Online Colleges with Degrees in Sustainability: online accredited colleges

Showing posts with label online accredited colleges. Show all posts

Saturday, August 24, 2013

New England College Master's of Science and Management-Sustainability Online

As part of our ongoing effort to identify, evaluate and publicize online degree programs in sustainability, today we will be looking at the New England College Masters of Science and Management-Sustainability Online. The New England College is an online college that awards a Master's Degree in Science and Management - Sustainability. Our information comes from a variety of sources, but all evaluations and opinions are our own.

Online College

New England College was founded in 1946 in Henniker, New Hampshire to cater to returning WWII vets going to college on the GI Bill. It's on-campus enrollment is about 1800 undergraduate students, but New England College has been a significant player on online and distance education. They claim:

The purpose of the New England College School of Graduate and Professional Studies is to remove the obstacles to educational advancement and open new pathways leading to professional development and personal enrichment. New England College is the leader in flexible, tailored on-site graduate programs offered throughout the region and through multiple delivery models.

Online Degree Programs

Master's of Science in Management - Sustainability

Descriptions

The Master of Science in Management – Sustainability online program helps you become an agent of change through an examination of key concepts informing the triple-bottom line. Focus on important issues in sustainability: renewable energy, natural resources, environmental law, and the roles and responsibilities corporations have in the communities where they do business. Discover innovative approaches to understand, research, and provide solutions to complex sustainability challenges.

Source: http://online.nec.edu/lp-sustainability-a/

Pros

Flexibility
Cost
Relatively quick and easy program to complete
Easily Accepted

Cons

As with most colleges that specialize in online offerings, you're missing out on the trappings of the classic research university. The degree itself won't mean much, unless you know what to make of it and how to explain to professional employers what you have been doing for two years.

Cost

Unknown

Rankings

Princeton Review College Ranking: No

Princeton Review Green Honor Roll: No

Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges: No

US News and World Reports MBA Ranking: No

Bloomberg BusinessWeek MBA Rankings: No

Financial Times Global MBA Rankings: No

The Economist Global Executive MBA Rankings: No

Wall Street Journal Business School Rankings: No

Green Report Card Ranking: No

Resources

Guide to Sustainability MBA Programs from Wikipedia

GreenerU Guide to Sustainability Rankings

Bloomberg BusinessWeek Top MBAs in Sustainability

Robert Nelson is blogger-in-chief at Dude, Sustainable!. Find us on Google+ or on Facebook.

Friday, August 23, 2013

Oregon State University - Online Colleges with Degrees in Sustainability

As part of our ongoing effort to identify, evaluate and publicize online degree programs in sustainability, today we will be looking at Oregon State University E-Campus. Oregon State University E-Campus is an online college that awards a degrees and certificates in Sustainable Natural Resources. Our information comes from a variety of sources, but all evaluations and opinions are our own.

Online College

The Oregon State University E-Campus is OSU's distance and extension learning program. OSU is based in Corvallis, Oregon and all E-Campus students receive the same transcript and same diploma as an on-campus attendee. Oregon State is part of the University of Oregon System, and as a Pac-12 Conference member, adheres to the same rigorous academic standards as the other Pac-12 state schools based in California, Washington, Arizona and more.

OSU Ecampus is consistently ranked among the nation's best providers of online education for the quality and strength of our programs. In each of the last four years, Ecampus has been ranked in the top 25 nationally by several independent companies –including 12th for the 2013-14 school year by SuperScholar, which bases its rankings on "degree selection diversity … market credibility and prestige, academic quality, student support, and student satisfaction."

Online Degree Programs

Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Natural Resource Management (18 Credit)

Descriptions

From their website:

Now you can earn a graduate certificate in Sustainable Natural Resources from Oregon State University, a research institution renowned for its expertise in natural resources. This 18-credit online certificate is designed for all students, especially company, industry or agency employees who desire training in solving complex sustainability problems.

Students complete an integrated course of study in a dynamic learning community, under the mentorship of professionals, to design workable solutions for complex natural resource issues of local, state, regional, national and international importance.

Source: http://ecampus.oregonstate.edu/online-degrees/graduate/sustainability/

Pros

The Oregon State University's Department of Forestry, the sponsor of this certificate program, is ranked 8th in the world in an international survey of over 3,000 colleges. Oregon is also geographically positioned to benefit from their proximity to the Pacific Ocean, the Cascade Mountain Range and the Willamette Valley agricultural region.

Cons

Students looking for a degree in energy or corporate sustainability may want to look elsewhere, as this program deals almost exclusively with Natural Resource Management with sustainability as the backdrop. This will, of course, help you to break into a number of fields in which natural resource management is an issue, but may not help as much as, say, the Penn State or University of Denver programs in the private sector.

Cost

Cost per Credit: $512
Approximate Cost of Program: $9200

Rankings

Princeton Review College Ranking:

Princeton Review Green Honor Roll: No

Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges: Yes

US News and World Reports MBA Ranking: No

Bloomberg BusinessWeek MBA Rankings: No

Financial Times Global MBA Rankings: No

The Economist Global Executive MBA Rankings: No

Wall Street Journal Business School Rankings: No

Green Report Card Ranking: B+
Sierra Magazine Cool School List: No

Resources

Guide to Sustainability MBA Programs from Wikipedia

GreenerU Guide to Sustainability Rankings

Bloomberg BusinessWeek Top MBAs in Sustainability

Robert Nelson is blogger-in-chief at Dude, Sustainable!. Find us on Google+ or on Facebook.

Saturday, August 3, 2013

University of Denver University College - Online Degrees in Sustainability

As part of our ongoing effort to identify, evaluate and publicize online degree programs in sustainability, today we will be looking at the The University of Denver University College of Professional and Continuing Studies. The University of Denver University College is an online college that awards a Masters in Energy and Sustainability. Our information comes from a variety of sources, but all evaluations and opinions are our own.

Online College

The University of Denver University College is the University of Denver's Professional and Continuing Studies Program targeted towards working adults. The University of Denver itself is the oldest private college in the Rocky Mountain Region of the United States, and focuses on graduate degrees. Indeed, graduate students outnumber undergraduate students, the count being 6k graduate and 5k undergraduate.

Online Degree Programs

Masters in Energy and Sustainability (48 credits)
Certificate in Energy and Sustainability (24 credits)

Descriptions

The Master's and Certificate Program in Energy and Sustainability at the University of Denver University College are geared, as the name suggests, to preparing students to enter the growing energy industry. Introductory courses introduce students to energy systems and energy policy, while upper-level courses guide the student towards a more diversified offering in environmental systems and sustainability planning. Sustainability systems, for example:

"must be considered and developed in the areas of growth, transportation, energy, policy, and business models in order to head off looming environmental, political, and humanitarian problems. This will be accomplished through a comprehensive study of sustainability in the areas of economic development, green building, land use, transportation, and water resources."

Students will be expected to:

Demonstrate a solid understanding of how non−renewable and renewable energy sources are developed, used, regulated, and financed

Articulate a strong working knowledge of sustainability concepts

Show an understanding of trends and issues in areas of traffic management, climate science, water supplies, and green buildings

Develop plans for the integration of sustainable practices into products, business and marketing plans, environmental policies, and organizational processes

Build finance−schemes and marketing strategies for their plans so they can be presented to an organization leader as an executable idea
As well as develop a strong understanding of environmental management.

Source: http://universitycollege.du.edu/epm/degree/masters/energy-and-sustainability-online/degreeid/369#overview

Pros

Environmental and Sustainability Policy Planning is a rapidly growing field, and the choice between a Master's and Certificate Program allows the student to choose the proper amount of schooling necessary for their career advancement and continuing education at a cost that is far from prohibitive.

Cons

The University of Denver, although well-known in the Rocky Mountain region, is a relative lightweight compared to East, West and Midwest giants who offer similar degrees. It is also a relative unknown in the major ranking indices.