In the Integrative Sustainability Management (SuM-HSG) certificate programme, bachelor students learn to build partnerships, make decisions, develop solutions, and implement initiatives essential to driving progress towards a sustainable future.
The SuM-HSG certificate equips you with the skills you need to build partnerships, make decisions, find solutions, and implement initiatives that will contribute to a sustainable future within planetary boundaries. Align your studies and career with purpose – and with the future of business.
The programme curriculum consists of:
The certificate programme starts with the mandatory Base Camp course, which runs in the beginning of September 2025 (one week prior to the semester start) in an off-site location.
To complete the certificate programme in Integrative Sustainability Management (SuM-HSG), a total of 24 ECTS credits must be earned.
Of these, 16 ECTS credits must be earned in courses that are open and compulsory for SuM students only (Base Camp, 4 ECTS; Introduction to Sustainability Management, 4 ECTS; Final Project, 8 ECTS).
Elective courses worth 8 ECTS credits can be taken simultaneously in the major and in the SuM. However, this is only possible for courses that can be counted as electives in the SuM.
Participants starting the certificate programme in Integrative Sustainability Management in Fall 2024 can choose courses offered in the same semester and later at their BA-level. For the elective courses of the certificate programme in Integrative Sustainability Management, you can choose from the courses listed below:
You can submit your application via Compass from 1st of February until 30 June 2025.
All compulsory courses in the SuM are taught in English only. Electives can be taken either in English or German.
The certificate programme is open for students of all bachelor programmes (majors) after successful completion of the Assessment Year.
To apply for the SuM certificate, submit your one-page personal essay, your one-page CV, and your current grade transcript (at least first semester of the assessment year) via Compass by 30 June.
Please hand in one PDF file with the required documents in the following order: "Personal Essay – Curriculum Vitae – Grade Transcript." Name your file according to the following format: LastName_FirstName_SuM.pdf. All documents need to be submitted in English.
Your essay must be no longer than one page and needs to address one of the following questions:
Please note that your essay will be treated confidentially within the selection team and will only be used for the purpose of this application process.
Please note that SuM is limited to a maximum of 50 participants.
Your SuM application provides us with a holistic view of you as an applicant: from your CV we gain an understanding of your experiences, interests, and activities; your transcript shows us your academic achievements; your essay helps us gain insight into your ideas and what’s important to you. We aim to accept a cohort of students from across HSG’s bachelor programmes with diverse backgrounds, interests, and worldviews. We want to learn how the SuM could support you in your journey, and in turn what you would bring to the SuM.
There are no additional costs for students regularly enroled in one of the HSG's bachelor programmes.
Leaders and managers across sectors are facing growing demands to drive social and environmental sustainability forward in their organisations and respond decisively to a growing global crisis – but how can we do this? We live in an increasingly complex world. The sustainability challenges we face exist at a nexus of interconnected stakeholders, systems, and perspectives. How can we develop and drive solutions for the biggest challenges of today and tomorrow in a context of rapid change and uncertainty?
The SuM-HSG enables students to accompany their bachelor studies at the University of St.Gallen with a certificate programme that provides the tools and skills to understand and effectively tackle complex sustainability challenges. Through coursework and applied projects, students will gain hands-on experience making decisions, collaborating across sectors and generations, and building practical interventions to drive progress on sustainability from a systemic perspective.
Certificate Programme Integrative Sustainability Management (SuM-HSG)
Institute for Economy and the Environment (IWOe-HSG)
University of St.Gallen (HSG)
Müller-Friedberg-Strasse 6/8
CH-9000 St.Gallen
Prof. Dr. Judith Walls, Academic Director
Dr. Rachel Brooks, Programme Director
Dr. Annette M. Baertschi, Executive Director
Zsuzsa Borsa, Programme Manager
Please feel free to contact us by email at any time: sum@unisg.ch