Entrepreneurs of the 21st century are concerned about the “triple bottom line": How a business treats people, what its impact is on the environment, and how profitable it is. Businesses seeking sustainability face competition and pricing pressure from entities focusing only on a single bottom line, and creating new ways of doing business is much harder than just doing business. People who want to start a business or create a collaborative for the changing world need to know more. They’re creating something new, and their creation must be financially successful.
Program Highlights:
- Design and complete your UMass Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in Sustainable Entrepreneurship with online or blended courses taught by UMass UWW faculty
- Credit for Your Learning Experience - earn up to 30 credits for learning gained from your life, work and training experiences
- Gain excellent critical thinking and writing skills; an understanding of the larger context of sustainability as a new model for social and economic life; business skills and knowledge; an understanding of the particular issues and problems that confront sustainable businesses
- Complete the UWW Sustainable Entrepreneurship concentration with an entrepreneurial business plan ready for immediate use to (1) develop of a new sustainable business, (2) re-envision a current business or workplace, or (3) showcase skills as you embark on a new career in the green, sustainable economy
- Transfer up to 75 credits no matter how long ago you earned them
Learn more about this program:
To receive more information and connect with the program manager, please click on inquire now to the right.
Sample a Course
Click here for more information on earning your UWW Bachelor's of Arts Sustainable Entrepreneurship Concentrations.
Registration is administered through UMass Amherst Continuing & Professional Education. Please see Fee Schedule below.
| Type of Fee |
Amount |
| Fee per Credit: |
$350 |
| Registration Fee: |
$45 |
| Program Fee: |
$150 per semester |
| Placeholder Fee: |
$350 |
Prior Learning Fees:
(placeholder and assessment) |
Assessment Fees:
1-15 credits-$600
16-20 credits-$900
21-24 credits-$1200
25-29 credits-$1500
30-33 credits-$1800 |
The University of Massachusetts is accredited by the
New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
Did you know?
University of Massachusetts has earned several awards for its distance learning programs, faculty and technology including:
- University of Massachusetts Ranked Among Top 28 Best Value in Online Education for Human Services & Psychology Professionals, 2009 by Get Educated
- Ranked Top 10 Online Degrees Colleges- September 2009 (Online Degree Reviews.com)
- UMassOnline Awarded Public Sector of the Year by Mass Technology Leadership Council , 2008
- Most Outstanding Online Teaching and Learning Program, UMass Lowell’s Online Graduate Behavioral Intervention in Autism Program, Sloan Consortium Excellence Awards, 2008
- ‘Excellence in Online Teaching’ Award, Dr. Jeannette E. Riley, Sloan Consortium Excellence Awards, 2008
- 21st Century Best Practices Award, United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA)
- Program of Excellence, University Continuing Education Association (UCEA)-Journalism Certificate
- Excellence in Faculty Development, Sloan-C Excellence Awards
- Excellence in Online Programming, Sloan-C Excellence Awards
- Excellence in Online Teaching, Sloan-C Excellence Awards
- UMass Amherst Isenberg MBA, Top 10 national rankings, #4 Best Professors (2005, 2006, 2007 Princeton Review: Best Business Schools rankings)
- 4th in Primary Care Education, U.S. World Reports
- Ranked 45th Best University System in the World - London Times
- Excellence in Distance Teaching Education - United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA)
Your past credits count no matter how long ago you took your courses. UMass Amherst allows up to 75 transfer credits from other accredited institutions toward graduation as long as the course grade is C (2.0 grade point average) or better. All UMass Amherst general education requirements, except junior year writing, may be satisfied by courses from other institutions, and students can take courses at other schools and transfer those credits into UMass Amherst even after being admitted into UWW.
UWW students are accepted in both the fall and spring, with application deadlines for fall on May 15 and for spring, October 1. Minimum admissions requirements are: 12 credits of college course work (a composition course is strongly recommended) and a 2.00 grade point average. Application forms are located at www.umass.edu/uww/admissions_aid/index.html and must include:
- Signed, dated and completed UMass Amherst application form.
- Official transcripts from any and all colleges ever attended.
- Résumé.
- A personal statement essay 2-3 pages.
- Non-native English speakers proof of either TOEFL or two non-ESL composition courses graded B or better.
- Applicants raised in a non-English speaking country must also have official results of the TOEFL exam mailed to UWW by the application deadline. Applicants who have received a grade of “B” or better on two composition courses in an American college or university may be exempt from the TOEFL requirement. The exemption is not automatic, but based on a complete review of the academic history.
Click here to download all UWW application materials.
Availability of financial aid varies depending on matriculation and course status. Please check with your program manager or advisor to determine your eligibility. Generally, if you are matriculated in a degree program and are enrolled in a minimum of 6 credits each semester, you may qualify for financial aid. Please review our Financial Aid Checklist below.
1. www.fafsa.ed.gov.
2. University of Massachusetts Amherst school code number 002221.
3. For more information please click here.
Sustainability Meets Beauty
By Daniel Schemer
If there is one industry that continues to successfully incorporate the concepts of sustainability it is beauty/skin care. Today, all companies and brands must be very conscientious not just with what is put into their products, but also its ecological effects. Whether this means going the natural and organic route or applying high environmental standards to satisfy their demographic, companies require employees knowledgeable in sustainability and eco-friendly applications. That is Lisa Sykes’ job.
“I rigorously examine products and encourage vendors to reformulate, redesign, and implement their own sustainability strategies,” said Lisa Sykes, who is the Sustainability Specialist for Universal Companies, one of the largest international distributors for skin, beauty, and body products, equipment, and supplies to spas, professionals, resorts, and destination properties. Universal Companies is highly dedicated to promoting sustainable practices, so it places emphasis on what it calls Green Leaf products; all vendors wishing to have the Green Leaf label must go through evaluation from the Sustainability Specialist. This, according to Ms. Sykes, involves very careful label-reading, investigating marketing and manufacturing claims, and a whole lot of fact-checking. Her job also entails educating fellow employees on standards and policies. “I also implement environmental measures internally, write informative articles for publication, conduct webinars, and serve as the company’s liaison to the Green Spa Network and LOHAS.” LOHAS is an acronym for Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability and refers to the market demographic focused on environmental responsibility and health & wellbeing. She has even written many articles on eco-conscious living published in Day Spa Magazine, Spa Business, Self Magazine, Spa Trade, and LOHAS Journal.
Though carrying a title that deems her a professional, Ms. Sykes wanted to continue her education in sustainability through online programs, which led her to enroll in UMass Dartmouth’s Sustainability Studies Certificate Program. “Because I work full-time, I needed a program that was flexible. I looked at a variety of online programs, but the University of Massachusetts had everything that I needed: cost-efficiency, a well-rounded curriculum, and an impressive reputation.” Some of the courses she took were on principles of sustainability, environmental law, the impacts of globalization, and corporate responsibility. “One of the most useful tasks that I completed was the creation of a sustainability action plan for an existing company and defending it, like a thesis, in our class message boards.”
It took about a year for her to complete the online certificate program and is looking forward to integrating her newfound knowledge with her career. “It has helped me widen my lens a bit. I’ve learned some interesting concepts from my professors, which I intend to put into practice.”
With an MA in English from East Tennessee University, Lisa Sykes, 37, spent years in education as a “somewhat eccentric” English Professor, teaching composition and literary criticism at her alma mater and also Emory & Henry College in Virginia. Her career didn’t hinder her zeal for environmentalism. “I’ve always been interested in sustainability. Growing up, we always had a garden, and my mom used to sell her produce at the farm
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