Graduate Credit Certificate Program
Dr. Barrie E. Litzky
The School of Graduate Professional Studies
Penn State Great Valley
30 East Swedesford Road
Malvern, PA 19355
Telephone: 610-725-5286
Fax: 610-725-5224
E-mail: bxl26@psu.edu
The School of Graduate Professional Studies at Penn State Great Valley offers a four course (12-credit) Graduate Certificate program in Sustainable Management Practices. The primary goal of this certificate program is to prepare individuals to design, implement, and evaluate new or existing sustainable practices in their organizations. Sustainability in this context refers to the operational policies and practices that seek to maximize not only the economic, but also the social (employees, community) and environmental (physical) outcomes of an organization.
Twenty-first century organizations interested in competitive advantage and long-term survival must implement sustainable management practices into their firms' core operations. The courses required in this certificate program will ground students in the complex social, economic, political, technological, cultural, and demographic trends that influence organizational stakeholders. Students will be introduced to decision models that account for the interconnected nature of all organizational systems, and learn to build mutually beneficial alliances and partnerships with all relevant stakeholders.
The curriculum is designed to address concepts relevant to issues of sustainable management (products/services/organizations) and organizational sector (public, non-profit, private). The certificate program will develop students' critical capacities for reflection and action based upon a systems thinking framework, with respect to the social, environmental, and organizational sustainability challenges facing business leaders. Curriculum highlights pertinent research and practices from the fields of accounting, finance, economics, marketing, and operations to introduce students to value creation strategies inherent in sustainable tools and techniques. Course content is designed to provide a balanced mix of theory, research, and practical application in the topics.
This certificate program is attractive to individuals who desire advanced education in sustainable management practices but who do not wish to pursue a master's degree at this time, as well as those interested in pursuing specialized knowledge of sustainable management practices concurrent with a graduate degree program. With program approval, the courses in the certificate program may be applied to the Master of Business Administration degree program. This graduate certificate program also is valuable for individuals who already hold a master’s degree and wish to update or expand their knowledge and skills.
Individuals wishing to enroll in this graduate certificate program must hold either (1) a bachelor's degree from a U.S. regionally accredited institution or (2) a postsecondary degree that is equivalent to a U.S. baccalaureate degree earned from an officially recognized degree-granting international and are expected to have achieved a 3.0 (B) or higher undergraduate grade point average. Applicants holding a master's degree should have attained at least a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (B) in previous graduate work. Professional experience will be taken into consideration for admission.
Applicants should submit an online nondegree certificate application, available at http://www.gradsch.psu.edu/portal/gateway.html, and the application fee (payable online), along with supporting credentials. Supporting credentials include two official transcripts from each undergraduate and graduate institution attended, a current resume, and a statement of intent or career objective. Supporting credentials should be sent directly to the Admissions Office at Penn State Great Valley, 30 East Swedesford Road, Malvern, PA 19355.
Admission decisions are made by a faculty committee and are based on the quality of the applicant's credentials in relation to those of other applicants. Evaluation criteria include professional and academic accomplishments. Upon approval, certificate program students will enroll in course work on a nondegree basis. Students must complete each course with a grade of B or better in order to receive the certificate. Note that admission as a nondegree graduate student neither guarantees nor implies subsequent admission to a degree program. Nondegree students are not eligible to receive fellowships or graduate assistantships.
With adviser approval, all four courses in the certificate program may be applied to the Master of Business Administration degree program at Penn State Great Valley.
International applicants should consult with a program adviser prior to applying for admission for more information about admission and enrollment requirements. International applicants must satisfy all Graduate School requirements for admission. The language of instruction at Penn State is English.
The graduate certificate program in sustainable management practices requires a total of four 3-credit courses (12 graduate credits). One of the courses is required (BUSAD 802), and three courses are electives selected from a list of five courses (BUSAD 582, BUSAD 809, BUSAD 824, BUSAD 879, and SYSEN 507). Students completing each of the four 3-credit courses with a grade of B or better will be eligible to receive a graduate certificate.
Prescribed Course (3 credits)
Business Administration (BUSAD)
802. Cornerstones of Sustainability (3 credits)
Elective Courses (9 credits) (Choose 3 from the following 5 courses)
Business Administration (BUSAD)
582. Social Entrepreneurship and Community Leadership (3 credits)
809. Triple Bottom Line Accounting (3 credits)
824. Finance and Investment for Sustainable Growth (3 credits)
879. Sustainable Products and Service Development (3 credits)
Systems Engineering (SYSEN)
507. Systems Thinking (3 credits)
Graduate courses carry numbers from 500 to 599 and 800 to 899. Advanced undergraduate courses numbered between 400 and 499 may be used to meet some graduate degree requirements when taken by graduate students. Courses below the 400 level may not. A graduate student may register for or audit these courses in order to make up deficiencies or to fill in gaps in previous education but not to meet requirements for an advanced degree.
Effective Date: Spring Semester 2012
Expiration Date: Fall Semester 2016
Last Revised by the Department: Spring Semester 2012
Blue Sheet Item #: 40-05-140
Review Date: 02/21/2012