	TOEFL iBT (0 - 120)	*TOEFL iBT (0 - 6)
MS programs	72+	4
Denver Flex & Online MBA	86+	4.5
One Year MBA	95+	5

*Scores in the 1 - 6 scale applies only to TOEFL iBT tests taken on or after January 21, 2026.

For more details about the English Language Proficiency requirement, please visit the following page.

International graduate applicants will have their academic credentials evaluated by CU Denver’s Office of International Affairs

Plan to submit materials early to expedite processing. Deadlines apply to all required documents.

Fall

Domestic Applications

Priority: April 15
Final: July 15

International Applications

Priority: March 15
Final: May 15

Spring

Domestic Applications

Priority: October 15
Final: December 15

International Applications

Priority: September 15
Final: October 15

Take the next step in your career.

Our Business Career Center (BCC) office connects top Denver employers to our students. They know what recruiters are looking for and have a wealth of resources that you have access to as a student and alumnus.

As a student, you’ll have access to a number of high-profile guest speakers. Past speakers have included executives from across the country representing companies including:

Amazon
Ball Aerospace
Kaiser Permanente
Neurotech

Start the conversation.

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SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS IMPACT LOOKS LIKE

Master's in Sustainable Business

Foundations of Sustainable Business Certificate

Environmental Sustainability

Sustainable Energy

Risk Management & Resilience

Social Enterprise

Managing for Sustainability

Urban Sustainability and Infrastructure

Careers in Sustainable Business

Tuition

Scholarships

Application Checklist

Application Process

Admission Requirements

The GMAT/GRE is not required for this program

International Applicants

Fall

Domestic Applications

International Applications

Spring

Domestic Applications

International Applications

Request More Information

Upcoming events

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SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS IMPACT LOOKS LIKE

Breadcrumb

Master's in Sustainable Business

Careers in Sustainable Business

Tuition

Scholarships

Application Checklist

Application Process

Admission Requirements

The GMAT/GRE is not required for this program

International Applicants

Fall

Domestic Applications

International Applications

Spring

Domestic Applications

International Applications

Request More Information

Upcoming events