Master of Science in Sustainability Management

Overview
Curriculum
Faculty
Methodology
Professional Future
Admission and enrolment
Scholarships and funding

The Master of Science in Sustainability Management offers you the technical and strategic keys to make sustainability one of the central focuses in the management of a company or institution. You will be trained to lead in sustainability from the perspective of its social, economic, and environmental dimensions.

Sustainability
Circular economy
Environment

Next edition

Classes start: 26 September, 2023

Classes end: 30 June, 2024 (To be confirmed)

Program ends: 15 September, 2024 (To be confirmed)

Modality

On-campus

Language

English

ECTS credits

Schedule

Full-time program. Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 1pm, some evenings until 17.30h

(Schedules may change based on academic needs)

Price

18500 €

The Master of Science in Sustainability Management offers a global vision of sustainability. It is a great transformation opportunity that brings differentiation, value, and competitive advantage to organizations.

Sustainability management will be one of the most in-demand profiles in the coming years. Among its main challenges is knowing how to deal with the existing complexity between the current models of production, consumption, and business activity. This is in juxtaposition to a growing environmental and social awareness, and a paradigm shift, led by the change-makers, the Green Transition, the 2030 Agenda, and the sustainable development goals (SDG) of the United Nations.

With this master's degree you will acquire the necessary tools for the management of sustainability in companies, making it compatible with their social and economic interests. You will learn to implement sustainable management of companies and institutions, bringing strategic keys to operationalize concepts such as the circular economy, energy transition, or the SDGs.

The master's degree addresses the three dimensions of sustainability: the economic, social, and environmental dimensions. All this using a logic of practical projects, starting with a solid technical base, continuing with the keys of corporate management and culminating with an effective measurement of the impact, as well as subsequently communicating it to the interested groups (see Program Curriculum and Methodology).

The Master of Science in Sustainability Management is endorsed by Pompeu Fabra University, the 1st Spanish university and the 15th best university in the world (of those with less than 50 years), according to the Times Higher Education ranking. In addition, UPF Barcelona School of Management has EQUIS accreditation, the most prestigious institutional recognition for business schools globally.

The program has a teaching team made up of professors and sustainability experts from the UPF Barcelona School of Management and ESCI-UPF. In addition, active professionals will share their experience and real cases throughout the course.

Program jointly offered with:

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Why choose this program

International recognition

Study at a school accredited by EQUIS, international distinction that guarantees the quality of our institution and makes us the 1st school of management linked to a public university with this accreditation in our country.

In-demand professional profile

According to estimates by the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Green Transition will mean the creation of 24 million new jobs related to sustainability and digitalization in the coming years. This will mean a paradigm shift in the production system. In addition, it will force the work environment to adapt to a new, more ecological reality, increasing the demand for professional profiles trained in the field of sustainability.

Expert faculty in the field of sustainability

You will learn with a teaching team that approaches sustainability from different perspectives and with diverse specialties. The UPF-BSM, through several of its chairs related to sustainability, and ESCI-UPF with the UNESCO Chair in Life Cycle and Climate Change, bring together their knowledge and expertise to form a teaching team that will address sustainability from different perspectives and approaches.

Configure the program according to your interests

The study plan offers you the global vision necessary to understand the current ecological transformation of society and companies as a whole. Within the environmental, economic, and social sustainable dimensions, you will be able to choose from a large number of elective subjects to configure the program according to your needs and interests, in order to link the choice of subjects with the Master's Final Project.

Practical and experiential learning

The program offers you a set of experiential activities. These aim to introduce you to projects related to innovation in sustainability. You will learn about the strategies of different companies and institutions linked to sustainability and the green transition. During the programme you will be able to visit businesses from different industries, such as agri-food, waste treatment, and catering, among others.

Barcelona: leading city in urban sustainability

You will study in a city that is home to more than 1,000 organizations committed to working and promoting environmental, social, and economic sustainability and was the world capital of sustainable food in 2021. The urban transformation in which Barcelona is currently immersed is a case study in itself and a reference model for other cities.

Who is it for?

The Master of Science in Sustainability Management is aimed at people who want to change the world by leading the sustainable transition that companies and institutions need. This master's degree is made up of people of all nationalities who want to create and move towards the sustainable transformation of society and organizations. Whether you have just graduated or whether you are a professional in any discipline and wish to position yourself in sustainability management, it is time to join this master's degree.

Admission and enrolment

Accreditations

UPF Barcelona School of Management is the management school of Pompeu Fabra University, the 1st Ibero-American university and the 16th placed university in the world, among those under 50 years of age, according to the Times Higher Education ranking.

UPF Barcelona School of Management has EQUIS accreditation, the most prestigious institutional recognition for business schools globally, and places itself among the top business schools in the world.

The MSc in Sustainability Management is an official master's degree and has the academic recognition of the Ministry of Education of the Government of Spain. The Quality Agency of the University System of Catalonia (AQU) has also institutionally accredited UPF-BSM. This accreditation certifies all the official master's degrees that we teach and recognizes the quality of our educational model in accordance with the criteria of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA).

*Degree pending for inclusion in the RUCT.

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Methodology

The Master of Science in Sustainability Management is a face-to-face program where different teaching methodologies are combined to offer a unique learning experience.

Methodologies include:

Traditional methodologies, with master class sessions based on the explanations of experts on the subject.
Active methodologies, with practical cases, role-playing games, problem solving, and topic presentations by students, among others.
Autonomous methodologies used by the students, with text readings and the carrying out of individual or group work.

01.

Practical case studies

Along with the theoretical training, you will be able to learn from practical cases of real organizations. Through cases with a practical and applied approach you will be able to put into practice the skills you have acquired.

02.

Class discussions and group activities

Through practical simulations, group dynamics, class presentations, and interactive activities you will enhance the learning process, providing valuable knowledge.

03.

Tutoring and monitoring

Throughout the program the academic management team will monitor you to offer you support, ensure your correct evolution in the development of skills, and help you whenever you need it.

04.

Masterclass with experts

In each program, professionals from different sectors are invited to share their experience and knowledge in the different fields of sustainability. In this way you will be able to learn first-hand about real cases and challenges that they have had to face and respond to.

05.

Visits to companies and institutions

You will have the opportunity to discover organizations from different sectors and learn about their strategies linked to the field of sustainability and ecological transition. In addition, you can network in order to open doors for your professional future.

Evaluation

To obtain the corresponding degree, it is essential to pass all the subjects, whose evaluation will depend on the respective professors. This may consist of a continuous evaluation, the realization of a task, exercises, final exam, etc. The Master's Final Project must also be passed, consisting of its preparation and defence with a panel of experts.

Regular class attendance and passing the practical exercises and compulsory assignments are part of the evaluation system. Their delivery and preparation criteria will be designated by the teachers who hand them out.

All evaluation activities will be related to each other to follow a logical project.

Tools

Project-oriented learning and the combination of lectures and active methodologies such as case studies, flipped learning, solving real problems and professional simulations allow the student to connect theory and practice, acquire advanced skills and achieve learning which is transferable to work.

You will have:

Master's Final Project (TFM) or Postgrad Final Project (TFP)
A personal mentor to monitor your final project (TFM or TFP)
Digital resources to achieve transversal skills
Interdisciplinary activities and workshops

Admission and enrolment

Our admission process consists of a rigorous evaluation of each application to preserve the quality of the group as well as the training, experience, and work capacity of all students.

Who can apply?

Bachelor degree

Applicants must have finished or be in the last year of a Bachelor Degree from an accredited university. If you are currently studying the last year of your Bachelor Degree you will need to finish your university studies and provide proof of your final qualification before the beginning of the program.

Proficiency in English

In order to enrol in the Master of Science in International Business, an official English certificate must be submitted.

If you do not have your English Test results at the time of admission, you will be required to provide them two months before the course starts. Admission without an official English certificate will be considered conditional until the certificate is provided.

The English certificate scores are:

TOEFL CBT: > 235
TOEFL PBT: > 575
TOEFL IBT: > 100
CAE: C1
IELTS: > 7
Duolingo: > 115

Applicants whose mother tongue is English do not need to submit the aforementioned certificate.

Applicants who have completed their full Bachelor Degree at an English-speaking institution must submit written evidence that the language of instruction of their studies was English.

How to apply?

To apply for admission to this program, students must read and accept the Terms and Conditions of Contract once they start the application for admission through its form.

Application for admission

Complete your application within the next admission rounds:

Round	Application deadline	Resolution deadline
14	18/07/2023	27/07/2023
15	01/09/2023	14/09/2023
16	14/09/2023	28/09/2023

Applications for admission will be evaluated when you complete the following steps:

Complete the online admission form.
Pay the €120 admission fee. This amount will be returned if you are not admitted.
Send the following documents through the online platform e-registrar:
- Presentation letter or video
- CV
- 2 academic recommendation letters (mandatory) and 1 professional (optional)
- Scanned copy of university degree (if you are in the last year of your degree, you can provide your academic records)
- Scanned copy of Transcript of Records. Make sure that it includes your GPA (Grade Point Average)
- Scanned copy of ID Card or Passport
- Passport-size photo (jpg format)

Additional documents may be requested in certain cases.
Applications are subject to the number of places available on the program.

Admission

The Admissions Committee will select the candidates on the basis of a personal or CV-based interview.
You will be notified of the admission decision in writing.

Enrolment

Resgistration must be paid within a 15 days after the admission.
Once the letter of acceptance to the program has been received, you will need to submit the following original documents before the course begins:
- Stamped and/or authenticated photocopy of your university degree.
- Stamped and/or authenticated photocopy of your transcript of records.
If you have a foreign degree you may need to submit additional documents.
Paying the reservation fee (25% of the program's tuition fees) is essential in order to reserve your place
If you pay the tuition fees by bank transfer you will be required to introduce the program code. The program code for this course is 1573.
The remaining tuition fees must be paid 2 weeks before the start of the course.