Global Sustainable Development

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This Certificate provides graduate students with tools to engage with complex challenges of global sustainable development. Global sustainable development involves the pursuit of a better world for all through the elimination of chronic poverty, discrimination & injustice, and environmental degradation, in order to ensure a sustainable future of well-being for the earth and its peoples. Worldwide, a common framework used to pursue sustainable development is found in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which promotes 17 inter-related, comprehensive, and universally applicable sustainability goals spanning economic, social, political, and environmental issues. This Certificate provides theoretical knowledge, interdisciplinary approaches, and practical skills needed to tackle chronic problems and achieve sustainable development goals on issues including poverty, hunger, health, inequality, gender empowerment, the environment, peace and justice, governance, NGO and civil society participation, and global cooperation. Learn how to solve global problems in comprehensive, sustainable, and ethical ways appropriate to diverse national and regional realities, capacities, and priorities.

The curriculum provides in-depth theoretical understanding of global sustainable development as well as practical skills to engage with complex challenges targeted through the 2030 UN Agenda for Sustainable Development, which encompasses the “5 P’s”: People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace, and Partnership.  Students complete 12 credits and a Digital Portfolio. Courses include two required foundational courses, and two elective courses from an approved course list which addresses a wide range of SDG topics including poverty, hunger, health, education, gender inequality, the environment and natural resources, water and sanitation, energy, employment, development planning and management, global inequalities, peace/inclusion/and justice, governance and global partnerships.

Requirements: Graduate students complete 12 credits (6 credits in GSD foundation courses, and 6 credits of approved GSD electives), as well as a Digital Portfolio which can be shared with future employers and graduate schools. Students may take up to 2 approved Certificate courses (6 credits) that simultaneously fulfill other Degree requirements, including up to 2 approved courses outside GSPIA. Minimum of grade of C required for all Certificate courses; courses may not be taken on S/NC basis.