Graduate Certificate in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)
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Learn how to assess your organization’s progress on sustainability goals. 100% online.
The Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Graduate Certificate focuses on the practical application of environmental, social, and governance reporting across organizations. In the certificate, you’ll learn the fundamentals of ESG components, reporting, tracking, and application.
ESG is a reporting framework used by organizations to assess and report on their progress towards achieving sustainability goals. Examples of metrics in ESG reporting include carbon emissions, climate-related risk mitigation, fair labor practices, energy usage, community engagement, executive compensation, workplace health and safety, data privacy, supply chain resilience, board diversity, and more. Organizations may be required to comply with ESG reporting mandated by regulation and policy, such as through the European Union (EU) Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), state-level reporting requirements, among others.
In the certificate, you’ll explore topics, such as:
- triple bottom line accounting,
- emerging environmental challenges,
- sustainability of economic development,
- modeling techniques and analysis,
- national and international policies,
- role of different stakeholders in sustainability,
- traditional micro, macro, and international trade theory,
- economic systems,
- policy, law, and the legal system,
- globalization and localization, and
- business organization and financial market alternatives.
The Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Graduate Certificate is offered through the University of Wisconsin Master of Science in Sustainable Management. Courses and credits earned in the certificate apply to the master’s degree should you choose to enroll as a degree-seeking student.
Courses are entirely online—asynchronous, with zero on-campus, virtual, or in-person meeting requirements—an ideal format for busy professionals. Watch lectures, participate in online forums with your classmates, and—although assignments have deadlines—do homework whenever it’s convenient for you. The program also provides optional networking and career development opportunities for you to connect virtually with your peers, faculty, and professionals. Learn more about online learning with UW.
Earn your bachelor’s, master’s, or certificate in sustainability ONLINE with the University of Wisconsin.
Who Should Apply?
Students enroll in our certificate programs for a variety of reasons, including to learn new skills that help them advance in their current field, gain a competitive edge in the job market, or change careers. Our certificate programs can also serve as preparation for a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
The Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Graduate Certificate offers value to professionals working in a variety of fields, such as: sustainability, financial services, wealth management, investing, accounting, human resources, consulting, healthcare, business, technology, education, government, and more.
Courses in the certificates will provide students with the skills and knowledge increasingly sought by employers who are integrating sustainability, climate leadership, and ESG goals into their activities, either voluntarily or to be compliant with reporting mandates.
Universities of Wisconsin Collaboration
The Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Graduate Certificate is a partnership of UW-Green Bay, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Parkside, UW-Stout, and UW-Superior. Learn more about our campus partners and choosing a home campus.
Accreditation
Whether online or on campus, University of Wisconsin programs have a reputation for delivering world-class education and student support. Accreditation is your assurance that you will graduate with skills that are relevant to your field and valued by employers. The Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Graduate Certificate is approved by the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents and is fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
To be eligible for the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Graduate Certificate, students must meet the following requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree, in any discipline, from an accredited university (min. 3.0 GPA).
You may also need to submit the following application materials:
- Official college transcripts,
- Your resume,
- Two letters of recommendation (professional or academic), and
- Personal statement of up to 1,000 words describing your motivation to pursue this certificate.
International Guidelines
This program welcomes online students from around the world. Online students do not qualify for an F-1 Student Visa to travel to the U.S., but instead can participate in our online courses remotely. If your native language is not English and/or you attended school outside of the U.S., you will likely need to provide proof of English language proficiency and an official translation or evaluation of academic transcripts. Requirements will vary based on a student’s academic history and home campus policies. For guidance about these requirements and how they apply to your specific situation, contact your preferred home campus admissions office.
If you would like to apply as an International Student for an on-campus program in the UW System please refer to these resources through UW-HELP.
Application Deadline
Your online application and all required materials must be submitted to your preferred home campus generally 2-4 weeks prior to the date classes start (this varies by campus) to be considered for admission.
How to Apply
While you are free to apply on your own, many prospective students find it helpful to speak with an enrollment adviser first.
Step 1. Select a home campus from our list of program partners: UW-Green Bay, UW-Oshkosh, UW-Parkside, UW-Stout, and UW-Superior. Learn more about our campus partners and choosing a home campus.
*Please note: the application for UW-Oshkosh, UW-Parkside, and UW-Superior is pending and will be available soon.
Step 2. Apply to your preferred home campus using the University of Wisconsin System Online Admission Application. Please review the application instructions for your preferred home campus below. If you are applying to UW-Stout, you will not use the UW System Online Admission Application, you will use the UW-Stout Online Application.
Apply as a “Graduate Non-Degree Applicant.”
- When asked “Are you applying as a degree-seeking student?” select “No”, and that you plan to take “Graduate” classes.
- Select “UW-Green Bay” as the campus.
- Choose “ESG Certificate” for program.
No application fee. Skip the application fee section (not required for the certificate).
Not eligible for financial aid.
If applying as a “Graduate Applicant:”
- When asked “Are you applying as a degree-seeking student?” select “Yes”, and that you would like to earn a “Graduate Degree”.
- Select “UW-Oshkosh” as the campus.
- Choose “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Graduate Certificate” for program.
$56 application fee.*
*For a limited time, we are offering an application fee waiver for the Spring, Summer, and Fall 2025 semesters. To redeem, use coupon code APPLY25 on the UW Online Application payment page.
Not eligible for financial aid.
Apply as a “Graduate Non-Degree Applicant.”
- When asked “Are you applying as a degree-seeking student?” select “No”, and that you plan to take “Graduate” classes.
- Select “UW-Parkside” as the campus.
- Choose “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Graduate Certificate” for program.
No application fee. Skip the application fee section (not required for the certificate).
Not eligible for financial aid.
- If you are applying to UW-Stout, you will not use the UW System Online Admission Application, you will use the UW-Stout Online Application.
- No application fee.
- Not eligible for financial aid.
Apply as a “Graduate Non-Degree Applicant.”
- When asked “Are you applying as a degree-seeking student?” select “No”, and that you plan to take “Graduate” classes.
- Select “UW-Superior” as the campus.
- Choose “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Graduate Certificate” for program.
No application fee. Skip the application fee section (not required for the certificate).
Not eligible for financial aid.
Step 3. Send your resume, personal statement, and letters of recommendation (if required); and arrange to have your official college transcripts (from each institution you attended) sent to the graduate student admissions office of the home campus to which you applied. Please request electronic transcripts, if this service is offered by your previous school(s), to be sent directly to the admissions email of your chosen home campus. Electronic transcripts are usually delivered more quickly than physical copies sent by mail.
3 Courses. 9 Credits. 100% Online.
Courses in the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Graduate Certificate focus on the principles of sustainability, climate science, and leadership, and is offered through the University of Wisconsin Master of Science in Sustainable Management. Courses and credits earned in the certificate apply to the master’s degree should you choose to enroll as a degree-seeking student.
It is possible to complete a certificate in one year; however, based on work and personal obligations, you may decide to take longer.
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
Learn how to document and project internal and external costs resulting from the inseparability of the natural, social, and economic environments. Additionally, gain the ability to assess sustainability issues using basic modeling techniques, cause and effect, root cause analysis, regression analysis, and business-scenario-based cases. | 3 Credits |
This course delves into the law and ethics regarding sustainability of economic development and emerging environmental challenges at national and international levels; including National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), Carbon Footprints, Kyoto protocol, and Brundtland Commission. We will also explore the policy and role of government and its agencies (such as Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Interior, etc.) in building a more just, prosperous, and secure environmental common future. | 3 Credits |
Learn to understand the economy as a component of the ecosystem in which it resides, with natural capital added to the typical analysis of human, social, built, and financial capital. Explore traditional micro, macro, and international trade theory and policy and the implications of sustainability. Topics include the history of economic systems and thought; globalization and localization; distinguishing between growth and development; the nature and causes of market failure; consumption, consumerism, and human well-being; emerging markets; technological change; business organization and financial market alternatives; demographic change; and the global food economy. | 3 Credits |
Course availability for the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Graduate Certificate varies each semester, and is subject to change due to fluctuating enrollment. If you are a current student, please consult with your campus advisor prior to registration.
Fall 2024
Course Preview Week: August 27 - September 02, 2024
Semester Dates: September 03 - December 13, 2024
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
Learn how to document and project internal and external costs resulting from the inseparability of the natural, social, and economic environments. Additionally, gain the ability to assess sustainability issues using basic modeling techniques, cause and effect, root cause analysis, regression analysis, and business-scenario-based cases. | 3 Credits |
This course delves into the law and ethics regarding sustainability of economic development and emerging environmental challenges at national and international levels; including National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), Carbon Footprints, Kyoto protocol, and Brundtland Commission. We will also explore the policy and role of government and its agencies (such as Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Interior, etc.) in building a more just, prosperous, and secure environmental common future. | 3 Credits |
Learn to understand the economy as a component of the ecosystem in which it resides, with natural capital added to the typical analysis of human, social, built, and financial capital. Explore traditional micro, macro, and international trade theory and policy and the implications of sustainability. Topics include the history of economic systems and thought; globalization and localization; distinguishing between growth and development; the nature and causes of market failure; consumption, consumerism, and human well-being; emerging markets; technological change; business organization and financial market alternatives; demographic change; and the global food economy. | 3 Credits |
Spring 2025
Request Permission NumberCourse Preview Week: January 21 - January 27, 2025
Semester Dates: January 28 - May 09, 2025
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
Learn how to document and project internal and external costs resulting from the inseparability of the natural, social, and economic environments. Additionally, gain the ability to assess sustainability issues using basic modeling techniques, cause and effect, root cause analysis, regression analysis, and business-scenario-based cases. | 3 Credits |
This course delves into the law and ethics regarding sustainability of economic development and emerging environmental challenges at national and international levels; including National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), Carbon Footprints, Kyoto protocol, and Brundtland Commission. We will also explore the policy and role of government and its agencies (such as Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Interior, etc.) in building a more just, prosperous, and secure environmental common future. | 3 Credits |
Learn to understand the economy as a component of the ecosystem in which it resides, with natural capital added to the typical analysis of human, social, built, and financial capital. Explore traditional micro, macro, and international trade theory and policy and the implications of sustainability. Topics include the history of economic systems and thought; globalization and localization; distinguishing between growth and development; the nature and causes of market failure; consumption, consumerism, and human well-being; emerging markets; technological change; business organization and financial market alternatives; demographic change; and the global food economy. | 3 Credits |
Summer 2025
Registration Opens: March 10, 2025
Course Preview Week: May 20 - May 26, 2025
Semester Dates: May 27 - August 08, 2025
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
Learn to understand the economy as a component of the ecosystem in which it resides, with natural capital added to the typical analysis of human, social, built, and financial capital. Explore traditional micro, macro, and international trade theory and policy and the implications of sustainability. Topics include the history of economic systems and thought; globalization and localization; distinguishing between growth and development; the nature and causes of market failure; consumption, consumerism, and human well-being; emerging markets; technological change; business organization and financial market alternatives; demographic change; and the global food economy. | 3 Credits |
Fall 2025
Registration Opens: April 14, 2025
Course Preview Week: August 26 - September 01, 2025
Semester Dates: September 02 - December 12, 2025
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
Learn how to document and project internal and external costs resulting from the inseparability of the natural, social, and economic environments. Additionally, gain the ability to assess sustainability issues using basic modeling techniques, cause and effect, root cause analysis, regression analysis, and business-scenario-based cases. | 3 Credits |
This course delves into the law and ethics regarding sustainability of economic development and emerging environmental challenges at national and international levels; including National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP), Carbon Footprints, Kyoto protocol, and Brundtland Commission. We will also explore the policy and role of government and its agencies (such as Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Interior, etc.) in building a more just, prosperous, and secure environmental common future. | 3 Credits |
Spring 2026
Registration Opens: November 10, 2025
Course Preview Week: January 20 - January 26, 2026
Semester Dates: January 27 - May 08, 2026
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
Learn how to document and project internal and external costs resulting from the inseparability of the natural, social, and economic environments. Additionally, gain the ability to assess sustainability issues using basic modeling techniques, cause and effect, root cause analysis, regression analysis, and business-scenario-based cases. | 3 Credits |
Tuition is a flat fee of $750 per credit. There are no additional course or program fees, with the exception of textbooks which are purchased separately.
- You’ll pay the same tuition whether you live in Wisconsin or out of state.
- You will not pay technology fees. If software or special technology is required in a course, it will be provided to you and is included in tuition.
- You will not pay segregated fees (fees for student services, activities, programs, and facilities).
- Textbooks are purchased separately and are not included in tuition.
Students enrolling in certificate programs may be eligible for financial aid. Refer to your home campus for more information.
How do these certificates fit into the master’s degree curriculum?
The Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Graduate Certificate (ESG-GC) and the Climate Leadership Graduate Certificate (CL-GC) offer flexibility for the student who wants to learn specific skills by earning a certificate, or prefers to build their skills over time by earning one certificate and then the other, and finally earning the Master of Science in Sustainable Management (SMGT-M) by completing the remaining courses. Courses completed in either certificate apply toward the master’s degree should you choose to enroll as a degree-seeking student in the program. You can start any semester and take courses and certificates in any sequence.
Master of Science in Sustainable Management Curriculum
Courses in the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Graduate Certificate (ESG-GC), Climate Leadership Graduate Certificate (CL-GC), and the Sustainability and Well-being Graduate Certificate (SW-GC) are highlighted.
Core Courses (3 credits per course)
- SMGT 700 Cultural and Historical Foundations of Sustainability CL-GC
- SMGT 710 The Natural Environment
- SMGT 720 Applied Research and the Triple Bottom Line ESG-GC
- SMGT 730 Policy, Law, and the Ethics of Sustainability ESG-GC
- SMGT 740 Economics of Sustainability ESG-GC
- SMGT 750 The Built Environment SW-GC
- SMGT 760 Geopolitical Systems-Decision Making for Sustainability on Local, State, and National Levels
- SMGT 770 Leading Sustainable Organizations CL-GC
Elective Courses (3 credits per course, complete 2 electives to earn the master’s degree)
- SMGT 780 Corporate Social Responsibility SW-GC
- SMGT 782 Supply Chain Management
- SMGT 784 Sustainable Water Management
- SMGT 785 Waste Management and Resource Recovery
- SMGT 786 Climate Change CL-GC
Capstone (complete the capstone courses to earn the master’s degree)
- SMGT 790 Capstone Prep (1 credit)
- SMGT 792 Capstone Project (3 credits)
For example, a student may choose to earn the Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Graduate Certificate (ESG-GC) by completing the three courses required to earn that certificate (SMGT 720 Applied Research and the Triple Bottom Line, SMGT 730 Policy, Law, and the Ethics of Sustainability, SMGT 740 Economics of Sustainability), and returning later to earn the Climate Leadership Graduate Certificate (CL-GC) by completing the three courses required to earn that certificate (SMGT 700 Cultural and Historical Foundations of Sustainability, SMGT 770 Leading Sustainable Organizations, SMGT 786 Climate Change).
If a student earns both certificates, they have completed 6 courses in the master’s degree curriculum. To earn the master’s degree, they need to complete four more core courses (SMGT 710 The Natural Environment, SMGT 750 The Built Environment, SMGT 760 Geopolitical Systems-Decision Making for Sustainability on Local, State, and National Levels) plus one elective and the capstone project to earn the master’s degree.
If a student chooses SMGT 780 Corporate Social Responsibility as their elective, they could also earn the Sustainability and Well-being Graduate Certificate (SW-GC) by completing the two additional Health and Wellness Management courses in that certificate’s curriculum.