The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, the University of Wisconsin-Stout and the University of Wisconsin-Superior have collaborated to offer an online master’s degree program in Sustainable Management. The master’s degree in Sustainable Management is appropriate for students with an existing bachelor’s degree in a range of disciplines and the desire to continue their education in this developing field. The interdisciplinary nature of this degree encourages students to examine sustainability from different perspectives and the curriculum ensures that students gain a comprehensive understanding of the ways in which changing human activities affect our natural, social and economic environments.
Master of Science in Sustainable Management
Admission Requirements
Each student’s prior academic background is evaluated by the Chair at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Students with a GPA of 3.0 or greater will be admitted to the program. Students with a GPA above 2.5 may be considered for provisional admission by an Admissions Committee consisting of representatives from all the participating campuses, although additional verification of academic record and potential could be requested.
Degree Requirements
Students who are adequately prepared when they enter the program may earn the degree by satisfactorily completing a minimum of 34 credits of course work, which includes 1 credit for a capstone preparation course and 3 credits for a capstone project. Those who lack appropriate prerequisites may need to take additional courses to strengthen their backgrounds. Credits earned in undergraduate courses cannot be applied toward the graduate degree in Sustainable Management.
All students in the Sustainable Management program are required to complete a core curriculum of 24 credits, the capstone preparation course and the capstone course. The remaining 6 credits can be selected from a group of specialty track electives based on the student’s areas of interest.
| Core Curriculum | 24 | |
| Cultural and Historical Foundations of Sustainability | ||
| The Natural Environment | ||
| Applied Research and the Triple Bottom Line | ||
| Policy, Law and the Ethics of Sustainability | ||
| Economics of Sustainability | ||
| The Built Environment | ||
| Geopolitical Systems: Decision Making for Sustainability on the Local, State and National Level | ||
| Leading Sustainable Organizations | ||
| Speciality Electives - choose two of the following courses: | 6 | |
| Corporate Social Responsibility | ||
| Supply Chain Management | ||
| Sustainable Water Management | ||
| Waste Management and Resource Recovery | ||
| Capstone Experience | 4 | |
| Capstone Preparation Course | ||
| Capstone Project | ||
| Total Credits | 34 | |
Steps Toward the Degree
- The candidate applies to the Master of Sustainable Management program by submitting an application, official transcripts, resume, statement of intent and two letters of reference to the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
- The candidate is admitted to the Master of Sustainable Management program by the program Chair.
- The student fulfills the degree requirements for the program.
- The student is awarded a Master of Sustainable Management degree from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Faculty/Advisers
Arendt, Lucy A., Professor, Business Administration (Management). B.S. (1987), M.S. (1990) University of Wisconsin-Green Bay; Ph.D. (2006) University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Fields of Interest: Teaching interests include organizational behavior, organizational theory and leadership. Research interests include strategic decision making, sense making and judgment, especially as they relate to disaster preparedness, response and recovery; the effects of humor in groups and organizations; and the antecedents and consequences of stress. Member, Academy of Management, Southern Management Association, Organizational Behavior Teaching Society and Earthquake Engineering Research Institute.
Katers, John F., Professor and Chair, Natural and Applied Sciences (Engineering). B.S. (1991), M.S. (1993) UW-Green Bay; Ph.D. (1996) Marquette. Academic Director for the Master of Science in Sustainable Management (SMGT). Director for the Environmental Management and Business Institute (EMBI). Frederick E. Baer Professor in Business.
Fields of interest: Waste management, recycling, pollution control, pollution prevention, renewable energy, and waste water treatment.
Wheat, Elizabeth, Assistant Professor, Public and Environmental Affairs (Political Science). B.A. (2002) Alma College, M.P.A. (2004) Indiana University, Ph.D. (2013) Western Michigan University.
Fields of Interest: Teaching interests include environmental law and policy; global environmental politics; natural resources; constitutional law; and global politics. Research interests include environmental law at the U.S. Court of Appeals; wildlife smuggling; environmental justice; environmental policy, particularly endangered species and water policy; and policy analysis.
Emeriti Faculty
Kraft, Michael E., Herbert Fisk Johnson Professor, Public and Environmental Affairs (Political Science). B.A. (1966) UC-Riverside; M.A. (1967), Ph.D. (1973) Yale.
Fields of interest: American politics and government; public policy analysis; Congress; environmental policy and politics in the U.S.; sustainable communities; politics of nuclear waste disposal; business and environmental policy; environmental information disclosure.
Courses
SMGT 699. Travel Course. 1-6 Credits.
Travel courses are conducted to various parts of the world and are led by one or more faculty members. May be repeated to different locations.
P: gr st.
SMGT 700. Cultural and Historical Foundations of Sustainability. 3 Credits.
The changing relationships of humans to the natural environment; changes in dominant scientific perspectives and the process of scientific debate. The quest for understanding, manipulating, and dominating the natural world. Cultural and organizational structures; the role and impact of technology; the systems approach to problem solving and its implications for the future.
SMGT 710. The Natural Environment. 3 Credits.
Natural cycles, climate, water, energy, biosystems, ecosystems, the role of humans in the biosphere; human impacts on natural systems. Use of case studies; some pre-reading, carbon cycle as a unifying theme. Disturbance pollution and toxicity; carrying capacity; natural capital.
SMGT 720. Applied Research and the Triple Bottom Line. 3 Credits.
Document and project internal and external costs resulting from the inseparability of the natural, social, and economic environments. Assess sustainability issues using basic modeling techniques; cause and effect, root cause analysis, regression analysis, and business scenario-based cases.
SMGT 730. Policy, Law and the Ethics of Sustainability. 3 Credits.
The Law and Ethics regarding sustainability of Economic development and emerging environmental challenges at national and international levels; Including NationalEnvironmental Policy Act (NEPA), United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) Carbon Footprints, Kyoto protocol, and Brundtland Commission. The policy and role of government and its agencies such as Army Corps of Engineers; Department of Interior, etc., in building a more just, prosperous, and secure environmental common future.
SMGT 740. Economics of Sustainability. 3 Credits.
Understand the economy as a component of the ecosystem within which it resides, with natural capital added to the typical analysis of human, social, built, and financial capital. Explore traditional micro, macro, and international trade theory and policy and the implications of sustainability. Topics include: history of economic systems and thought; globalization and localization; distinguishing between growth and development; the nature and causes of market failure; consumption, consumerism, and human well-being; emerging markets; technological change; business organization and financial market alternatives; demographic change; and the global food economy.
SMGT 750. The Built Environment. 3 Credits.
The assessment of the intersection of the built environment and human needs: water, air, food, waste, transportation, healthcare and education. Focus on evaluation and analysis of energy technology systems and building efficiency in the context of facilities management.
SMGT 760. Geopolitical Systems: Decision Making for Sustainability on the Local, State and National Level. 3 Credits.
An examination of decision making and public policy for sustainability at the national, state, and local level, with emphasis on the social, economic, and political factors affecting decisions within the public, nonprofit, and private sectors.
SMGT 770. Leading Sustainable Organizations. 3 Credits.
A macro-level perspective on leading sustainable organizations. Topics addressed include organizational change and transformation processes, strategic and creative thinking, organizational structures and their impacts, conflict management and negotiation, stakeholder management, and situational leadership styles and behaviors. Focuses on how organizational leaders develop and enable sustainable organizations, especially in times of environmental change.
SMGT 780. Corporate Social Responsibility. 3 Credits.
Corporate social responsibility and an organization. Evaluation of risks and potential impacts in decision making recognizing the links between the success of an organization and the well-being of a community. Integrating corporate social responsibility throughout an organization, creating metrics and communicating CSR policies internally and externally. Development of best practices in an organization pertaining to corporate social responsibility.
SMGT 782. Supply Chain Management. 3 Credits.
Planning, organizing, and controlling the organization's supply chain are examined in context of the triple bottom line. Total cost analyses or product and process life cycles are considered in the context of strategy and operations. Topics include sourcing, operations, distribution, reverse logistics and service supply chains. Process measurements and the impact on organizational performance in the context of footprints (e.g., carbon, water, pollution). Discussion of existing and potential software systems.
SMGT 784. Sustainable Water Management. 3 Credits.
This course addresses practical applications of sustainability in aquatic environments. Topics covered include water and health, water quality and quantity, governance, assessing the aquatic environment, water treatment technologies, environmental mitigation, and impacts of climate change. Emphasis will be on selected areas of interest from the perspective of public health, engineering, and municipal conservation management.
SMGT 785. Waste Management and Resource Recovery. 3 Credits.
Students will develop an understanding of the generation, treatment, and disposal of municipal, industrial, and agricultural wastes. Students will critically evaluate waste management and resource recovery processes and policies in the United States and compare them with practices used in other countries. Students will develop written and oral presentation skills necessary to effectively convey technical, economic, and social information related to waste management.
SMGT 790. Capstone Preparation Course. 1 Credit.
This one-credit course orientation course is designed to prepare students for the capstone project. Students will conduct research and literature reviews resulting in a capstone project proposal. Project proposal must receive approval before commencement of SMGT 792.
P: gr st.
SMGT 792. Capstone Project. 3 Credits.
Completion of the approved capstone project assisting students' synthesis of their learning throughout the program. This project will result in research papers, multimedia presentations, actual field settings, or other projects that demonstrate each student's ability to understand how to apply what he or she has learned in the program.
SMGT 795. Special Topics in Sustainable Management. 3 Credits.
Various specialized areas of sustainable management will be examined. This course may be repeated for credit with a different topic.
P: gr st.
