Online Business Sustainability Degree :: Accredited Universities

Policy changes, technological advances, and an increased awareness of the world's resources are creating a growing need across the world for advanced expertise in renewable and sustainability systems. Now more than ever, it's critical to prepare professionals to serve as leaders of the emerging "green" economy.

To meet the demands of this dynamic marketplace, professionals must have technical depth in areas related to renewable energy, but they must also fully understand the applications of the technology in society, the energy economics, as well as the entire project development process. A master's degree program in the field of renewable energy is designed to prepare you to lead the transformation of fossil energy economy to a sustainable basis of operation. You can enhance your technical understanding and gain the advanced project management skills to help move sustainability projects forward.

Why an Online Renewable Energy and Sustainability Degree from Penn State?

Penn State's online intercollege Master of Professional Studies in Renewable Energy and Sustainability Systems (iMPS-RESS) program provides a broad coverage of topics related to renewable energy and sustainability systems while providing in-depth coverage of select topics. Delivered in a strong partnership between four colleges and eight academic departments from within the University, the program offers you the opportunity to draw upon the expertise and unique perspectives of faculty with diverse backgrounds.

This program is designed to give you a focused curriculum along with the flexibility appropriate to a rapidly changing field; you will take a number of core program courses. Then, to meet your individual learning goals, you will select additional courses from an array of electives. If you would like to tailor your studies even further, you can choose one of four program options that will provide more specialized, technical instruction:

Sustainability Management and Policy
Bioenergy
Solar Energy
Wind Energy

Who Should Apply?

If you have a technical mindset and are interested in more fully understanding the systems behind renewable energy and sustainability, Penn State's online RESS program was designed for you. The program is appropriate for you if you are already in the renewable energy industry and are looking to advance your career. The program can also benefit you if you are looking to better define yourself in the growing renewable energy industry.

As an applicant to the program, you should have strong academic preparation, including a minimum of either a bachelor's degree from a U.S. regionally accredited institution or a postsecondary degree that is equivalent to a U.S. baccalaureate degree earned from an officially recognized degree-granting international institution.

After completing the master's program, you should be able to perform your tasks in the management and development of renewable energy systems even if you have received your bachelor's degree in an area other than renewable energy and sustainability systems.

Career Opportunities for Graduates

Sustainability is a strategic concern for every large organization, as each works to remain globally competitive regarding renewable energy concerns and to address the environmental challenges expected in the coming decades. As a graduate of the program, you could be qualified for many positions that require a mix of technical skills and management responsibilities.

The iMPS-RESS program can prepare you to excel in a wide variety of commercial and industrial occupations that apply engineering principles to the business of energy, including:

sustainability project manager
VP of business development
environmental scientist
energy project analyst
research analyst
community planner
energy project engineer

Entry Requirements

For admission to the Graduate School, an applicant must hold either (1) a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or (2) a tertiary (postsecondary) degree that is deemed comparable to a four-year bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution. This degree must be from an officially recognized degree-granting institution in the country in which it operates.

For your admission to the program, it is preferred that you have a technical mindset and are interested in focusing on the implementation and interpretation of existing policies and regulations as they related to renewable energy and sustainability.

International applicants
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All international applicants must take and submit scores for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the IELTS (International English Language Testing System), with the exceptions noted below. The minimum acceptable score for the TOEFL is 550 for the paper-based test, or a total score of 80 with a 19 on the speaking section for the internet-based test (iBT). Applicants with iBT speaking scores between 15 and 18 may be considered for provisional admission, which requires completion of specified remedial English courses ESL 114G (American Oral English for Academic Purposes) and/or ESL 116G (ESL/Composition for Academic Disciplines) and attainment of a grade of B or higher. The minimum acceptable composite score for the IELTS is 6.5. Graduate programs may have more stringent requirements.

Other Fees

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With an ever-growing "green economy," the need is increasing for professionals who understand resource assessment, project development, system design, and emerging technologies for both solar thermal and solar electric systems.

As more employment opportunities become available, companies will look for professionals with the skills to effectively lead their colleagues and move solar energy improvement projects forward.

Why an Online Solar Energy Degree from Penn State?
Penn State's online intercollege Master of Professional Studies in Renewable Energy and Sustainability Systems (iMPS-RESS) with an option in solar energy provides a broad coverage of topics related to renewable energy and sustainability systems.

In the solar energy option, you can choose from parallel paths of study that focus on either electric-driven (PV) or thermal-driven study, which can also be pursued from the large-scale or from the distributed approach.

Because it is provided through a partnership between four colleges and eight academic departments in the University, the iMPS-RESS program offers you the opportunity to learn from our faculty who are highly skilled solar energy experts — and you can also gain additional perspectives from our diverse faculty with various sustainability backgrounds.

In addition to the concentrated core curriculum, you can focus your studies and meet your individual learning goals by selecting additional courses from an array of electives offered through the other program options:

Bioenergy
Sustainability Management and Policy
Wind Energy
Who Should Apply?
Penn State's online iMPS-RESS program with an option in solar energy could be right for you if you have a technical mindset and are interested in focusing on effectively designing and using solar energy systems.

The program is appropriate for students with a diverse background — whether you received your bachelor's degree in renewable energy and sustainability systems or in another field of study. A background in systems science, engineering, or physics is strongly recommended if you are interested in the solar energy option.

If you are already in the solar energy industry and are looking to further excel in your current position, or if you want to distinguish yourself in the growing solar energy industry, this program could benefit you.

Career Opportunities for Graduates

In this focused curriculum, the iMPS-RESS program with an option in solar energy can prepare you to lead projects involving:

- solar resource assessment for selected locales
- effective communications designed to maximize the solar - economic utility to clients/stakeholders
- thermal- and electric-derived solar conversion technologies
- hybridized solar systems design
- social and policy context of solar systems project design

Because of the balanced perspective of technical understanding and advanced project management skills you can gain as a graduate in the solar energy option, you could be qualified for positions such as:

solar energy project manager
solar PV design engineer
VP business development – commercial solar
solar research analyst
project engineer – solar energy

Entry Requirements

For admission to the Graduate School, an applicant must hold either (1) a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or (2) a tertiary (postsecondary) degree that is deemed comparable to a four-year bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution. This degree must be from an officially recognized degree-granting institution in the country in which it operates.

For your admission to the program, it is preferred that you have a technical mindset and are interested in focusing on solar systems project development and advancing the solar energy sector.

International applicants
---------------------------------

All international applicants must take and submit scores for the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or the IELTS (International English Language Testing System), with the exceptions noted below. The minimum acceptable score for the TOEFL is 550 for the paper-based test, or a total score of 80 with a 19 on the speaking section for the internet-based test (iBT). Applicants with iBT speaking scores between 15 and 18 may be considered for provisional admission, which requires completion of specified remedial English courses ESL 114G (American Oral English for Academic Purposes) and/or ESL 116G (ESL/Composition for Academic Disciplines) and attainment of a grade of B or higher. The minimum acceptable composite score for the IELTS is 6.5. Graduate programs may have more stringent requirements.

Other Fees

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Adopts a transdisciplinary approach, enabling students to explore social responsibility and sustainability from multiple perspectives in a business context

Aston Business School has a real commitment to ethics and the social and natural environment

Endorse and fully engage with the UN Global Compact Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME)

Provide you with an excellent learning experience that develops intellectual, subject based and transferable skills through drawing on the research and experience of academic staff at Aston and beyond

Excellent employment opportunities, Aston Business School is ranked in the top 10 in world for careers (FT Masters in Management 2013)

Entry Requirements

One of the following:

A UK honours degree.

Equivalent overseas degree recognised by Aston University.

A degree equivalent professional qualification.
Consideration will be given to equivalent professional qualifications and in exceptional circumstances those qualified by extensive relevant experience. Candidate interview would be required for those with non- standard qualifications and experience.

As well as:

Two professional references – at least one must be from an academic referee.

An official academic transcript of your university grades to date.

A completed application form.

GCSE or equivalent standard in maths.

For International Students:

An overseas degree recognised by Aston University.

An official academic transcript, with an official English translation, of your university grades.

Students whose native language is not English will also need to satisfy our English language requirements Pre-sessional English language programmes are available for good applicants whose English qualification falls just short of these requirements.

Other Fees

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The Masters program focuses on developing future leaders and managers of eco-service markets, such as carbon and water trading, and environmental sustainability issues, such as climate change.

Students have the opportunity to pursue interests in four aspects of environmental systems and markets: a) the biophysical sciences; b) relevant aspects of behavioural change including education and communication; c) business including economics, accounting and strategy; and d) law and institutional arrangements.

Completing this course will give natural resource managers increased interdisciplinary knowledge for meeting their legal and policy obligations. The coursework will enable existing natural resource managers to upgrade skills in this emerging and cross-disciplinary field, or facilitate a career change for those with discipline-based qualifications (e.g. teachers, lawyers, accountants).

The Masters program is the third level in the suite of the Sustainability program and provides the opportunity for students, who complete the elective thesis unit, to qualify for enrolment in a research Master or PhD.

Alternatively, on completion of the four core units, candidates may exit with a Graduate Certificate in Sustainability, or candidates who have completed the four core units plus four elective units may exit with the Graduate Diploma in Sustainability.

Entry Requirements

A candidate shall hold

(a) a three year Bachelor degree of a recognised university; or

(b) the Graduate Certificate in Sustainability (or equivalent) of the University of New England; or

(c) the Graduate Diploma in Sustainability (or equivalent) of the University of New England.

Other Fees

Overseas examination fees

Textbooks

Incidental unit costs

Notes

Intensive mandatory schools may be a requirement of some of the units in this course. See Unit Catalogue for specific requirements.

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The Online MBA with a Sustainability Specialization explores how we design, produce, distribute, and consume goods and services; establish market prices; provide and consume energy; treat the environment; and ensure the health and well-being for all living creatures. Sustainability requires unique approaches to managing governmental institutions, markets, business organizations, and our own personal behavior.

We offer a series of five interdisciplinary courses, each focused on a different aspect of sustainability: leadership, strategy, economics, innovation, and the supply chain. These courses will enable you to rethink products, services and strategies from a sustainability perspective. Courses will also address the public policies and regulations needed to move society toward a sustainable future.

Entry Requirements

Applicants must have earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.

International applicants for whose English is not a primary language must prove English language proficiency in one of the following ways:

TOEFL - 79 and a writing portion of 20
IELTS - 6.5

Other Fees

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