University at Buffalo (UB)
Advanced Certificate in Sustainability
One of the fundamental societal issues of the 21st century is understanding the environment, how human interactions affect it, and how those interactions can be modulated to generate sustainable outcomes.
A 21st Century Discussion
Fundamental environmental and sustainability issues include the ecological and evolutionary processes that control populations, species and communities; anthropogenic effects on the physical, chemical and biotic environments; and the cultural values and societal actions necessary to foster sustainable interactions with the natural world. Addressing these issues requires a transdisciplinary approach that spans the natural sciences, social sciences and the humanities.
Curriculum Overview
This advanced certificate consisting of 15 graduate credit hours will serve as a locus for interactions among a diverse array of students and faculty throughout the university and initiate transdisciplinary scholarly activities. The curriculum consists of five courses: one environmental, one social, and one economic as well as two core courses: SSN501: Fundamentals of Sustainability and SSN601: Professional Skills Capstone.
Admissions Requirements
Application Deadline: April 15th is the application deadline for the Advanced Graduate Certificate in Sustainability. Applications received after January 31st will be considered on a rolling basis. To maximize your chances of admission, please submit your application prior to January 31st.
If you are a current graduate student in a master’s or PhD program in the College of Arts and Sciences, please complete this form. You may be exempted from completing a full formal application. If you are a current graduate student at UB, but outside of the College, you may be granted admission to the advanced certificate upon completing the online application.
Why earn an Advanced Certificate?
- Study alongside professors and students from different academic backgrounds;
- Strengthen competencies in the ecological, social and economic dimensions of sustainability as they relate to your own academic specialty;
- Gain broad exposure to integrative systems thinking and practice, and relevant techniques in your chosen field;
- Graduate as a well-rounded candidate for professional opportunities or additional academic study;
- Lead your company, non-profit or governmental organization toward adopting more sustainable practices and affect local-to-global change.
