Bachelor in Sustainable Business

Why Study Sustainable Business?

Sustainable Business practices restore environmental quality, promote stable and healthy communities, and increase long-term profitability. The Aquinas Sustainable Business Degree program fosters ecological and social intelligence in all business decisions and is the first undergraduate program of its kind in Michigan and the United States.

How We're Different

Offering the first undergraduate sustainable business degree in the United States, the program has more than a decade of experience in sustainable business education. Graduates make outstanding professional contributions in a variety of business, non-profit and government organizations — many of which lead their industry in sustainability. Faculty combine business experience and strong academic credentials. International Perspectives in Sustainable Business, with its field component in Costa Rica, offers students a first-hand opportunity to explore sustainable business in other countries. Curriculum connects world-changing thinking with traditional business skills and understanding of the natural world. Students receive practical sustainable business experience through specialized student internship opportunities. The Steelcase and Wege Foundations and other donors provided more than $1.8 million to launch the program. The Sustainable Business Innovations Lab, one of the required courses, trains students in design-thinking and innovation skills while solving real-world challenges. Strong business and philanthropic support for the program continue to offer designated scholarships for traditional and continuing education students. Students engage with campus and West Michigan sustainability efforts — making a difference close to home.

Sustainable Business Major

Sustainable Business is interdisciplinary in nature, integrating science, business, and environmental studies. Sustainable business practices improve long-term profitability, the health of natural systems, and the human component of our world community. A student completing the B.S. in Sustainable Business will be prepared for a career in private industry, non-profit organizations, government, or for graduate-level studies in sustainable business or a related discipline. Students must obtain a grade of C or higher in each required course to count toward a major or minor concentration in Sustainable Business.

Major Requirements

Sixty-five (65) credit hours. Required courses:

• AG210 Principles of Accounting—Financial (4)
• AG211 Principles of Accounting—Managerial (4)
• BS201 Principles of Management (3)
• BS202 Principles of Marketing (3)
• BS305 Financial Management (3)
• BS325 Ethics and the Ecology of Commerce (3)
• BY123 Environmental Biology (3)
• CN101 Introduction to Communication (3)
• CY101 Environmental Chemistry (3)
• EL100 Introduction to Environmental Studies (3)
• EL301 Advanced Environmental Studies (3)
• ES211 Microeconomic Principles (3)
• PC291 Physical Science (3)
• SB100* Industrial Ecology (3)
• SB201* Sustainable Business Management (3)
• SB315* Building Social Capital (3)
• SB320* Sustainable Business Innovations Lab (3)
• SB395* Cases in Sustainable Business (3)
• SB397* Internship (3–6)

Students must select two of the following courses:

• SB200* Sustainable Energy Systems (3)
• SB202* Environmental Regulatory Compliance (3)
• SB203* Sustainable Business in Corporations (3)
• SB204* Sustainable Business Metrics and Reporting (3)
• SB300* Environmental Economics and Policy (3)
• SB310* Special Topics in Sustainable Business (3)
• SB330* International Perspectives in Sust. Bus. (3)
• SB346* Environmental Politics and Policy (3)

* denotes SB courses

The close-knit educational environment at Aquinas develops students who thrive in all dimensions of life. Learn more, in our students' words about the Aquinas experience and the Dominican pillars of prayer, study, service, and community.

The Dominican tradition is two-fold: contemplative and communal. At Aquinas, we are committed to gathering for liturgical prayer nourished by God's Word and the Spirit. Prayer leads us into the deeper Truth needed to live out God's call for us in the world. We commit ourselves to a love of learning, both formal and informal. This necessitates an openness to learn from the most unlikely sources as well as tried and true scholarship. Aquinas encourages students to engage in service projects and service-learning programs. It also offers preparation for careers that will enable graduates to spread the truths that they have learned - "to make a difference in the world."