MS in Sustainability Management
As organizations grapple with their impact on the planet, they need business professionals who are also experts in environmental issues. An MS in sustainability management gives you the skills to tackle some of the most challenging issues companies face today. Discover how you can implement innovative, responsible solutions while helping your organization thrive.
The program can be completed in 12-21 months on a full-time or part-time basis, starting in the fall.
In 2019, the average salary of Kogod's MS in sustainability management graduates was $90,667, with employers including EY, the US Department of Energy, Alliance to Save Energy, and more.
Our small class sizes and student-to-faculty ratio ensure that you form a lifelong personal and professional network with your peers and professors.
Why Kogod?
A Business School Dedicated to Sustainability
Our program is one of the few of its kind that is housed in a business school. You will learn the business basics of sustainability, such as budgeting and management. You'll also learn how to innovate and implement sustainable ventures. At Kogod, we practice what we preach—we are the first carbon-neutral university in the country and are an AASHE-certified green campus. The campus itself is an arboretum.
Learn by Doing
Your experience here will be hands-on, practical, and experiential. The classes are designed to train you in risk assessment, life cycle, lean supply chain, firm excellence, and innovation. We integrate social responsibility throughout the coursework, aware that there is no environmental justice without social justice. At the center of our curriculum is the international capstone project, where you can apply your classroom knowledge to sustainability issues in different cultures.
Choose from Four Career Tracks
A complex issue requires a multidisciplinary approach. That's why our curriculum incorporates topics like environmental and social science, public policy, and international relations. For additional expertise, you will choose from one of our four career tracks.
Obtain Professional Certificates
Gain an edge in this competitive job market by completing one of our six professional graduate certificates.
Kogod’s Master's in Sustainability Management has opened up my world in so many positive ways; it's enabled me to pursue a career in something that I wake up excited about, inspired by and motivated to create meaningful and impactful change.

Becks Treharne
Kogod/BS Business Administration '14, MS Sustainability Management '15

Data plays a crucial role in organizations, both big and small, and analysts are invaluable team members. An analytics graduate certificate will provide you with a suite of in-demand skills needed to solve business challenges. Not only will you prove to be an unbeatable asset in your current role, but your certificate will also help you stand out in the job market.
What You'll Learn
Curriculum
The MS in sustainability management consists of 30 credit hours. The curriculum is divided into 15 credit hours of required courses and 3 credit hours of electives.
The remaining credit hours are concentrated on one of the four career tracks of your choosing:
- Sustainability executive
- Sustainability entrepreneur
- Sustainability consultant
- Sustainability policy/communications executive
International Capstone
The highlight of our program is our international capstone project in applied sustainability management. Together with your classmates, you'll travel internationally to learn about best practices in sustainability across different industries and cultures.
You'll Walk Away With
- Functional Business Knowledge—a foundation in each of the functional areas of business, including accounting and financial analysis, production and marketing of goods and services, management of people and organizations, and information and technology management.
- Strategic Thinking & Integration—proficiency in strategic decision-making abilities by integrating academic (across disciplines) and experiential learning. Understand critical interrelationships and linkages necessary for developing global business strategy, including linkages between strategic and operational issues, relationships among functional disciplines.
- Analytical Problem Solving—proficiency in applying quantitative information, tools, methods, and professional judgment in solving business problems.
- Communication—ability to demonstrate professional competence in oral and written communication skills in a business setting.
- Leadership Styles and Team Work—proficiency to identify different leadership styles and demonstrate the ability to work effectively in diverse teams.
- Business & Society—proficiency to understand the global environment in which business operates, including economic, legal, ethical, and societal dimensions.
The MS in Sustainability Management program at Kogod is one of the best. The professors are very supportive, the materials shared are very relevant and easily relatable, the cohorts are highly diverse in terms of all demographic elements, and hence conversations are very enriching."

Vivian Moyana
Current Master's in Sustainability Management Student

This season is all about sustainability, what it is, why it's important, how it fits into our everyday lives and careers, and, ultimately, how to get a job that makes a difference in the world. We'll be speaking to alumni with some fascinating jobs in the sustainability space and we'll find out how they got into sustainability, what drove them to want to make a difference, and what the job is really like.

STEM-Designated Program
STEM-designated programs equip students with technological expertise and leadership skills vital to the US economy. The designation also allows international students to apply for a 24-month extension of their Optional Practical Training, granting them the ability to work in the US for up to 3 years.

International Capstone Experience
During the summer semester, you will travel abroad with your class to learn first-hand about sustainable practices in another country. Past trips have included Copenhagen, Denmark, and Malmo, Sweden.

City at the Forefront of Sustainability
Washington, DC, has been named the first Platinum LEED city in the world for its efforts in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, innovating around clean energy, and implementing other green initiatives.
“We wanted to do something to contribute to the environment,” says Anderson. “These organizations fell into our ethos, and it’s an opportunity for us to give back to the community that we sell slippers to.”

Taylor joins us from her hometown of Smithfield, VA, and she has a bachelor's degree in apparel, housing, and resources management with a concentration in fashion merchandising from Virginia Tech. Why did Taylor choose Kogod? So many reasons! Kogod employs an interdisciplinary learning approach that offered an unmatched variety of courses. She also really appreciated the academic rigor Kogod is known for! But don't take our word for it! Schedule a one-on-one appointment with Taylor to learn more about her reasons and her experience at Kogod.

Foster joined us from his hometown of Advance, NC, and he has a bachelor's degree in environmental technology and management from North Carolina State University. Why did Foster choose Kogod? So many reasons! Kogod checked all the boxes for Foster—including our unique offering of studying sustainability through a business lens at a fantastic location that offers countless professional opportunities. But don't take our word for it! Schedule a one-on-one appointment with Foster to learn more about his reasons and his experience at Kogod.
Our graduates have found professional success across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, with 63 percent working in for-profit organizations, 21 percent working in government organizations, and 16 percent working in nonprofit organizations.
Graduates of the program can work as:
- Communications officers
- Program officers
- Project managers
- Analysts
- Policy advisors
Recent employers include:
- Department of Energy & Environment
- Environmental Defense Fund
- REI
- US Department of State
- The World Bank
- World Wildlife Fund
Recent Sustainability News

Kogod School of Business professor Jennifer Oetzel studies international business and disaster...

Kogod School of Business professors and panelists discussed the environmental impact of...

Kogod School of Business professor H. Kent Baker explores the emerging field of sustainable...

The experiential learning program focused on environmental, social, and governance (ESG)...

Kogod School of Business professor Brett Gilbert brings her expertise in entrepreneurship to the...

The Kogod School of Business’s recent webinar highlights three cannabis industry veterans as they...

Join Kogod graduate student Gabby Vella as she takes you through some of her favorite places in the nation's capital.
Upcoming Admissions Events
Join us for an overview of Kogod’s MS in Sustainability Management program! This session will include an overview of the academic and student experience along with the admissions requirements and process. Attendees will receive a $100 application fee waiver. Register Now
Applying to graduate school can be confusing. Let us help! Join our Kogod Graduate Admissions team for an informational overview covering application deadlines, requirements, and timelines. This will be a live session and attendees are welcome to ask questions during the program. Register Now
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