| Qualification Title | Description | Provider | Level | Credits | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor Global Environment and Sustainable Development | You will learn about the connections between environmental and developmental challenges. You will also analyse the cultural practices and the legal and policy structures that shape and respond to those challenges | Auckland University | 5,6,7 | 360 | Full time- 3 years Part time- varies |
| Bachelor of Resource and Environmental Planning | With Massey’s Bachelor of Resource and Environmental Planning you can contribute to designing liveable cities and regions and ensuring sustainable use of resources. | Massey | 5,6,7 | 480 | Full time- 3 years |
| Bachelor of Environmental Studies | Earth’s natural resources are under increasing pressure. Environmental Studies takes you beyond the 'pure' sciences to include social, cultural and economic perspectives on the environment. You'll learn about the pressures humans place on the earth and what we can do about it. Study a range of topics from climate change to urban green spaces, from Māori resource management to the impact of humans on Antarctica. behind environmental problems and discover pathways to make our actions more sustainable. | Victoria University | 5,6,7 | 360 | Full time- 3 years |
| Bachelor Business and Sustainability | Sustainability is about meeting the needs of today without adversely impacting the needs of future generations. It involves looking at the entire business process from manufacturer to end user, whilst being more efficient, using cleaner production methods, and maximising resources and minimising waste. For small businesses and large corporations, performance is no longer simply about economic profit – it encompasses corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities that reflect society. | University of Canterbury | 5,6,7 | 360 | Full time- 3 years |
| Bachelor Study Environmental Management | Environmental Management is about coordinating environmental efforts - investigating problems, developing solutions, and working in multi-disciplinary teams - to address the environmental crises that are plaguing the world. This includes numerous areas, from global warming to deforestation, soil erosion to landfills. | Otago University | 6,7,8 | 360 | Full time- 3 years |
| Bachelor of International Tourism Management- Sustainable Tourism Management major | This major focuses on the inbound travel industry; servicing the growing numbers of tourists visiting New Zealand. It's designed to meet the needs and increased demand of the local tourism sector and focuses on marketing, planning and sustainable development of tourism. | AUT | 5,6,7 | 360 | Full time- 3 years |
| Professional and Community Engagement | Professional and Community Engagement (PACE) studies are an ideal complement to your core subject. Training in this area will help you to develop key skills in community engagement, professional enterprise, cultural competence, and innovation. These skills will be honed through relevant work experience, projects, and internships for those undertaking this minor. | University of Canterbury | 5,6,7 | 360 | Full time- 3 years |
| Graduate Certificate in Business and Sustainability | Lincoln's Graduate Certificate in Business & Sustainability responds to the increasing demand for people who are knowledgeable about business and sustainability either to work as assessors, or to work within businesses to assist them to improve the sustainability of their practices. | Lincoln University | 8 | 120 | Full time- 1 year |
| Diploma Management and Sustainability | If you're committed to a more sustainable world, this could be the ideal subject for you. Management and sustainability focus on issues of environmental management, corporate social responsibility and the activities of firms, governments and other organisations. Gain a sound basis for a career as an analyst or manager committed to a sustainable world. You’ll learn about issues of environmental management, corporate social responsibility, and the activities of firms, government organisations and non-governmental organisations. | University of Waikato | 8 | 180 | Full time- 1 year |
| Master of Resource and Environmental Planning | Shape the places where we live, work and play, with a Master of Resource and Environmental Planning. | Massey | 9 | 240 | - |
| Master of Management- Sustainability | Gain the skills to be an effective manager within a sustainable-focused industry or bring an increasingly important perspective to any business. | Massey | 9 | 240 | - |
| Master’s Climate Change Science and Policy | Climate change is undoubtedly one of the biggest challenges our world faces. The 180-point Master of Climate Change Science and Policy will give you the necessary combination of policy and science knowledge to address this very real and urgent problem. It’s a cross-disciplinary programme which combines taught courses with a research essay or placement with an external organisation. | Victoria University | 9 | 180 | - |
| Master of Sustainable Business | An interdisciplinary programme providing an advanced qualification in sustainability and its relevance to the business community. Suitable for students seeking a career in the public and private sectors as practitioners and policy makers in fields such as sustainability management for industry, business analysis, sustainable business consulting and sustainable development management. | Otago University | 9 | 180 | - |
Your Study Options
Below are sustainability-related Certificates, Diplomas, Bachelors, and Masters level qualifications.
Join the Now Crowd
The Now Crowd is a community of young professionals driving sustainability in their workplaces. They run action based sprints and events that can help you upskill.
Become a Kaitiaki
There are opportunities to be a kaitiaki (environmental guardian) no matter what role you’re in. Plumbing? – think water efficiency. Administration? – think sustainable procurement. Finance? – think carbon accounting. This valuable real-world experience will broaden your knowledge as you work toward your ultimate goal or working in sustainability.
Sustainability Skill Set
Communication is rated as one of the top skills for sustainability professionals. Check out the latest report from SBN, Oxygen and AUT with Insights on New Zealand Sustainability Professionals. Some professional memberships you might want to look at to identify and develop the expertise you need include: Women of Sustainability, IEMA, ISSP, Now Crowd, and EIANZ.
“I completed a Bachelor of Resource Studies at Lincoln University. It was a multidisciplinary degree that has really shaped how I look at the world and develop solutions for businesses. Having that ability to look across a broad range of issues to identify solutions within a business is essential to being a great sustainability professional. I also completed a Masters in Resource and Environmental Planning which provided some of the theoretical and legal underpinnings for my work” – Carolyn Cox
“I studied a three-year Bachelor of Applied Science- Biodiversity Management at Unitec, Mt Albert. I started off studying Applied Science- Animal Management and soon learned that although I loved animals I did not love studying them. It’s perfectly fine to change your initial plans, don’t just stick with something because you have enrolled. You have to make sure that you love what you are doing” – Alix McKenzie
Sustainability & Environmental qualifications
We have compiled a list of related Certificate, Diploma, Bachelors, and Masters level qualifications.
No matter what you are studying you will find there is a wide array of sustainability related electives offered by most New Zealand tertiary providers that may fit with your course requirements. Best of luck with your studies!
List compiled 16th March 2020. Please refer to the providers website for current fees and more detailed information.
| Qualification | Description | Provider | Level | Credits | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sustainability and Outdoor Education | The purpose of this qualification is to provide the land based primary industries with individuals who are able to apply sustainable practices to current operations or to a new activity. | EIT | 3 | 80 | Full time- 12 weeks |
| Certificate in Sustainable Primary Production | The purpose of this qualification is to provide the land based primary industries with individuals who are able to develop and manage sustainable land-based production. | EIT | 4 | 70 | Full time- 22 weeks |
| Sustainability and Outdoor Education | This degree provides a unique combination of theory and practice to produce high quality graduates with a sound understanding of contemporary social and cultural issues, geography and sustainability, and proven capability in outdoor education. It is a broad degree that allows students opportunities to tailor their learning to meet the needs of a variety of career aspirations. | ARA Canterbury | 5,6,7 | 360 | Full time- 3 years Part time- up to 6 years |
| Bachelor of Applied Science and Sustainability | This programme links science and technology with business, enabling students to become innovative thinkers with an entrepreneurial spirit in one of three areas of specialisation: Human Wellbeing; Environmental Wellbeing; Geodata and Forest Management. | Toi-Ohomai Institute of Technology | 5,6,7 | 360 | Full time- 3 years |
| Graduate Diploma or Certificate in Sustainable Management | When you achieve this qualification, you will be able to, plan and conduct activities in a variety of environmental workstreams, communicate complex environmental ideas and information in a professional way and apply integrated resource management solutions to a diverse range of complex environmental problems. | Open polytechnic | 7 | 120 | Full time- 1 year Part time- 3 years |
| Postgraduate Diploma In Sustainable Aquaculture | This programme will give you an advanced theoretical understanding and the technical and practical skills related to sustainable aquaculture practices. It will provide you with the skills to critically assess aquaculture systems. As part of an internship or in your existing employment, you will also complete an industry research project. | NMIT | 8 | 120 | Full time- 1 year Part time- 2-3 years |
| Name | Description | Provider | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| SDG Academy | The SDG Academy creates and curates free massive open online courses and educational materials on sustainable development and the Sustainable Development Goals. | United Nations | Varies |
| ISO14001 | Environmental Management Systems - Lead Auditor | Telarc | 5 days |
| ISO14001 | Environmental Management Systems - Implementation | Telarc | 3 days |
| Global Reporting Initiative | Certified GRI Standards Sustainability Reporting Course | Proxima | 2 days |
| Integrated Reporting | Integrated Reporting Practitioner Training Course | Proxima | 2 days |