Sustainability

Please contact SUST@schulich.yorku.ca to set up an appointment to indicate your interest in the Sustainability Specialization or for more information.

Students must complete 12.00 credits consisting of the following:

A minimum of 3.00 credits from the following Required Courses:

• SUST 6250 3.00 INTEGRATING SUSTAINABILITY ACROSS FUNCTIONS

  This course will explore how to integrate the diverse set of functional sustainability-related issues across the entire organization. More specifically, students will examine how the various sustainability issues manifested within human resources (e.g., DEI), operations (e.g., social procurement), finance (e.g., ESG reporting), and marketing (e.g., responsible advertising), can present both opportunities and barriers when integrated at the cross-functional level.
  Prerequisite: Admission to this course requires the successful completion of SUST 5200 as a prerequisite, or special approval of the instructor.

• SUST 6350 3.00 ORCHESTRATING SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES

  This purpose of this course is to ensure students develop the skills necessary to successfully design and implement sustainability initiatives. This begins with developing a deep understanding of critical sustainability issues including the climate crisis, DEI, indigenous reconciliation, inequality/poverty, technology. Complementing this, students will develop the practical skills needed to drive change within organizations.

  Admission to this course requires the successful completion of SUST 5200 as a prerequisite, or special approval of the instructor.

• SUST 6450 3.00 SUSTAINABILITY REPORTING & DISCLOSURE

  This course will focus on the skills associated with compiling, analyzing, and disclosing sustainability data using the following three modules: (1) the initial 5 weeks with students familiarizing themselves with the range of mandatory and voluntary reporting requirements; (2) the next 5 weeks engaging in completing a materiality assessment for a partner organization, and; (3) the final 2 weeks contrasting peer experiences.
  Prerequisite: Admission to this course requires the successful completion of SUST 5200 as a prerequisite, or special approval of the instructor.

Students are strongly recommended to enroll in 3.00 credits of the following two Recommended Courses

• SUST 6151 3.00 INNOVATING FOR SUSTAINABLE IMPACT

  The purpose of this course is to explore how social innovation can be used to build more sustainable and impactful solutions to pressing environmental and social challenges. Despite the incredible progress in the overall level of human development over the past century, a number of significant global challenges persist in both developed and developing countries, including generational poverty, discrimination, corruption, and climate change. This is primarily a project-based course with a focus on working directly with disadvantaged populations in Costa Rica to collectively identify innovative business models that are capable of providing meaningful work to such individuals.

• SUST 6152 3.00 SCALING CLIMATE INNOVATIONS

  This course explores how new technologies and practices intended to tackle climate change can be adopted and scaled. Primarily a project based-course course focused on learning how to map out existing socio-technical systems and landscapes, identify barriers to adoption and formulate a strategy for overcoming barriers. It is an experiential education opportunity in partnership with prominent outside organizations in the climate space.

A maximum of 6.00 credits from the following list of Elective Courses

• FINE 6880 3.00 SUSTAINABLE FINANCE AND IMPACT INVESTING

  This course covers diverse aspects of sustainable finance, including ESG measurement, socially responsible and impact investing, integrated reporting, and risk management, and provides rigorous training at the nexus of sustainability and financial management. Students will gain insights into sustainable and responsible decision-making in finance and how corporations and investors respond to market forces and regulations requiring them to invest responsibly.
  Prerequisite: FINE 5200 3.0

• ORGS 6350 3.00 MANAGING CHANGE

  As the environment of many business and nonprofit organizations becomes increasingly complex and unstable, it is imperative that top managers be able to create a climate of flexibility and adaptability in their operations. Organizations must be able to undertake major change without destructive side effects to be truly successful. This course surveys the major methods available to the modern manager for effectively managing the process of change and creating a general climate in which needed changes are sought and welcomed throughout the organization. The course emphasizes case studies and the discussion of alternative change-management models.
  Prerequisite: ORGS 5200 3.00 or ORGS 5100 3.00

• OMIS 6620 3.00 DESIGN THINKING

  This course trains managers who participate in solving difficult business problems (e.g. IT transformations) how to modify their perspective on problem solving to innovate in organizations. Using design thinking, managers learn how to engage with their peers and users using a hands-on, step-by-step process. They learn how to contextualize problems, brainstorm, prototype and test technical solutions that achieve real-world validation.

• ORGS 6600 3.00 DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN ORGANIZATIONS

  This course examines diversity (broadly defined to include culture, gender, race, sexual orientation, ability, etc.,), the individual experience of diversity including identity and authenticity, and how organizations can leverage opportunities of diversity and also navigate challenges that diversity can bring if mismanaged. Students will have the opportunity to critically reflect on topics such as intersectionality, building relationships across difference, the business case for diversity, and supporting organizational goals through inclusion.

• PROP 6550 3.00 SUSTAINABLE CITIES - URBANIZATION INFRASTRUCTURE & STRATEGIC CHOICES

  The course provides an understanding of issues related to the pace of urbanization across the globe and the impact on the demand for new infrastructure. The challenges for both developing and developed countries is examined from the perspective of potential new strategies, new technologies, new business models and new financing techniques that can begin to make a difference in addressing a full range of infrastructure needs. In terms of sustainability, this will include an understanding of the demand side and supply side, cultural factors, and the policy framework.

• SUST 6900 1.50 INDIVIDUAL STUDY - SUSTAINABILITY

  A student may work with an individual faculty member on a topic of mutual interest. These studies are co-designed by the student and the faculty member based on: 1) learning objectives 2) means of achieving these objectives 3) method of evaluation.

• SUST 6900 3.00 INDIVIDUAL STUDY - SUSTAINABILITY

  A student may work with an individual faculty member on a topic of mutual interest. These studies are co-designed by the student and the faculty member based on: 1) learning objectives 2) means of achieving these objectives 3) method of evaluation.

• SUST 6950 1.50 ETHICS AND FINANCE

  This course will examine the role of ethics in the finance industry. It will look at the need for ethics in finance, codes of ethics, and ethical decision making. Tools for identifying ethical issues and making ethical decisions will be introduced and evaluated alongside an examination of ethical issues in financial services, financial markets, and financial management in non- financial organizations.