Taking on the World: New Graduate Degree in Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management
Thirty years ago, the term green jobs, could have referred to setting up recycling centers. A decade ago, the term might have referred to installing solar panels or building wind turbines. Today the green job, has made its way into the C-suite, as chief sustainability officers sit alongside chief executive, marketing, and technology officers.
John Clinton, associate professor at Milano The New School for Management and Urban Policy, has been watching these major shifts in the workforce, most recently in the wake of the Gulf oil spill and the worldwide financial crisis.
As the world faces complex environmental and sustainability challenges, so do businesses and organizations,, says Clinton. As a result, there is a growing need for skilled practitioners who can pioneer solutions to foster positive change.,
A former senior consultant on social responsibility at MetLife, Clinton is the lead faculty member overseeing a new graduate program at Milano, a Master of Science in Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management. Applications are now being accepted for the 2011 academic year.
According to Clinton, the idea for the program came about a few years ago, among Milano faculty exploring new professions designed to tackle emerging global problems. The program was built on the premise that the social and financial systems of the global community, as well as the natural environment, are intricately interconnected.
We see our graduates as environmental policy analysts and sustainability managers prepared for the challenges of this cross-sector collaboration,, says Clinton.
The program’s curriculum will emphasize environmental, social, and economic sustainability, in what Clinton calls a triple bottom line., Students will gain practical experience by exploring real-world situations, often with an international focus. They will also be required to complete courses on organizational change management, assessment, and diagnosis in preparation for work with government institutions, businesses, and local and international nonprofits. Clinton plans to add creative design components, in collaboration with Parsons The New School for Design, as the program develops.
Integrating cross-disciplinary practices into this program is not difficult for us, since world-class programs, from design to international affairs to social research, have long been in place at The New School,, he says. On many levels, now is the right time to bring this new program to students.,
For more information about the program, visit www.newschool.edu/milano/environmental-policy-sustainability-management-ms.