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Sustainability executive director education requirements
There are several educational requirements to become a sustainability executive director. Sustainability executive directors usually study biology, forestry, or management. 78% of sustainability executive directors hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 15 real sustainability executive director resumes to see exactly what sustainability executive director education sections show.
The most common colleges for sustainability executive directors are the Moore College of Art and Design and the Moore College of Art and Design.
There are also many online sustainability executive director courses to help get the education required to be a sustainability executive director.
What education do you need to become a sustainability executive director?
What degree do you need to be a sustainability executive director?
- Bachelor's, 78%
- Master's, 22%
What should I major in to become a sustainability executive director?
- Biology, 27%
- Forestry, 18%
- Management, 9%
- Other Majors, 37%
Most common colleges for sustainability executive directors
| Sustainability executive director common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Moore College of Art and Design | 14.29% |
| Bowie State University | 14.29% |
| Purdue University | 14.29% |
| New York University | 14.29% |
| Reed College | 14.29% |
Best majors for sustainability executive directors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Biology | 27.3% |
| 2 | Forestry | 18.2% |
| 3 | Management | 9.1% |
| 4 | Environmental Science | 9.1% |
| 5 | Engineering And Industrial Management | 9.1% |
Best colleges for sustainability executive directors
The best colleges for sustainability executive directors are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Carnegie Mellon University.
A sustainability executive director with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for sustainability executive directors. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become sustainability executive directors.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. University of Georgia
Athens, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,830
Enrollment
29,474
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,465
Enrollment
6,483
6. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
7. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,522
Enrollment
13,760
8. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$52,930
Enrollment
5,030
9. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
10. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$49,880
Enrollment
4,177
20 best online courses for sustainability executive directors
1. Predictive Analytics for Business
Learn to apply predictive analytics and business intelligence to solve real-world business problems...
2. AI for Business Leaders
Master the foundations of artificial intelligence so you can strategically implement AI in your company. Leverage machine learning technologies to power corporate growth, increase efficiency, and enhance customer experiences...
3. Sustainable Business Enterprises
This course will explore current challenges and opportunities facing firms in the area of environmental sustainability. It will begin with an introduction to sustainability, with a particular focus on how environmental sustainability is relevant to business. Topics such as unsustainable consumption/consumer behavior, market research on sustainable product design , and sustainable value chains and communications will be covered. We will also cover the bottom-up approach in terms of immersion,...
4. Global sustainability and corporate social responsibility: Be sustainable
It is no longer acceptable for organisations to focus entirely on financial success if they are to be competitive on the global stage. As corporate scandals continue to make headlines, you will expand your strategic thinking beyond your organisation’s competitive financial environment to consider its broader impact on society. You will grapple with the conflicting outcomes of maximising financial return and societal impact as you develop the skills to create a balance that is sustainable...
5. Sustainability Management in Business
Everything you need to know about creating sustainable value, ESG and building business resilience...
6. Sustainability Reporting with GRI Standards
GRI Sustainability Reporting - Understanding the Standards...
7. Managing Responsibly: Practicing Sustainability, Responsibility and Ethics
Managers are increasingly confronted with issues of sustainability, responsibility and ethics. Managing responsibly is an integrative approach to sustainability, responsibility and ethics, which allows you as a manager to deal competently with such challenges. This course will facilitate your learning process to engage in changing practices to make them more sustainable, responsible, and ethically informed. We will first introduce the context of the trend towards responsible management...
8. Climate Change, Sustainability, and Global Public Health
The third course of the Impacts of the Environment on Global Public Health specialization will introduce you to two major environmental health challenges facing the world today. The first is climate change –the preeminent threat to public health today, and a threat that will impact every human and ecosystem on the planet. We will evaluate the causes and impacts of climate change, as well as policies and approaches that can be used to reduce the impacts of climate change on human health. The...
9. Basics of Sustainability: Learn in Simple Language
Sustainability is not just good to know, it's a must to know in this 21st century...
10. Environmental sustainability in Maritime transport Industry
A course dedicated to Marine life and Marine Ecosystem...
11. Sustainable Vikings: Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility in Scandinavia
This course gives you immediate access to the world leading sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices. Scandinavian firms dominate the major sustainability and CSR performance indicators including the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI). In this course we explore the concepts of sustainability and CSR and focus attention on how Scandinavian firms, like Novo Nordisk, have achieved superior sustainability and CSR performances. We consider what lessons can be drawn by...
12. Sustainable Urban Water Systems
The MOOC “Sustainable Urban Water Systems” aims to provide knowledge about modern and sustainable solutions for urban water management in water-sensitive cities. The focus is on stormwater control and water supply strategies for the mitigation of effects on the water cycles due to human settlements and climate change. In particular, the integration of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) into urban drainage systems, the use of alternative water resources, and the reduction of losses and waste, make...
13. ESG and Sustainable Investing 365
Foundational Course on ESG and Sustainable Finance Anchored in CFA Institute's research...
14. How to Start a Business Sustainably Complete Guide
Join me in this masterclass as I take your sustainable business idea from seedling to pitch-ready in under 6 hours!...
15. The Sustainability Imperative
In this course, learners begin with a macro-level view of the current state of the world and touch upon topics such as climate change, plastic pollution, social inequity, and the economic systems that got us to where we are today. Learners investigate how such an economy cannot sustain itself and the need for a rapid transition to something different. We define sustainability, the meaning of sustainable development, and the United Nations' Sustainability Goals. Recognizing that change is...
16. Careers in Sustainability
This course is an introduction to careers in sustainability, focusing primarily on the role of a sustainability analyst at public and private organizations. Through a mix of video, print, peer review, and interactive content, learners will be able to explain sustainability and the specifics of a sustainability analyst’s job within an organization. The course is structured around two elements: topical knowledge and practical application. Throughout the course, learners can practice what they...
17. Sustainability: Impact, Value (s), Innovation, and Growth
Implement these principles to strategically leverage your organization's resources to boost business performance...
18. ESG, Sustainability consulting Career & Growth opportunities
Adding ESG / Sustainability Consulting to your services portfolio? Learn few tips and ideas from the CEO of an ESG firm...
19. Greening the Economy: Sustainable Cities
How can we shape our urban development towards sustainable and prosperous futures? This course explores sustainable cities as engines for greening the economy in Europe and around the world. We place cities in the context of sustainable urban transformation and climate change. We connect the key trends of urbanization, decarbonisation and sustainability. We examine how visions, experiments and innovations can transform urban areas. And we look at practices (what is happening in cities at...
20. Sustainability Analyst Fundamentals
The ASU Sustainability specialization introduces the role of a sustainability analyst, assesses sustainability challenges that face the planet and employers, and equips learners with the foundational skills needed to address these challenges. By developing competency in goal-setting, reporting and data analysis, learners who complete the specialization will be able to make an impact on their organization as a sustainability analyst.\n\nThis specialization is designed to build on the...
Top 10 most affordable universities for sustainability executive directors
The most affordable schools for sustainability executive directors are Baruch College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and usf sarasota-manatee.
If the best universities for sustainability executive directors are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for sustainability executive directors.
1. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,587
Cost of attendance
13,043
4. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
5. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. USF St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,821
Cost of attendance
19,849
8. University of Houston - Victoria
Victoria, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$6,491
Cost of attendance
19,075
9. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
10. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for sustainability executive directors
The hardest universities for sustainability executive directors to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Carnegie Mellon University.
Some great schools for sustainability executive directors are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for sustainability executive directors based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
4. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
5. Northeastern University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
19%
SAT average
1,466
6. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
7. Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,380
8. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,365
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
10. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,380
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for sustainability executive directors
The easiest schools for sustainability executive directors to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, barry university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a sustainability executive director without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for sustainability executive directors.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
992
5. Kean University
Union, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
991
6. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
7. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
8. La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
99%
SAT average
1,008
9. University of Houston - Downtown
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,012
10. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
Average sustainability executive director salary by education level
| Sustainability executive director education level | Sustainability executive director salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $69,837 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $61,289 |
| Doctorate Degree | $69,821 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $41,645 |
Sustainability executive director education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
