We are living in an extraordinary time.
A new generation of leaders is stepping up and spearheading the race toward a just and sustainable world. These leaders are rewiring the world by focusing on things such as —
- Providing clean energy
- Building smarter cities
- Reimagining the global food system
- Financing the future
- Reinventing transportation
Policy innovators, sustainable business entrepreneurs, and leaders in environmental and sustainability education are all change agents driving these revolutions. But before their careers in sustainability started, they were environmental activists in some way, shape, or form—just like you.
It doesn't matter where you're at in your sustainability journey. You may want to know how to work for the UN, or you may not know the first thing about a circular economy. Regardless, if you're ready to explore activist careers, keep on scrolling.
Careers in sustainability
Careers in environmental policy: changing the rules
Through government laws and regulations, and also within corporations, NGOs, and agencies—policies are the rules that drive behavior (sustainable or otherwise).
From international treaties governing trade and investment; to national policies on energy, agriculture, and transport; to local zoning and transit regulations; to internal business and agency policies—getting rid of ineffective rules and putting better ones in place is critical.
Whether you're a climate change activist or a home composter, anybody involved in any level of environmental activism should explore sustainability programs as a way to enter the sustainability field. An MS degree in Environmental Policy or in Climate Science and Policy from Bard prepares students for careers in human rights and social justice, policymaking, consulting, international development, and much more. Graduates with an environmental master's degree are equipped to become leaders in whichever areas their passions lie, including but not limited to:
- Relieving toxics
- Environmental justice
- Wildlife and biodiversity conservation
- Urban sustainability
- Climate change
At Bard Graduate Programs in Sustainability, graduates can also combine the MS degrees with Peace Corps service to support a career in sustainable development.
Sustainable business careers: transforming the game
Can we change the world through business? We have to. Even as state and national policies evolve, a new breed of business has to put food on our table, keep the lights on, and do it all with dramatically lower environmental footprint, while also treating workers and communities with justice and respect.
Sustainability-inspired leaders are now reinventing business and directly solving social and environmental problems by pioneering profitable and scalable solutions.
The MBA in Sustainability is based in NYC and is one of a handful of graduate programs around the world that combines a focus on sustainability with the mastery of the key skills and language of business. Bard's hybrid program gathers students in person one weekend a month, but the majority of the program is online so students can complete the program from anywhere in the US, while still working full-time.
Bard MBA graduates have gone on to:
- Start their own mission-driven businesses
- Transform existing companies and non-profits towards a stronger focus on social and environmental purpose
- Work as sustainability consultants
Environmental education careers: changing minds
In the long run, education is the primary driver of change. Yet there are very few graduate programs that prepare educators specifically for a focus on sustainability and environmental education.
Bard’s Master's in Environmental Education prepares graduates to create an informed and engaged citizenry supporting progress toward a just, prosperous, and sustainable future. Through intensive academic training, real-world professional experience, and career development opportunities, the program enables graduates to pursue successful, high-impact careers in areas such as:
- Private schools
- NGO’s
- Government Land Management Agencies
- Sustainability Offices,
- Private Land Conservation Organizations
- Museums
- Environmental Education Centers
- Consulting Firms
Degrees that help people: what to look for
Engaged, World Class Faculty. Bard has been ranked the #1 Green MBA for 3 years in a row, in addition to being the #2 MBA for Nonprofit Management. Results like that don't happen without an engaged, devoted faculty. Unlike “cash cow” master’s programs staffed by faculty with little attachment to the institution, Bard’s master’s degrees offer unparalleled attention from and access to excellent teachers who are focused on student academic and career success.
Experiential Education. Sustainability cannot be learned in the abstract. Bard’s master’s degrees are all centered around deep experiences.
- In the MS and M.Ed programs, students pursue 4-6 month high-level professional internships —in NYC and Washington, DC, in Texas, Alaska, Geneva, South Africa, Thailand, or China. Capstone projects typically emerge out of these internships, with students focused on solving real-world problems.
- In the MBA, students in their first year complete a year-long course in sustainability consulting, working for real-world clients, including recently, Jet Blue, Siemens Wind, Clif Bar, and UBS. No other MBA program in the world offers this foundational opportunity.
Individual Mastery. Master’s students need to develop mastery of a subfield in their discipline. This requires a rigorous independent thesis or capstone. Many master's degree programs have dropped the individual capstone, replacing it with a group project because of the expensive requirement for excellent, one-on-one faculty advising. This is not okay. At Bard, the individual capstone is a critical dimension of the master’s experience and the primary foundation for career success.
What it really means to get a master's in sustainability
If you have been working to change the world—or want to—a well-crafted master’s degree provides a route to a leadership career. Look for programs that combine rigorous academics and engaged faculty with substantive real-world experience, individual mastery, and strong career development.
Whether you are looking to build a purpose-driven career in business, policy, or education—or want to combine these areas with a dual degree—the challenges ahead demand talent, courage, and the ambition to become a sustainability leader.
Have what it takes? Request more information about Bard's Graduate Programs in Sustainability.
