ACCELERATED PROGRAM

Sustainable Development (B.A.) and

Sustainability Management (M.S.)

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The combined Sustainable Development and Sustainability Management program — offered in collaboration with The Earth Institute, Columbia College, the School of General Studies and the School of Professional Studies — prepares students to become sustainability practitioners. These students in this program are trained to understand the complex environmental challenges facing the world, and develop practical skills in management, quantitative analysis, and sustainability to transform the way that organizations do business. Students earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in just five years.

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Undergraduates in the Sustainable Development program at Columbia University are uniquely prepared for this graduate program, having undertaken interdisciplinary studies focused on the natural and social sciences, and the theory and practice of sustainable development. Students develop expertise in critical areas, such as food, water, health and climate change, and are they trained in important skill areas such as economic analysis and GIS modeling.

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Building upon the strong foundation of their undergraduate coursework, students who are accepted into the Sustainability Management program will learn to draw from interdisciplinary perspectives in general and financial management, quantitative analysis, public policy, and the physical dimensions of sustainability. Students will receive practical professional training to help them to understand the systematic and organizational role of sustainability in any organization.

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ADMISSIONS

Students in the Undergraduate program in Sustainable Development of Columbia University, who are in good academic standing, may apply to the M.S. in Sustainability Management program in the spring of their junior year or the fall of their senior year. Students will receive provisional acceptance and will be required to maintain a 3.0 GPA in Sustainability Management classes. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted for the purpose of the application; official transcripts must be submitted once the undergraduate degree is conferred. The application fee for sustainable development students will be waived. For more information on the application process, click here.

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APPLICATION DEADLINES

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Students who wish to have a decision in advance of registration for the following semester should submit by the earlier deadline noted below.
 

Fall Admission (Juniors): May 1 (Early Deadline: March 15)
Spring Admission (Seniors): November 1 (Early Deadline: October 1)

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CURRICULUM

Admitted undergraduate students may take up to two Sustainability Management courses that count toward the master’s degree during their senior year. These courses will be accepted for advanced standing in the Sustainability Management but may not be counted toward students’ undergraduate degree requirements. These courses are:​