Sustainable Business Minor

Business can do better—we’ll show you how ethical business policies and practices can build healthier communities and environments, without sacrificing profits.

Program Type: Minor

School/Division: Robert P. Stiller School of Business

Recommended Experiences: Internships; On-Campus Employment Opportunities; Study Abroad

Let us help you find...: Current Students College Catalog

Why Minor in Sustainable Business?

Explore the many ways businesses affect people, communities, and the environment and how it can be used as a tool for major social and environmental change.

You’ll learn how business and social movements can work together to create a fair and inclusive society that prioritizes social, environmental, and economic equity. You’ll build entrepreneurial skills for success in business while learning how to inspire and act on innovative ideas.

Whether you’re interested in marketing for eco-friendly companies, working in corporate social responsibility, or starting your own sustainable business, this program will equip you with the skills and knowledge to make a real difference. Become a purpose-driven leader ready to inspire and implement positive change in the business world.

Courses in the Sustainable Business Minor

This curriculum is an example of possible courses in this minor. Always check the college catalog for the exact requirements.

ASU 100 Introduction to Sustainability Studies

BUS 120 Marketing and the Organizational Mindset

MKT 110 Principles of Marketing

BUS 110 Business and the Entrepreneurial Mindset

ENP 410 Ecological Economics

Choose one of the following courses:

Students will study the multidisciplinary approaches necessary for successful investigation of environmental, social and economic issues and how they pertain to sustainability. Topics such as food systems, energy, water use and community management of resources are explored and evaluated through social and natural sciences Students will discuss and investigate past and current efforts aimed at addressing complex problems to examine potential solutions. Students will explore systems thinking and develop their own personal credo of sustainable living.

Prerequisites
Credits	3

Business decisions begin with a fundamental understanding of the marketplace. From target market to competition, globalization to industry analysis, businesses must evaluate the marketing, organizational management, and international implications of decision-making. Students explore the behavioral and business decision-making process for marketing and management as they are introduced to these strategic processes critical to business success. Students will learn how to build and function within successful teams as they engage with Vermont-based businesses to analyze and recommend solutions to real-world business challenges and opportunities.

Prerequisites	BUS-110 or permission of Assistant Dean
Credits	3

In this introductory marketing course, students will learn the foundations of marketing including how to develop the marketing mix (product, price place, promotion) for goods, ideas or services. Students will apply what they have learned as they respond to current issues, case study questions and develop a marketing plan for a real organization. Students will learn how to function within successful teams as they engage with actual businesses to analyze and recommend market-driven solutions to real-world business challenges and opportunities.

Prerequisites
Credits	3

Students will discover and develop the entrepreneurial mindset that is critical to succeed in today’s dynamic business environment so that they will be able to imagine, create, identify, assess, and act on business opportunities in a variety of contexts and organizations. Through real-world examples and hands-on activities, students will embrace an entrepreneurial and strength-based mindsets that will facilitate their understanding of the major functions of business and the relationships between them, as well as the importance of self-inquiry and teamwork.

Prerequisites
Credits	3

Ecological economics is an emerging discipline that seeks to reconcile traditional economics with biophysical limits. We will explore the differing worldviews of neoclassical and ecological economics, and reevaluate the relationship between the human economy and the economy of nature. We will examine mainstream economic issues through an ecological economic perspective and apply economic concepts to environmental issues to gain a more comprehensive understanding of how to propose solutions to solve economic and social problems that promote human and environmental resilience.

Prerequisites	Complete 60 Credits
Credits	3

You might also be interested in these…

Based on your interest in the Sustainable Business minor, we thought you also might like to check out these other academic programs and opportunities.

Majors
- Applied Sustainability Degree (BS)
  
  The way we think about the environment can’t be separated from the way we think about people, and vice versa. Learn the skills to cultivate a career in a growing field.
- Applied Mathematics Degree (BS)
  
  Use math to tell stories, crack real-world issues, explore diverse applications, and gain problem-solving skills for future success in many industries.
- Business Administration Degree (BS)
  
  Start gaining real business experience at great Vermont entrepreneurial companies like Burton Snowboards as early as your first year.
- Integrative Professional Studies Degree (BS)
  
  Design your own major through Champlain’s Degree Design Lab. You’ll combine courses and real-world learning experiences to personalize your own education.
- Marketing Degree (BS)
  
  Start building your professional marketing skills right away, taking hands-on courses in your first semester. Intern with local companies, and graduate career-ready.
Minors
- Environmental Studies & Policy Minor
  
  Study environmental issues and the politics surrounding them to discover the action-oriented practicalities of what people and organizations can do to change the world for the better.
- Business Administration Minor
  
  Knowledge you gain from a Business Administration minor isn’t limited to business. From theatre to technology, apply your skills to any interest or passion.
Areas of Study
- Business & Analytics
  
  Drive change at the intersection of information and impact with one of these majors.
- Humanities & the Sciences
  
  The born educator, the team player, the change maker, the advocate. Which of these human-centered majors fits you career goals?

More Inside Sustainable Business Minor

Overview

Business can do better—we’ll show you how ethical business policies and practices can build healthier communities and environments, without sacrificing profits.
Curriculum

Your career in applied sustainability begins now with Champlain’s Upside-Down Curriculum. Discover the difference that doing on day one has on your success.
Faculty

Our Applied Sustainability faculty go above and beyond to inspire your curiosity, learning, and growth. Small class sizes foster personal connections and mastery.
Learning Outcomes

Students who complete Champlain's Applied Sustainability program will gain the skills and competencies they need to be successful in the field.

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