Illinois Institute of Technology
Master of Science in Sustainability Analytics and Management - STEM DesignatedChicago, USA
DURATION
2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
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EARLIEST START DATE
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STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Scholarships
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Introduction
In an era of rapid globalization and ecological change, environmental sustainability presents major challenges for societies, governments, and businesses alike. Across all industries and sectors of the economy, corporations and organizations are being driven by investors and other stakeholders, regulations, and public pressure to place more emphasis on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues and performance.
The Master of Science in Sustainability Analytics and Management (SAM) program at Stuart School of Business provides students who have backgrounds in engineering and other STEM fields with the training, knowledge, and real-world skills they need to address the full range of challenges facing today’s sustainability professionals.
Using an applied approach, the SAM program teaches you how to leverage technological innovation, data analytics, and entrepreneurship to develop and manage sustainability systems. Courses examine the interaction between economic growth and the environment, including how to apply environmental-economic models and pollution prevention and control strategies.
The program’s emphasis on technical analytics—a core competency that is increasingly required for sustainability professionals—prepares our graduates to excel in positions responsible for measuring and reporting on ESG data for companies and organizations.
Through Illinois Tech’s one-of-a-kind Elevate program, you are guaranteed hands-on experiences throughout your graduate education, such as virtual and in-person internships, and personalized guidance from a career adviser, academic mentor, and alumni coach.
Chicago boasts a dynamic mix of industries and companies, entrepreneurial activity, green businesses, and local efforts to build sustainable communities. Illinois Tech’s location and connections built by Stuart faculty put those resources within reach and provide students with opportunities for projects and internships, networking, and pathways to careers in the nonprofit, governmental, and business sectors.
Program Overview
The Master of Science in Sustainability Analytics and Management program, designed for students with STEM backgrounds, teaches the analytical and environmental management skills required to develop and manage sustainable systems in government, industry, and corporate settings.
Why Illinois Tech is one of the best value universities in the country
As an Illinois Tech student, you’ll automatically be considered for our university’s generous institutional scholarships. On average, this adds up to a savings of $107,472 on tuition and housing for every student during your four years at Illinois Tech ($134,340 for five years, based on fall 2021 figures).
We’re committed to dramatically reducing the cost of your degree, so you can focus on learning at one of the most dynamic and innovation-driven universities in the country.
Want some more great reasons?
- On top of our institutional scholarship, on average, Illinois Tech awards our students an additional $34,412 each in need-based tuition aid over four years ($43,015 for five years). (among FAFSA filers, fall 2021).
- We’re the #44 Best Value School in the nation (U.S. News & World Report).
- 98% of our students receive some form of financial aid.
- The mean starting salary of our undergraduates is $63,938.
Ideal Students
STEM-Designated Program
This is a STEM-designated program, and international graduates of the program are eligible to apply for an extension for Optional Practical Training, which allows selected students to stay and work in the United States for up to three years after graduation.
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Curriculum
The M.S. in Sustainability Analytics and Management program integrates business, analytics, science, law, and public policy so that you can develop managerial and in-demand quantitative skills for career advancement. The program requires successful completion of at least 33 credit hours (11 courses). All courses offered are three credit hours each. View environmental management and sustainability/SAM (EMS), business (BUS), business administration (MBA), finance (MSF), and marketing analytics (MAX) course descriptions.
Core Courses
Required; 27 credit hours (nine courses)
- BUS 550—Business Statistics
- EMS/SAM 502—Environmental Law
- SAM 504—Industrial Ecology and Circular Economy*
- EMS/SAM 541—Sustainable Energy Systems
- EMS/SAM 512—Environmental Risk Assessment
- EMS/SAM 505—Environmental Economics and Finance
- SAM 513—Sustainability and ESG Analytics*
- MBA 504—Analytics for Decision Making
Elective Courses
Choose two elective courses (six credit hours total) from the following list.
- EMS/SAM 501—Environmental Policy
- EMS/SAM 529—Social Entrepreneurship
- EMS/SAM 532—Environmental Law Clinic
- EMS/SAM 542—Economics of Energy Systems
- EMS/SAM 543—Environmental Compliance and Regulation
- EMS/SAM 595—Special Topics in Environmental Management and Sustainability
- MBA 518—Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility
- MBA 501—Financial Statement Applications
- MBA 509—Financial Management
- MBA 513—Operations and Technology Management
- MSF 503—Financial Modeling
- MAX 503—Marketing Research and Engineering
- MAX 506—Database Design and SQL
- MAX 507—Visual Analytics—Data Analytics and Visualization
* Course descriptions for SAM 503, SAM 504, and SAM 513 are below.
SAM 503—Corporate Sustainability Management
This course examines interactions between economic growth and the environment (implications of environmental externalities) and the application of environmental-economic models and technological innovations for managing environmental pollution resulting from economic development activities. Tools and techniques specific to the design of environmental management systems are discussed while emphasizing the importance of analytic tools for proper process mapping, I/O analysis, data collection/analysis, data interpretation, and pollution mapping/reporting. The importance of technological innovations and entrepreneurial activities such as the design of companies within companies (CWC) is presented for sustainable design of environmental pollution prevention/control strategies and policies in the areas of solid waste, water/wastewater, air pollution (both particulate and gases/GHGs) management, and climate change. This course emphasizes the importance of technological innovations, process mapping, and numerical exercises for broadening the insights needed to permit the implementation of pollution abatement and control strategies for organizational sustainability.
SAM 504—Industrial Ecology and Circular Economy
This course introduces students to the emerging field of industrial ecology and examines how this systems-based approach can be used to move society toward a more sustainable future. Industrial ecology is an interdisciplinary field involving technology (science and engineering), public policy, business administration, and, increasingly, the social sciences. The course introduces strategies and tools such as material and energy flow analysis, life cycle assessment, design for the environment, extended producer responsibility, and industrial symbiosis. Both individual assignments and team projects are a significant part of the learning experience in this course.
SAM 513—Sustainability and ESG Analytics
An overview of the modeling market process is provided focusing on externalities, environmental problems, and environmental quality. Economic solutions to environmental problems are discussed using a market approach which includes modeling emission charges, modeling a product charge, modeling per unit subsidy on pollution reduction, and modeling pollution permit trading systems and practices. The course examines institutional economic solutions to address environmental problems such as climate change, global warming, and water scarcity.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
Our graduates are equipped to work in management, analyst, and consultant roles in sustainability, environmental compliance, and EHS (environmental, health, and safety) across a wide range of industries.
An analysis in 2021 by the World Economic Forum indicates that employers across all sectors are seeking employees with “green skills” and that manufacturing, healthcare, construction, and public administration are the areas with the highest concentration of employees with green skills.
ZipRecruiter reports that sustainability analysts pull in an average starting salary of $65,757 in the Chicago area. According to salary.com, sustainability managers in the United States have an average base salary of $117,595 as of December 27, 2022.
Companies, organizations, and governmental agencies that have hired Stuart graduates include:
- Motorola Solutions
- United States Environmental Protection Agency
- Abbott
- Solarmer Energy
- Fermilab (U.S. Department of Energy)
- Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago
- TerraLocke Sustainability Consultants