Doing well by doing good: how this interdisciplinary UTS sustainability degree will help businesses thrive

SYDNEY, April 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Looking for a career that combines meaningful work with endless opportunity? Look no further than the field of sustainability, one of the fastest-evolving professions around. Once the domain of grassroots organisations, sustainability is now a mainstream movement that has the potential to drive $10.1 trillion in business opportunities and hundreds of millions of new jobs globally.

A new Bachelor of Sustainability and Environment from the University of Technology Sydney is preparing students to become leaders and changemakers in this rapidly growing field. This Australian-first combined degree pairs sustainability credentials with a Bachelor of Business, Economics, Health Science, Management or Science.

"As a transdisciplinary degree, the Bachelor of Sustainability and Environment gives students training in the different environmental, social, political and cultural dimensions of sustainability," says course director Dr Kristine Aquino.

"It ensures students will develop skills in problem solving, evaluation, and the ability to understand and work with different stakeholders."

Graduates emerge with the skills to deliver transformational sustainability outcomes for organisations within their chosen sector, as well as the expertise to guide businesses through the behavioural and cultural change required for lasting impact.

"Sustainability jobs are no longer limited to the environmental and not-for-profit sectors," says Dr Aquino.

"Instead, graduates can enact real and meaningful change almost anywhere, even in industries that have traditionally lagged behind in responding to environmental and social issues.

"Learning to creatively innovate in the field of sustainability will future-proof them for the challenges of the modern workforce."

The degree has emerged at a pivotal moment: governments and businesses across all sectors are increasingly investing in sustainability programs, both for the betterment of the planet and for their own bottom lines—a recent McKinsey report revealed that 40 per cent of respondents expect company sustainability programs to generate value in the next five years.

What's more, says the Harvard Business School, many companies who invest in the 'triple bottom line' (people, profits and the planet) gain a financial advantage from committing to sustainable practices, as do those who deliver on environmental, social, and governance metrics.

So, what does a sustainability career look like? According to UTS, it can touch on everything from climate and social justice to gender equality and intergenerational equity. For students of the degree, that means not only choice over where they work in future, but an abundance of choice over the kind of work they do.

Student Peter Rugg is currently studying the Bachelor of Sustainability and Environment combined with the Bachelor of Science. He says he chose the combined degree because of its cross-disciplinary approach.

"It wasn't just science focused," he says.

"Knowing that I'd be studying alongside people doing Business, or Management, or Health Science, I was really drawn to that approach and to those different perspectives.

"By the time I've finished the degree, there will probably be some jobs that don't even exist yet. I'm quite confident that I'll discover something that I really love."

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