• Postgraduate

Sustainability Business Specialist MSc

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Overview

Overview

Whether you are in an established role or aspiring to understand how to manage and lead business sustainability issues and build innovative solutions, this MSc Sustainability Business Specialist degree is for you.

Company and business strategies to reduce adverse environmental and social impacts  - typically analysed against environmental, social and governance (ESG) metrics - are more important than ever.

Our Sustainability Business Specialist course will enable you to acquire this knowledge to progress your career while upskilling yourself in business sustainability issues.

Throughout the course, you will:

  • learn about the key environmental, social and business concepts and frameworks of business
  • evaluate and implement problem-solving techniques within local and global public policies on business sustainability.  
  • examine and assess interdisciplinary knowledge in tackling the complexities around sustainability issues in business
  • investigate practical applications in tackling complex sustainability issues in a business context and practice pitching your solutions.

On successful completion of the Sustainability Business Specialist course, you will also be eligible to apply for Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) membership as an Associate Member.

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Select your desired study option, then pick a start date to see relevant course information:

Study options:
We support flexible study by offering some of our courses part-time or via distance learning. To give you real world experience before you graduate, we also offer some courses with a placement or internship. All available options are listed here. Your choices may affect some details of your course, such as the duration and cost per year. Please re-check the details on this page if you change your selection.

Start date:

If your desired start date is not available, try selecting a different study option.

Why study Sustainability Business Specialist with us?

Why study Sustainability Business Specialist with us?

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What our students say…

The connections the university has provides links for its student to meet prospective employers and know more about what it takes to make it in the industry. The teachers are specialised in their fields to ensure we get the most out of every single bit of text we go over. Classes are not blank with just words on paper, we have a selection of activities and seminars too.

Yara ElAggan
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Specialist careers advice
Industry focused teaching
Access to Perlego
50% of the world's top 300 companies are located within 15 miles of our campus
Course detail & modules

Course detail & modules

Our MSc Sustainability Business Specialist provides an in-depth understanding of the practical processes that support sustainable enterprises. 

This Level 7 course will provide you with a platform to evaluate the coordination of businesses with the environment, assess productive innovations and develop global management leadership. 

This course will include specialist skills around organisations' environmental, social and governance (ESG) management, whether established ventures or business start-ups.

With an underlying theme of sustainability, the list of modules covers topics such as:

  • economics
  • communication
  • management
  • entrepreneurship.

The course is geared towards: 

  • motivated individuals seeking to understand how business undertakings can be assessed within the knowledge of sustainability 
  • early and mid-career professionals seeking to upskill in business sustainability. 

Compulsory modules

  • Principles of Business Sustainability

    Businesses are fundamental stakeholders in promoting and achieving a sustainable future around the solutions to environmental degradation, social inequality and economic poverty. Hence, there is a growing need for experts with equipped knowledge and practical skills to overcome the challenges faced by businesses in embedding sustainability into business purpose, values and practice. The module will provide you with a fundamental understanding of business sustainability.

  • Principles of Sustainability Communication and Delivery

    This module helps you understand effective communication's role in achieving sustainable outcomes. The module allows you to identify a range of tools needed in informing, consulting and engaging with internal and external stakeholders in achieving milestones and targets that can improve sustainability performance. The module also helps you identify key project management techniques that, when used, can deliver sustainable outcomes. 

  • Economics and Business Sustainability

    This module allows you to evaluate the relevant economics tools in business sustainability cases. Evaluate economic efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and role appraisal in sustainability decision-making. The module also allows for the application of economic appraisal metrics such as benefit, cost ratio, net present value, internal rate of return and cost-effectiveness ratio.

  • Environment and Business Sustainability

    The module will provide a critical evaluation of sustainability claims of products, services and policies using environmental assessment methods across sectors.

  • Leading Sustainable Business and Change Management

    The module provides you with a holistic approach to sustainability, management and leading change.

  • Sustainable Social Entrepreneurship

    The module helps you to understand the fundamentals and critical application of intrapreneurship as an employee for a business. Additionally, the module will help you understand the different social or community contributors to business entrepreneurship.

  • Sustainable Innovations in Business Operations

    The module provides you with a practical understanding of business sustainability and risk assessment. You will learn how to evaluate and understand the business sustainable supply chain, analyse global team operations and respond to sustainability issues.

  • Business Sustainability Research Portfolio

    This module will provide the final research portfolio for implementing business sustainability to a chosen industry. The module enables you to use critical research methods in identifying and providing critical evaluation of practical challenges in business sustainability.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements

Applicants should hold an honours degree (2.2 or above) from a university or equivalent or 1st class honours degree or integrated master’s degree in any subject. 

Alternatively professional qualification and relevant work experience will be considered. UWL also considers applications from those who do not hold a formal qualification however have an extensive Business Management experience. In this case the applicant will be invited for an interview and perhaps undertake a short-written paper to assess the applicant’s suitability for the demands of the course. 

If you have an overseas qualification, we will check this for its UK equivalency during your application and let you know what you need to do to meet the requirement. 

Recognition of prior learning will be considered in line with the UWL Academic Regulations. 

Find out more about our processes for recognising previous experience

6.5 IELTS or above

You need to meet our English language requirement of 6.5 overall score for IELTS, with a minimum of 5.5 for each of the 4 individual components (Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening). Visit our English language requirements page for information on other English language tests we accept.

You also need academic qualifications at the same level as UK applicants. In some countries where teaching is in English, we may accept local qualifications. Check for local equivalents.

We offer pre-sessional English language courses if you do not meet these requirements. Find out more about our English Language courses.

Teaching staff

Teaching staff

Hannah Sam

Dr Hannah Sam

Dr Hannah Sam is a lecturer in sustainability risk management with simulations across economics, sustainability, management and finance related disciplines. She is a co-founder of the Applied Research in Risk Management and Data Analytics (ARMaDA) group at the Claude Littner Business School. She has extensive lecturing experience and is passionate about student mentorship in economics, finance and management careers. In addition, she is a qualified development economist and worked on applied policy research on poverty and inequality.

Dr Hannah Sam is a lecturer in sustainability risk management with simulations across economics, sustainability, management and finance related disciplines. She is a co-founder of the Applied Research in Risk Management and Data Analytics (ARMaDA) group at the Claude Littner Business School. She has extensive lecturing experience and is passionate about student mentorship in economics, finance and management careers. In addition, she is a qualified development economist and worked on applied policy research on poverty and inequality.

Study & career progression

Study & career progression

Four business professionals, standing and talking in an office.

The course provides an upskill in business sustainability issues and builds innovative solutions for you to develop a practical career as a sustainability manager or specialist.

Potential career fields for Sustainability Business Specialists graduates include:

  • environment
  • sustainability consultancies
  • sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
  • public sector
  • sustainable finance
  • B Corporations

On successful completion of the Sustainability Business Specialist course, you will also be eligible to apply for Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA) membership as an Associate Member.

 Alternatively, you may want to explore a related area of study. Please see our full list of courses.

How to apply

How to apply

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Important notes for applicants

Disclaimer

*Modern universities - defined as higher education institutions that were granted university status in, and subsequent to, 1992.

**The National Student Survey 2023 and 2024 - Average of answers to all questions by registered student population. Excludes specialist institutions.

Testimonials - our students or former students provided all of our testimonials - often a student from the course but sometimes another student. For example, the testimonial often comes from another UWL student when the course is new.

Optional modules - where optional modules are offered they will run subject to staff availability and viable student numbers opting to take the module.

Videos - all videos on our course pages were accurate at the time of filming. In some cases a new Course Leader has joined the University since the video was filmed.

Availability of placements - if you choose a course with placement/internship route we would like to advise you that if a placement/internship opportunity does not arise when you are expected to undertake the placement then the University will automatically transfer you to the non-internship route, this is to ensure you are still successful in being awarded a degree.