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Are you motivated to help businesses make the change to a sustainable future? Do you want to signal excellence and innovativeness to your future employers? The Honours Programme Sustainability (HPS) is a challenging addition to your Business Administration Master’s degree.

This 15EC Honours Programme is open to highly motivated MSc BA students with a record of academic achievement, passion for sustainability and a strong drive to make a difference in the business world. You will use core business skills from your Master’s specialisation track to address environmental and social issues, and help businesses create impact.

Bridging sustainability and businesses

In this video, multiple students from the Sustainability Honours programme present their capstone consulting projects to clients and peers. Most aspects of this programme are covered, including what sustainability entails and what this means for businesses.

Why become a leader in sustainability?

Creating a better and more sustainable future for all is one of the biggest challenges of our time. To achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, we need companies to take up their responsibility. The push for sustainability is already forcing firms to create new ways of thinking about products, technologies, processes and business models. Businesses must bring these ideas into practice by innovating designs, operations, marketing, logistics and services throughout the global value chain, and the entire product life cycle.
In order to do this, they need leaders who know what being a sustainable organisation entails, and what is necessary to get there.

Why apply for the Honours Programme Sustainability?

The Honours Programme Sustainability is your 1st big step in becoming a leader in sustainability. If you are ambitious and ready to put in the extra work, this programme is a great challenge and a perfect chance to stand out to future employers.

  1. You will become an expert on sustainable innovation and circular economies and learn how to create the business models and partnerships needed to help businesses transition. Develop the leadership skills needed to create awareness, connect (with) people and motivate sustainable changes in behaviour.
  2. This Honours Programme is an innovative and action-oriented programme with extensive involvement from leading practitioners from business, the public sector and civil society. You will build your sustainability network: visit organisations with some of the most innovative sustainability practices and get advice from our sustainability board.
  3. This is a small scale, interactive, co-created and tailor-made programme with lots of opportunities to make your voice heard. Become a young leader by developing and implementing sustainable student-led initiatives with the support of the program’s management. Own your education and career path by actively co-shaping the Honours Programme Sustainability.

What to expect from the programme?

The Honours programme (15EC) occurs concurrently with your 1-year MSc Business Administration, adding the following courses and projects to your study programme:

  • 2 sustainability courses (10EC)
    • Sustainability, Circularity and Business (5EC)
      Learn about the key concepts of sustainability and their integration in economy and business. The course includes guest discussions with sustainability leaders and collaborations with sustainable startups.
    • Partnerships for Sustainable Innovation (5EC)
      Learn how to create new business models and partnerships. The course includes guest discussions with sustainability leaders, a climate simulation, and site visits.
  • Capstone business project (5EC)

    Tackle an organisation’s real sustainability business challenge. You and your team will present your solution to your client as well as the programme’s sustainability board and management.

Student vlogs Honours Programme Sustainability

How to apply

The Sustainability Honours Programme is selective and only available to the (approximately) 25 most motivated new Maser's Business Administration students.

What you need to do:

  1. Apply to the Master's Business Administration September intake.
  2. Wait for your admissions results. If you are admitted to the Master's programme, you will receive a conditional email.
  3. We will then email you instructions on how to apply for the Honours Programme. In order to apply, you need to complete an online form and provide us with your academic record, your CV, a letter of motivation, and a letter of (academic) recommendation.

Selection will take place at the beginning of the academic year (September).
This Honours Programme is only available to students starting their Master's Business Administration in September.

Contact

For specific questions about the Honours Programme Sustainability, please do not hesitate to contact us via sustainabiltyhonours-abs-eb@uva.nl.