Program Overview

Bachelor of Arts in Sustainability Management

Degree Overview

Sustainability management is an innovative field at the intersection of business and environmental studies. Virginia Wesleyan University's online sustainability degree provides a multidisciplinary education that combines core business subjects with an emphasis on sustainable practices. It prepares students to lead the way in helping organizations craft greener, more ethical strategies. Coursework for the sustainability degree program draws on topics from a wide variety of subject areas including economics, management, policy analysis, and more, so students can succeed in the workplace.

The online sustainability degree emphasizes real-world skill development along with flexibility, allowing students to meet their goals and complete their degree on their schedule. Instructors have years of relevant experience, so students gain the knowledge they need to excel after graduation. Whether students choose to pursue corporate sustainability, environmental consulting, or another discipline, this business sustainability degree program prepares them for a career that makes a difference.

Program Details

• Next Start Date: Not specified
• Total Degree Credit Hours: 128
• Program Length: Finish in as little as 12-24 months
• Cost Per Credit Hour: $410
• Major Credit Hours: 49-50

Course Information

General Education Requirements

General Education is the component of the degree that all students share. The requirements include both a scholarly core experience and a broad array of courses from across the university. The core provides students with a common sequence of courses that form a foundation for their education and that will serve them throughout their lives. The breadth requirement ensures a well-rounded education.

• Wesleyan Seminars
• Breadth Requirement
• English Composition
• Foreign Language Proficiency
• General education requirements for transfer students

Core Requirements

The major is a component of the degree that a student chooses: a major requires students to take a deep dive into the complexities of knowledge within a particular area of inquiry and to understand the methods and tenets of a discipline or interdisciplinary field. A major consists of a guided program that builds from gateway or intermediate courses to at least five advanced courses.

• MBE 201: Introductory Macroeconomics (3 credits)
• MBE 202: Introductory Microeconomics (3 credits)
• Choose one of the following: (4 credits)
  • EES 133: Environmental Geology
  • ENVS 106: Humans, the Environment, and Sustainability
  • ENVS 107: Environmental Biology
• MBE 203: Accounting I (3 credits)
• MATH 210: Introductory Statistics (4 credits)
• MBE 301: Principles of Management (3 credits)
• PHIL/ENVS 304: Environmental Ethics
• PHIL 399: Environmental Justice (4 credits)
• EES 320: Energy and the Environment (4 credits)
• POLS: Environmental Policy Analysis (4 credits)
• Choose two of the following: (6 credits)
  • MBE 306: Business Law
  • MBE 332: Economic Development
  • MBE 333: International Business
  • MBE 348: Social Marketing Management
  • MBE 350: Supply Chain Management & Logistics
  • MBE 360: Operations Management
• Choose one of the following: (3-4 credits)
  • EES 300: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems
  • EES 340: Climatology
  • EES 410: Physical Hydrology
• ENVS 470: Internship in Environmental Studies
• ENVS 420: Topics in Sustainability

Career Outcomes

Corporate Sustainability

Addressing environmental concerns is an emerging trend in the business world. With a VWU degree, students can help companies and organizations balance their impact on the natural world.

Environmental Consulting

The VWU education prepares students to be expert consultants for businesses that want to adopt sustainable practices. Students will have the skills to work on a contractual basis to help organizations address environmental issues.

Environmental Law

If students choose to continue their education after graduation, the foundational skills learned in this VWU degree program can prepare them for a meaningful career in environmental law. Students will work to protect the planet and focus on legal issues related to conservation, environmental impact, and more.

Admission Requirements

1. Complete the online application.
2. Applicants who have not yet completed 12 semester hours of college work must submit an official high school transcript and SAT/ACT score, and an official college transcript from all colleges and universities previously attended. Applicants who have not taken an SAT or ACT may be admitted on the basis of an evaluation of high school coursework. Applicants who are not high school graduates may be admitted on the basis of GED test results.
3. Applicants who have successfully completed 12 or more semester hours of college work must submit official college transcripts from all institutions previously attended. Generally, individuals transferring to Virginia Wesleyan must present a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher.