What is the importance of learning sustainability?

As our climate changes, employees with sustainability knowledge are becoming more valuable to employers. Learning sustainability can also help you make changes in your own life for the betterment of our planet.

What's the best way to learn sustainability?

The best way to learn sustainability depends on your goals and interests. If you want to improve your personal sustainability efforts, a course could be a great starting point. If you want to pursue a career in the field, earning a degree can help you build a strong knowledge base.

How long does it take to learn sustainability?

Simple sustainability concepts can be learned within a few weeks to a few months. More advanced concepts like environmental science and the legal landscape may take longer to learn.

How hard is it to learn sustainability?

Sustainability is often regarded as fairly easy to learn. That said, technical areas like legislation or advanced scientific study may be more challenging to grasp, depending on your background.

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Sustainability | Introduction Image Description

What is sustainability?

Sustainability is the process of protecting resources for the health of our planet and future generations. Often, this involves balancing conservation efforts, environmental conditions, economic agendas, politics, and differing viewpoints.

Jobs in sustainability can be found across industries. Popular examples include environmental conservation, renewable energy, food production, environmental policy, and corporate sustainability efforts.

Most opportunities within the field of sustainability require a four-year bachelor's degree, though opportunities with lower educational requirements exist in areas like advocacy, consulting, and resource management.

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Choosing the right sustainability program for you

Sustainability practices are implemented across a wide range of industries, so it's important to select an education path that fits your career goals.

If you're looking to get into advocacy or improve the sustainability processes at your current job, then sustainability courses, certifications, and executive education programs may be best. For a career in sustainability, especially in research, earning a degree in environmental science can prepare you for the field.

Here are some options worth considering.

Courses

Sustainability courses provide a structured path for students interested in learning a specific topic or exploring the field for the first time. These programs typically last a few weeks and many can be self-paced.

Certifications

Certifications can be a great option for professionals seeking a résumé-boosting credential. These programs can help you secure a job in sustainability or apply sustainable practices to your current role.

Executive education programs

For leaders looking to implement sustainability in their current role, executive education programs provide topic-specific opportunities in a schedule-friendly way. Sustainability executive education programs can help you build the skills you need for your industry.

Degrees

If you are certain you want to pursue a career in sustainability, earning a bachelor's or master's in the field can prepare you for many careers. These programs can offer a comprehensive education and prepare you to apply sustainability principles to real-life problems. A bachelor's degree typically takes four years of full-time study to complete, while a master's degree may take two years.

Jobs in sustainability

As our climate changes, the demand for professionals with sustainability knowledge may grow. Some corporations have begun hiring chief sustainability officers (CSOs) and other staff to assess and advise on how to improve their sustainability efforts.

Most roles require you to hold a bachelor's degree in environmental science or a related field, and earning a master's can help you qualify for senior roles with higher salaries. Here's a deeper look at a few jobs in the field.