Beginning Fall '09, Valpo is offering a Post Graduate Certificate in Sustainability. The designation will be available to students who are willing to spend an additional semester, after completing the standard MBA requirements, to focus on case studies and field projects in GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) and Sustainability. The Valpo MBA program was selected by the United Nations in the fall of 2008 to be a member in the United Nation's Matchmaker program. The program matches selected universities to conduct an audit on businesses submitting a voluntary report encompassing its environmental impact, social responsibilities initiatives, and labor practices throughout its supply chain.

Students study new technologies and innovations that improve our environment while also increasing the bottom line. Companies such as Subaru, Interface, Inc. and Nucor Steel are converting waste into profits and pushing sustainability down the supply chain. Our students learn from what has been accomplished and apply these (and new techniques) to real companies hoping to attain similar successes.

The program is taught by business consultants, engineering, legal professionals, and academic researchers. Topics include:

  * Overview of the Problem
  * New Technologies
  * Managing Sustainability
  * ISO 14001
  * Global Reporting Initiative
  * EPA
  * Government's Role
  * Kyoto Conference
  * Market Forces
  * CO₂ Credits
  * Case Studies
  * GRI Auditing
  * Field Projects with Real Companies