Degrees

Sustainability programs for undergraduate and graduate students

IU Indianapolis students who are serious about sustainability should consider degree or certificate programs related to the field. Our campus proudly offers a variety of ways to study sustainability across nearly every school. Whether you are an undergraduate or graduate student, you can gain knowledge and experience in sustainability through numerous degree programs at IU Indianapolis. 

Here you will find a list of IU Indianapolis programs that directly relate to the field of sustainability. However, the lens of sustainability can be applied to any discipline. Whether you're studying architecture, engineering, medicine, policy, law, or anything in between - there is a great deal you can learn about how to lessen the environmental, social, and economic impact in any field of work.

Undergraduate Certificates

Sustainable Technologies Certificate

This certificate is designed to address a growing need for professionals who can contribute to the green global workforce with knowledge in sustainable practices in current technologies. The Sustainable Technologies Certificate will be beneficial to students who want to acquire knowledge in areas of renewable energies, green building, and sustainable design, and who may want to pursue a career in a sustainable technology. All of the Sustainable Technologies Certificate courses are offered online.

Certificate in Public Health

The Undergraduate Certificate in Public Health will provide you with a foundation in public health theory and concepts, while also allowing you to choose one of two concentration options: Health Administration or Population Health Science. 

Health Administration: Designed for students interested in learning about the administrative functions required to run public health and healthcare organizations. Completing the Certificate in Public Health-Health Administration will help prepare you for entry-level work in such organizations. Current public health professionals will find this Certificate to be a time-saving way to develop the additional skills needed for career advancement.

Population Health Science: Designed for students interested in learning more about the core areas of study in Public Health related to Population Health and integration of those concepts with various areas of discipline in healthcare and public health delivery systems. Completing the Certificate in Public Health-Population Health Science will help prepare graduates new to these fields for entry-level work in such organizations as well as provide additional skills to current public health professionals interested in career development.

 

Certificate in Geographic Information Science (GIS)

You will study the integration of technologies and their application to problems of spatial analysis.

Graduate Certificates

Environmental Policy and Sustainability Certificate

The Graduate Certificate in Environmental Policy and Sustainability is a 15 credit hour program of study. The certificate program is designed to increase awareness of environmental and sustainability issues from a public affairs/public policy perspective.

Protecting the environment has become a critical goal for numerous companies across all sectors of the economy. Graduates of this certificate program will be positioned to play a crucial role in advancing sustainability and social responsibility initiatives within their organizations.

Certificate in Innovation and Social Change 

The Graduate Certificate in Innovation and Social Change is a 15 credit hour program of study designed to teach students how to deal with large-scale, fast-moving change and innovation in public and common service delivery.

Leading and managing organizational change has been identified as critical challenge for the management of any organization; especially in light of the fact that only 30 percent of all change initiatives are successful. Organizations need employees who are prepared to adapt to a changing environment and successfully adopt and implement new practices or technologies.

This certificate offers students the opportunity to critically review, debate, and examine the theory and practice of social entrepreneurship. It is designed to provide current and future managers and leaders with an overview of important topics in this emerging field and begin to prepare them to develop and lead socially entrepreneurial ventures and initiatives.

Certificate in Geographic Information Science (GIS)

 You will study the integration of technologies and their application to problems of spatial analysis.

Certificate in Energy Management and Assessment

The potential benefits of energy efficiency are tremendous. According to the National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency, more than half of expected growth in demand for electricity and natural gas can be avoided over the next 15 years. Globally, new energy efficiency standard, ISO 50001, has been established and implemented. Accordingly, the Department of Energy (DOE) has developed Superior Energy Performance (SEP) criteria. The companies certified by the ISO 50001 may be granted with the SEP status, which will give the companies tremendous advantages to do business globally. The implementation of this new standard and concept requires a workforce with an expertise in energy management and efficiency. Experts in energy efficiency will be greatly needed for improving energy efficiency, energy auditing, and SEP certification.

This certificate program is designed to address industry's increased needs for engineers who have expertise in energy management and efficiency. It will prepare today's engineers to be competitive in taking on the new challenges of energy efficiency facing industry. The purpose of this new graduate-certificate program in mechanical engineering is to enable engineers to become certified in energy assessment without formally pursuing a graduate degree.

Certificate in Hybrid Electric Vehicle Technology

Development of the next generation of fuel-efficient and environmentally-responsible advanced electric drive vehicles is one of the nation’s top priorities. The State of Indiana plays a major role in the design, development, and manufacturing of these types of vehicles, such as electric vehicle (EV), hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) or plugin hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), or their components. This is a very technically intensive and competitive field that requires multidisciplinary approaches. Expertise in the HEV technology will be greatly needed to meet the demands in the hybrid vehicle sector of the automotive industry.

This certificate program is designed to address industry's increased needs for engineers having expertise in EV/HEV/PHEV. It will prepare today's engineers to be competitive in taking on the new challenges facing the industry so that the companies in automotive sector can compete globally.

Certificate in Design Thinking

Now more than ever, “T-shaped professionals” are in high demand for their ability to collaborate across disciplines, build relationships, and advance innovation. These contemporary workers are characterized by the possession of deep skills in a specialty as well as the knack for solving problems in other areas of expertise, allowing them to move beyond boundaries. The emerging field of Design Thinking responds to this paradigm shift as a human-centered approach to connecting the dots.

This certificate program introduces a mindset as well as core skills in creative problem solving that can be applied to any discipline or field. Knowing how to investigate innovative solutions will enable you to actively apply, connect, and produce knowledge that meets complex human needs.

Certificate in Health Policy

The IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health Graduate Certificate in Health Policy is an 15-credit hour program of study designed to meet the needs of working public health professionals who wish to advance their careers by continuing their education. Completing the Certificate will provide you with an introduction to health policy that will incorporate the rapid changes occurring in health care, complex ethical issues, and complicated financing systems. 

Graduate Certificate in Product Stewardship

Please note: This program will no longer be available for enrollment to new students beginning with the fall 2023 term.

The IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health Graduate Certificate in Product Stewardship is a 15-credit hour program of study designed to meet the needs of working product stewards who wish to advance their careers by continuing their education. Completing the Graduate Certificate will provide you with a strong foundation in product stewardship theory and concepts. Graduates who are later accepted into the Fairbanks School of Public Health Master of Science in Product Stewardship (MSPS) degree may be able to apply credits earned in the Graduate Certificate in Product Stewardship toward the MSPS degree.