Master's in Sustainability Online: Complete 2023 List and Guide

Getting a master’s in sustainability online is a great way to combine your care for the earth’s future with your career. Taking care of our planet has become a priority as we see the impacts of climate change on people, lands, and oceans. Concern for the environment extends from protecting natural resources to managing businesses to lessen our negative impact on the planet. You can find online master’s in sustainability programs focusing on engineering, design, public policy, law, energy production, business, urban and regional development, global sustainability, and food production. Taking the “green” message—along with your online sustainability master’s—into any profession is great for your career and the health of the creatures and resources around us.

Adding an online sustainability master’s degree to your current credentials is a great way to increase your employability in a changing world, whether you work in business, government, agriculture, forestry, politics, or any one of many fields. All types of nonprofits, government and global agencies, research labs, industries, and businesses need people who understand how to meet humanity’s needs while protecting the environment. Whether you are looking to change your career to support sustainable practices or advance in your current profession, sustainability master’s programs online are so varied and plentiful that you will be able to find a good fit for your interests and experience.

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ARTICLE NAVIGATION:

• Choosing the Best Master’s in Sustainability Online
• Online Sustainability Master’s Admission Requirements and Accreditation
• Costs for Sustainability Master’s Programs Online
• Careers and Salaries with a Master’s in Sustainability Online

Program Focus

The best online sustainability master’s—for you—is the one that covers the areas and skills that most interest you. Follow your passion to find a program combining your environmental concerns with your workplace talents. For example, an MBA program could be a good choice if you are most interested in helping businesses and industries become more sustainable. For those with an engineering background, you can choose green engineering programs. If you are interested in policy, government, and nonprofit leadership or compliance around environmental issues, some programs focus on these aspects. If your background is in law, there are ecological law degrees that will help you specialize. For those looking to lead in protecting natural places, there are forestry and conservation master’s in sustainability online programs. No matter what your profession, you can find a degree that will help you add sustainability skills to your toolbox.

MBA in Sustainability

Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs offer a strong foundation in essential business areas such as finance, leadership, marketing, and business strategy. Then the concentration courses for an online sustainability master’s degree will be more specific to conservation and management of natural resources. For example, Norwich University's MBA in Energy Management includes the core business courses that all MBA students take and then rounds out the program with classes on topics like Energy Savings and Efficiency Projects.

Energy Management

If you are interested in energy management, you can consider other types of master’s in sustainability online degree programs. There are Master of Science (MS) programs that focus on energy, such as the MS in Energy Policy and Climate from Johns Hopkins University. You can also find a sustainable energy focus in a Master of Engineering in Energy Systems Engineering from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. Some MS degrees focus on infrastructure, design, and farming sustainability, so students can choose from a more broad or focused program.

Community and Nonprofits

For students interested in community or world development, there are degrees that cover nonprofit management for sustainability, food systems sustainability, urban or regional planning, and many other aspects. These degrees can be Master of Arts (MA) or MS degrees, with courses covering community leadership and governance for conservation. You will also find degrees that focus on conserving nature, like the Professional Science Master’s in Environmental Sustainability and Natural Resource Management from Texas Tech University.

Degree Title

The various sustainability master’s programs online have overlapping subject areas, so you may find a perfect degree for your professional ambition called an MS, MA, MBA, or some other master’s degree title. You will find programs focusing on law and compliance with conservation regulations, such as an MBA in Sustainability and Environmental Compliance from Southern New Hampshire University or a Master of Energy Regulation and Law from Vermont Law School. In addition to a general focus on sustainability, some programs offer concentrations or electives to customize your degree further to meet your career needs and interests.

Courses you may take in an online sustainability master’s degree include:

• Renewable & Sustainable Energy Systems
• Natural Resource Biopolitics
• Introduction to Energy Law & Policy
• Current Issues in Regional & Local Public Policy
• Sustainable Design & Construction
• Computer Aided Engineering Analysis
• Rangeland Ecology & Management
• Green Materials
• Leadership in Community Development

Pacing and Format

All the master’s in sustainability online programs we list have programs that are at least 80% online, with minimal in-person requirements. The majority of the degrees can be completed 100% virtually, with programs that have the flexibility to last from under a year to two years with full-time study or longer for part-time study. Most programs, even in a part-time format, can be completed by working adult students in two to three years.

Licensure Requirements

Most jobs in sustainability do not require licensure. Accordingly, preparing for licensure is not a feature of most master’s programs. The one exception would be sustainability engineers, who may need a Professional Engineer (PE) license. Online master’s in sustainability degree programs generally require that students have an undergraduate degree in engineering, which, in addition to work experience, will allow graduates to qualify for the PE exam and licensure.

Admissions

With a wide variety of sustainability programs, the admission requirements vary. However, for most programs, you only need a bachelor’s degree in any subject to apply. The standard application requirements are:

• Official bachelor’s degree transcripts from an accredited school
• A 2.75 to 3.0 minimum GPA, though many programs have exceptions
• Letters of recommendation or references
• Resume or CV
• Personal Statement
• Proof of English language proficiency (if needed)

Most programs do not require the GRE or GMAT exams, but students can submit their scores if they think it will improve their odds of admission. In addition, many programs do not list a minimum GPA, so students may have a wide range of college choices, even if they have somewhat lower grades from their undergrad studies.

Specialized sustainability master’s programs online may require specific undergraduate degrees and prerequisite courses. For instance, the MS in Green Technologies from the University of Southern California and the Master of Engineering in Energy Systems Engineering from the University of Maryland - College Park both require your bachelor degree to be in some form of engineering. Other programs are designed for people with work experience, such as the Master of Sustainability, Security, and Resilience from Ohio University, which requires two years of related work or volunteer experience.

Accreditation

Schools on our list are all accredited by regional or national agencies, which examine the overall quality of the university’s academic programs, financial processes, and governance. The U.S. Department of Education approves these institutional accreditors.

Certain degrees may have programmatic accreditation, which looks at the education specific to a field of study. For most master’s in sustainability online programs, no programmatic accreditation is available or required. However, some MBA programs on our list have approval by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) or the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). These two recognized and respected agencies oversee all types of business programs, including programs focusing on sustainability.

Resources:

• US Department of Education - Accreditation
• ACBSP
• AACSB

The costs for online sustainability master’s degree programs can be very affordable, as there are fewer costs, such as room and board, as compared to a traditional on-campus degree. The average price for the programs on our list is $29,238. The most affordable program is Could not look up degree for "Maharishi International University" using "342391"! MS in Sustainability Measurement and Reporting, costing $14,400. The highest—though still reasonable—program is the MS in Green Technologies from the University of Southern California at $54,264.

With a wide range of careers in all sectors for people who promote responsible stewardship of the environment, graduates can find jobs in global corporations, government and nonprofit agencies, research labs, colleges, design firms, construction companies, energy producers, agribusiness, the military, and more. An online master’s in sustainability can give graduates the skills to lead environmentally responsible business and government departments, consult or start their own businesses, or advance within their current jobs to manage programs sustainably.

Corporate Sustainability Careers

Working for large companies as a chief sustainability officer is a lucrative choice for graduates, with compensation that Bloomberg estimates to be between $800,000 and $1.5 million per year. Salary.com puts payment for top sustainability officers at an average of $238,314 per year. Another option along these lines is to become a sustainability manager, which has an average salary of $111,381.

Sustainability Science and Engineering Careers

There are many possible options in the science and engineering of sustainability. Becoming a sustainability consultant can earn you an average of $98,555 annually. For grads in the energy sector, renewable energy consultants make $101,250, while energy engineers make an average of $93,254 a year. Another option is to work as a management analyst, with a median annual wage of $93,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Environmental protection specialists who work for the federal government make an average of $111,560, while environmental scientists and specialists make a median of $76,530.

Government, Community, and Nonprofit Careers

Working in local government, nonprofits, and community groups is another way to leverage your online sustainability master’s to find a satisfying career that helps people and the planet. Urban and regional planners can expect to make $78,500 annually. Nonprofit program managers average a salary of $95,568, while a community development manager can make $126,520 per year.

If earning a high salary is your primary goal with your master’s in sustainability online, working in management in a large corporation or working for the federal government are ways to make excellent earnings. However, for many people who want to help save the planet from the worst effects of human actions, participating in this effort is more important than earning a lot of money. While working in a large corporation can do a lot of good for the environment, working within communities to help vulnerable people weather the impacts of climate change can provide immense job satisfaction.

Resources:

• Bloomberg - Chief Sustainability Officers Earn Up to $1.5 Million in Hot Market
• Salary.com
• ZipRecruiter - Salaries
• Talent.com
• Indeed - Salaries
• BLS - Occupational Outlook Handbook
• FederalPay
• Glassdoor

The time is right to get your online sustainability master’s, with heightened concern over the environment and global warming. Companies, governments, and citizens are taking action to mitigate the impacts of human activity on our fragile natural systems. While you can earn a superb living with your online master’s in sustainability, the chance to do essential work for the planet and humankind is sometimes the best reward of all. Use the resources and degree listings on GetEducated.com to find the best online sustainability master’s degree for you and take the first step today.