Curriculum

Program Structure

The Master of Science in Sustainability Management is a 1-year program worth 60 ECTS, divided into four modules each comprising various subjects.

The MSc in Sustainability Management is an expansive educational journey. And every journey needs a good map. The program structure shows your road to graduation: where you’ll go, what you’ll learn, and what you’ll do. On this page you can see all the compulsory and elective subjects and courses on the program.

The program supports four concentration areas:

  • Sustainability and supply chains
  • Sustainability and data science
  • Sustainability and entrepreneurship
  • Sustainable finance
MSc in Sustainability syllabus

Program Content

Pre-Program

JULY - SEPTEMBER

July - September 2025

Business Integration Path (BIP)

For students with a non-business academic background. This course starts 3 weeks before the beginning of the regular Master's program classes and includes an online module.

Online module: 1st July 2025 - 25th August 2025

4 self learning online courses that have to be completed before the beginning of the on campus classes.

On campus classes: 26th August 2025 – 13th September 2025

covering the following subjects:   

 

Welcome Week

SEPTEMBER

Official Program Start: 15th September 2025

The Esade Welcome Week is designed to help you hit the ground running from day one. You'll get to know the Esade management teams, find out how the Masters in Business Analytics fits into the broader context of the business school, and enjoy a full run through the program's academics and career services. You'll learn what we expect of you. We'll help you make your time at Esade a success by sharing some proven tips and guidelines. Teamwork is a key element of the program and you'll have the opportunity to get to know the other MSc participants first thing as you begin your journey together.

Term 1: Context of sustainability | 20 ECTS

SEPTEMBER - DECEMBER

The objective of this module is to give you the basic technical and business knowledge to help companies successfully face sustainability challenges.

Complexity, paradoxes, and ethics (3 ECTS)

  • This course lays the foundations for learning how to think about challenges. Its objective is to show you how to approach the rest of the program in terms of analyzing problems in a complex, systemic way and to become comfortable with the dilemmas and paradoxes that arise when trying to manage these issues in organizations.  

Environmental Sustainability (4 ECTS)

  • This course focuses on identifying the main environmental challenges we face, as well as looking at observable trends, proposals, and existing tools. The objective is to understand these problems as well as advanced types of solutions.

Society and Sustainability (4 ECTS)

  • Here you’ll focus on identifying important social, legal, and political challenges. The aim is to learn to analyze these problems and understand possible solutions.

Sustainability: Science, Methods and Communication (3 ECTS)

  • Every sustainability professional should have basic knowledge of the qualitative research methodologies used to identify and measure sustainability challenges such as social change, inequality, poverty, and human rights. In this first module, you will learn these essential methodologies, which are divided into different theoretical and applied parts. The aim is to provide you with tools to assist in managerial decision-making.

Sustainability Innovation Project: Part I (3 ECTS)

  • This project will take place during modules I and III. As part of a team of five or six, you will work directly with organizations under the supervision of a program team. The objective is to learn how to manage sustainability management projects in practice, including time, resource, and team management. All projects will be designed and assigned at the start of the program.

Study Tour & Skills Seminars | 5 ECTS

JANUARY

International Study Tours (2024/25)

Experience a different culture during an intensive week abroad at one of the world’s leading universities.

All the destinations are open to all students, have limited spots and may vary from one academic year to the next .

  • Los Angeles - USA - UCLA Anderson - Marketing Strategies in a New Digital Era (+)
  • Milan - Italy - Bocconi - Italian Fashion & Luxury (+)
  • Seoul - South Korea - KUBS - Digital Transformation in Asia (+)
  • San Francisco - USA - The Silicon Valley Experience (+)
  • CEMS- Singapore - NUS - Doing Business in Asia  (+)
  • Sustainability - Spain - Esade - Food, Nature and Supply Chains (+)
  • Cape Town - South Africa - University Of Cape Town - Doing Business in Africa (+)
  • Bangalore - India - India Institute of Management at Bangalore IIMB - The Science of Data Driven Decision Making (+)
  • Toronto - Canada - Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto - New paradigms of finance, threats of opportunities? (+)
  • Dubai - Dubai - American University of Dubai - The role of currencies in Finance (+)
  • Washington DC - USA - McDonough School of Business, Georgetown University - Public Affairs & International Political Economy (+)
  • St Gallen - Switzerland - University of St. Gallen - Investing into capital markets: a global view from a Swiss perspective (+)
  • Nagoya - Japan - NUCB Business School - Doing Business in Asia: deep dive into Japanese culture (+)
  • Toronto - Canada - Smith School of Business, Queen’s University - Analytics and AI in North America (+)

Places are subject to availability 

Skill seminars:

While all students can opt for all offered Study Tours / Electives if they fulfill prerequisites, they have to enroll through a bidding process where students from certain programs might have preference for courses more relevant to their Master and spaces are limited in each course.

Term 2: Tools to Create & Transform Business

FEBRUARY-APRIL

The second semester will focus on proposing solutions and tools to address the problems identified in Term 1, as well as on your personal and professional development. Seminars on management skills, career-orientation sessions, intensive courses taught by visiting professors, and study trips abroad will be complemented by company visits and conferences.

Leading systemic change (3 ECTS)

  • Aims to equip students with the knowledge and skills to understand and address sustainability challenges from a systemic and long-term perspective, with an emphasis on a systemic approach, disruptive strategies for sustainability, and a long-term view of management for sustainability.

Society and Sustainability

Finance & Reporting for Sustainability (3 ECTS)

  • Focus on the financial aspects of sustainable business practices and sustainability reporting requirements. Learn how to integrate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations into financial decision-making and understand the reporting frameworks and standards for sustainability disclosures.

Operations and Data Science for Sustainability (3 ECTS)

  • Examines the application of operations management and data science techniques to address sustainability challenges. Learn how to use data-driven approaches to optimize sustainable operations, resource management, and decision-making.

Strategy and Branding for Sustainability (3 ECTS)  

  • Explore topics related to developing strategies and branding initiatives that contribute to environmental and social sustainability. Understand the challenges facing the business world, identify risks and opportunities, and develop disruptive strategies that have a positive impact on society and the environment.

Sustainable Innovation Project: Part II (3 ECTS)

  • A practical project where students work directly with organizations to address sustainability challenges. The project may focus on areas such as sustainable innovation, materiality assessment, and proposing solutions to sustainability problems.

Term 3: Apply Tools & Specialize | 14 ECTS

MAY - JULY

In the third semester, you will design your own development path for skills and competencies depending on your interests and career aspirations. You will have to select five electives from a wide range of options.

The third term is designed for each participant to design their own path of skills and competencies they need to develop depending on their interests and career aspirations. To that end you will have to select five electives among a wide range of options.
 
Sustainability electives:

 

Free electives and electives from other MSc programs:

 

While all students can opt for all offered Study Tours / Electives if they fulfill prerequisites, they have to enroll through a bidding process where students from certain programs might have preference for courses more relevant to their Master and spaces are limited in each course.

Summer term: Master's Project | 6 ECTS

JULY - SEPTEMBER

MASTERS PROJECT/INTERNSHIP

You can choose from three different formats:

You will receive full support from your tutors, regardless of the format chosen. You will also have to complete a prior preparation session.

Graduation

LATE OCTOBER

MASTERS PROJECT DEFENSE & GRADUATION

What to do after your MSc