Program Overview

Sustainability & Behavior Change Program

The Specialized Certificate in Sustainability and Behavior Change provides unique and advanced educational training in conservation psychology, and behavior change strategies and community engagement tools that are designed to produce results. Explore the psychological factors that lead people to engage in sustainable behavior and gain a clear understanding of the strategies that work (and those that don’t) to motivate people towards behavioral change. Learn how to develop programs and projects that activate behavior change and promote sustainable outcomes and how to develop community engagement projects or programs that foster both awareness and meaningful action. This certificate culminates in a capstone course where students apply the knowledge and skills developed in this certificate to a program or project of interest.

Program Details

• Duration: 12 Months or less
• Schedule: Work-friendly schedule
• Tuition Fee: $2,575 (price may vary slightly)
• Format: Online

Who Should Attend

• Professionals who manage environmental programs and campaigns
• Government employees working on environmental protection projects or programs
• Employees and educators at informal education institutions, including zoos and aquaria
• Community volunteers and activists interested in working to promote community engagement and sustainability
• Business professionals interested in understanding consumer behavior and promoting corporate behavior change

Certificate Benefits

• Network with other professionals in the program
• Complement your college degree with career-oriented education
• Facilitate promotions or career changes
• Learn how to develop programs and projects that activate behavior change and promote sustainable outcomes
• Gain insight on psychological principles, theories, and methods to understand and solve environmental problems
• Identify and prioritize target behaviors related to a specific environmental problem
• Develop a behavior change program implementation plan and identify appropriate metrics for evaluating performance
• Develop a communications strategy that activates behavior change at the community level
• Understand strategies relevant to community-based social marketing and conservation education programs
• Access to dedicated Career Resource Hub with career information, job postings, events, and tutorials

Required Courses

Conservation Psychology

• Course Code: ENVR-40000
• Units: 3.00
• Tuition Fee: $595.00
• Description: Learn how human behavior drives environmental solutions in energy, water, waste, and climate action efforts. Explore how psychological principles, theories, and methods can be applied to understand and address environmental problems.

Behavior Change Strategies for Sustainability

• Course Code: ENVR-40006
• Units: 3.00
• Tuition Fee: $595.00
• Description: Focus on the strategies and tools needed to change individual behavior and promote environmental protection. Learn how to assess needs, identify available resources, and design and evaluate a program for a behavior change intervention.

Elective Courses

Select two courses from the following:

Applied Behavior Change Project

• Course Code: ENVR-40007
• Units: 3.00
• Tuition Fee: $695.00
• Description: Work on an applied behavior change project or program under the supervision of one or more instructors. Potential projects include conceiving and designing a plan for a real-world behavior change intervention, developing a plan to evaluate the success or impact of an intervention, or auditing a previous process and recommending modifications.

Introduction to Sustainability

• Course Code: BUSA-40729
• Units: 3
• Tuition Fee: $595.00
• Description: Get an introduction to the basics of environmental sustainability - energy, transportation, water use, recycling, and natural resource life cycles. Discover ways individuals, organizations, and governments can manage resources in a responsible manner, with minimal impact on natural surroundings and climate.

Community Engagement

• Course Code: ENVR-40005
• Units: 3.00
• Tuition Fee: $595.00
• Description: Learn strategies to engage communities and drive sustainable change. Acquire essential knowledge of community engagement principles, models, and strategies, alongside practical skills for conducting needs assessments.

Ocean Conservation Behavior

• Course Code: ENVR-40026
• Units: 3.00
• Tuition Fee: $595.00
• Description: Learn strategies to promote marine sustainability and global ocean health. Explore how human behavior influences ocean health and what can be done to drive meaningful change.

Advisory Board

• Julie Colehour: Owner, Award-Winning Social Marketer, Changing Behavior
• Kari Hart: Director, Professional Development and Education Association
• Jan Kleissel, Ph.D.: Professor, University of California San Diego
• Sarah Thomas, Ph.D.: Head of Conservation Advocacy and Engagement, Auckland Zoo
• Kate Williamson: Manager, Learning & Tools Center for Behavior & Environment, RARE

Related Programs

• CEQA Practice: Learn to assess project impacts and apply alternatives or mitigation to reduce significant environmental effects.
• Facilities Management: Learn energy-saving, recycling, and life cycle costing strategies to boost sustainability in facilities management.
• Substance Use Disorder Counseling: Designed for counselors in all settings, this program meets education requirements for Certified Alcohol Drug Counselor I (CADC-I).