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The first program of its kind at ²ÝÝ®ÎÛÊÓƵµ¼º½.

The Certificate in Sustainability Studies is based on an innovative experiential learning model that you can easily embed in most undergraduate degrees at no cost. ²ÝÝ®ÎÛÊÓƵµ¼º½ is a leader among Canadian universities with this new model for sustainability education. We provide you with the thinking and problem-solving skill set needed for sustainability leadership, research, education, policy and planning. After completing the Certificate in Sustainability Studies, you will be ready to enter into a variety of industries and jobs ranging from climate change adaptation to sustainable community design and sustainable futures planning, to natural and social resource conservation and stewardship, to renewable energy and regenerative food and water systems, product stewardship, municipal and federal planning and policy development, and community based and environmental monitoring, reporting and consulting.

Program requirements

The Sustainability Certificate consists of four required core courses and two sustainability-focused elective courses that are embedded in your chosen degree program; elective selection is designed to fit your individual program requirements, but in a way that allows you to explore your interests and career goals. The core courses begin with foundational sustainability principles, practices, challenges and opportunities in both an historical and contemporary context. Throughout the certificate you will apply foundational principles to complex social, ecological and sustainable design problems through research and experiential learning. Using systems models, design thinking, and quantitative and qualitative methods, you will learn how to work in teams to find solutions to complex sustainability problems at local, regional and global scales. Class sizes are small, course content is cross-disciplinary and you have the opportunity to engage directly with both sustainability problems and with faculty and expert practitioners who work on sustainability and resilience problems across the globe.

Learning Opportunities

Certificate in Sustainability Studies students have the opportunity to hear from a variety of external organizations, sustainability and equity consulting firms, researchers, institutions, not-for-profits and practitioners throughout the program. Students will engage in applied research projects throughout the core courses both on and off-campus with a variety of stakeholders. These projects allow students to apply their classroom learnings to real sustainability challenges while also working with sustainability practitioners and leaders.