Sustainability Management

Study mode:On campus Study type:Full-time Languages: English
Local:$ 13.8 k / Year(s) Foreign:$ 22.2 k / Year(s) Deadline: Mar 31, 2024
18 place StudyQA ranking:3083 Duration:2 years

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The MScSM degree is a full-time master's program that will provide the knowledge, skills and opportunities to compete for jobs in a wide range of organizations ranging from industrial sector (including agriculture, automotive, consumer products, energy, industrial goods and services, natural resources, and technology companies) to government and non-government organizations. The demand for managerial skills in sustainability is rising due to the incorporation of sustainability in management strategies by forward-looking businesses and non-profit organizations and sustainability-targeted initiatives by governments such as Ontario's and Canada's Innovation Agendas and Western Climate Initiative. In a recent survey of 1,500 global corporate leaders and more than 460 academics, government officials, and non-profit executives, the Boston Consultant Group (BCG) found that more than 90% of business leaders are addressing sustainability issues and companies that act aggressively benefit in terms of reducing costs, generating new revenue streams and developing innovative business models.

The report also identified the need to develop new capabilities in many areas related to sustainability management such as the ability to operate on a system-wide basis. Similarly, in 2005, the Certified General Accountants Association of Canada found that approximately 50% of companies provide reports on sustainability but a major concern for these companies is the level of credibility in the reporting due to a lack of qualified manpower.  The MScSM graduates will provide a leadership role in all these areas. The MScSM graduates will find career opportunities in the following categories:

  • Governance for sustainability policy development at various levels,
  • Public or business administration in divisions having sustainability functions,
  • Marketing and sale of sustainability products and practices,
  • R&D of sustainability management in corporations, research organizations and funding agencies,
  • Certification of sustainability practices,
  • Industry and market analyst,
  • Policy analyst,
  • Non-profit sustainability organizations, and
  • Consulting

CORE COURSES

  • SSM1010Y Principles of Sustainability Management
  • SSM1020H Decision Making for Sustainability Management
  • SSM1030H Environmental Science
  • SSM1040H Managerial Economics for Sustainability Management
  • SSM1050H Ecosystem Science
  • SSM1060H Managing Sustainable Organizations
  • SSM1070H Sustainability Law and Policy
  • SSM1080H Strategies for Sustainability Management
  • SSM1090H Capstone Course - The Sustainable Enterprise
  • SSM1100Y Research Paper
  • SSM1110H Sustainability Management Internship

Every course in the program will require students to think critically, engage in creative activities and communicate their ideas effectively. The curriculum provides a strong foundation in management principles, sustainable business strategies, managerial economics and accounting, organizational behaviour, environmental and ecosystem science, and environmental and business law and policy. The program provides knowledge, skills, and strategic perspectives required for leaders and senior managers responsible for managing the sustainability process. The uniqueness of the program is its very high emphasis on developing skills in integration of knowledge from management science, social science, and natural science and engineering. This is done through interactive learning, case study analysis, research seminars and workshops, internships, and research and management projects. Students will be required to demonstrate the application of their knowledge of different aspects of sustainability and integration of knowledge from different disciplines to address sustainability issues during three required components of the program - internship, capstone course, and research paper. Students are given the option to take their electives from a wide array of courses, across many disciplines at all three campuses of the University of Toronto.

ELECTIVES

Students can select electives that allow them to focus on their individual areas of interest (science or management concentration). These selections (of six electives) need to be approved in advance by the MScSM Program Director and the Chair/Director of the host department. Below are some examples of electives that MScSM students have taken. Please note that availability of electives offered in MScSM and other host departments is dependent upon semester and year:

Possible Science Electives 

  • JPG1407H Efficient Use of Energy
  • JPG1408H Carbon Free Energy
  • EES1117H Climate Change and Impact Assessment
  • EES1125H Contaminated Site Remediation
  • ENV1704H Environmental Risk Analysis and Management

Possible Management, Economics, and Social Electives

  • SSM2010H Marketing in Sustainability Management
  • SSM2020H Sustainability Ethics
  • SSM2030H Advanced Sustainability Management
  • SSM2040H Applied Sustainability Management
  • APS1038H Strategic Sustainability Management for Business and Products
  • ENV1002H Environmental Policy
  • ENV1707H Environmental Finance and Sustainable Investing
  • EES1124H Environmental Project Management
  • ECO2908H Environmental and Resource Economics
  • MGT2918H Multidisciplinary Special Topics
  • RSM2216H Special Topics in Accounting
  • RSM2080H Business Sustainability Strategy
  • RSM2081H Entrepreneurship for Social Ventures
  • An appropriate undergraduate degree - a four-year undergraduate bachelor degree from a recognized/accredtied university in any area of management science, social science, natural science and engineering or any management, environment or natural resource driven background, with a standing equivalent to at least a mid-B (a UofT mid B is a grade between 73% to 76%, or 3.0 on a 4.0 scale) in the final year of their undergraduate program (the most recent 5.0 full credit or 10 half credit) senior level credits . Senior level courses are third and fourth year courses, not first or second year courses. Domestic applicants can access the  OLSAS 2017 Undergraduate Grading System to help in determining GPA equivalents.International applicants can access the International Degree Equivalency Page at UofT School of Graduate Studies.
  • Successful completion of 0.5 FCE undergraduate statistics, calculus, or mathematics/algebra course. A minimum grade of B- is preferred. If an applicant has a grade in statistics/calculus/math that is lower than B-, that applicant may still be considered for admission but may be required to re-take statistics before they start the MScSM program;
  • English Proficiency Test (TOEFL / IELTS): If your primary language is not English and you graduated from a non-Canadian university where the language of instruction was not in English, then you must demonstrate your facility in English by successfully completing an acceptable English Facility Test. This requirement must be met at the time you submit your application. (NOTE: You are not required to complete an English Facility Test if you are a Canadian citizen who has studied at a Canadian university where the language of instruction is French). (NOTE: If you are Permanent Resident and your four-year undergraduate bachelor degree was not in Engloish  instruction, you will be required to take TOEFL or IELTS and achieve our minimum requirements). You must arrange for your official TOEFL or IELTS official score report to be sent electronically to UofT School of Graduate Studies or Enrollment Services, and for an official paper copy to be mailed directly to the MScSM Program Office from TOEFL/IELTS.  Our minimum requirements for IELTS are: at least 7.0 in the overall band and 7.0 in each section (Reading, Speaking, Listening, and Writing). Our minimum requirements for TOEFL are: at least 100 in the Total and at least 22 in each section. Please note that meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission to our program. More details about these tests can be found on the SGS website. Please note; (i) our MScSM TOEFL/IELTS minimum requirements are higher than SGS minimums (ii) the average scores of accepted students is usually higher than the required minimums (iii) achieving the required minimum scores does not guarantee admission to the program)
  • Please note that if you are in the Mississauga area and require IELTS for admission consideration, the UTM campus has an IELTS site that you may be able to access.
  • Work-related experience may be considered for applicants returning from the work force, however, these applicants must still meet the educational minimum required standards - GPA, degree discipline, and so on.
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