Sustainable Society

The Focus Area Sustainable Society explained

What are companies responsible for, which negative externalities are acceptable, and who is paying the price for these consequences? Recently, this discussion has changed and become more intense. The Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations are moving up quickly on the agendas of top managers and policy makers as well. Many companies struggle to redefine themselves, and are looking for ways to contribute.

Completing the Focus Area Sustainable Society gives you specialised knowledge to help you understand these emerging themes and successfully contribute to the strategic developments in this field.

Procedure

To meet the requirements of the Focus Area Sustainable Society you will need to:

• register with one of the focus area coordinators, see below
• successfully complete two electives related to sustainable society from the predetermined list
• write your Master's thesis on a topic related to this particular focus area
• important: to add this focus area to your diploma, you must include the focus area in the application for approval of your Master's programme in Progress

Registration

Make sure to fill out the registration form for the focus area coordinator, Dr. Jiyoung Shin for MSc IB&M students, Prof. Bert Scholtens for MSc Finance and MSc IFM students or dr. B.C. (Björn) Mitzinneck for MSc BA (except the Health profile). After your registration you will receive detailed information about the procedure.

Conditions for annotation on diploma

The following conditions for obtaining an annotation on the diploma supplement apply:

• the Master’s Thesis BA Change Management, Master’s Thesis BA MAC, Master’s Thesis BA SB&E, Master’s Thesis BA SIM, Master's Thesis Finance, Master's Thesis IB&M or Master's Thesis IFM must be related to a 'Sustainable Society' subject, and
• the student’s Master's degree programme has been approved by or on behalf of the Board of Examiners (in accordance with Article 14 of the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Examiners) and the thesis has been found to be suitable in respect of a notification regarding the focus area on the diploma supplement, and
• the student has completed the MSc IB&M degree programme based on an approved programme that, whether curricular or extracurricular, includes at least two of the three courses Sustainability in Global Value Chains (EBM149B05), Multinationals and CSR (EBM197A05), Sustainability in Business and Economics (EBM209A05) or
• the student has completed the MSc IB&M degree programme based on an approved programme, whether curricular or extracurricular, with at least one of the three courses Sustainability in Global Value Chains (EBM149B05), Multinationals and CSR (EBM197A05), Sustainability in Business and Economics (EBM209A05) and with at least a second course from the list with the following two courses Business Ethics (EBM043A05), Responsible Finance and Investing (EBM071A05), or
• the student has completed the MSc Finance or MSc IFM degree programme based on an approved programme that, whether curricular or extracurricular, includes at least two of the three courses Responsible Finance and Investing (EBM071A05), Inclusive Finance (EBM069B05), Sustainability in Business and Economics (EBM209A05), or
• the student has completed the MSc BA Change Management, MSc BA MAC, MSc BA SB&E or MSc BA SIM degree programme based on an approved programme that, whether curricular or extracurricular, includes at least two of the three courses Business Ethics (EBM043A05), Sustainability: Strategies, Innovation, and Change (EBM210A05), Energy Transition & Innovation (EBM167A05).

More information

Do you have a question before you want to register, please contact one of the focus area coordinators:

• Dr. Jiyoung Shin (for MSc IB&M students)
• Prof. Bert Scholtens (for MSc Finance or MSc IFM students)

• Dr. Björn Mitzinneck (for MSc BA students)

Milou Nipshagen, MSc IB&M:

"Being an International Business and Management graduate with the Sustainable Society Focus Area has given me the chance to become an expert in an area where I am strongly passionate about, while it has also given me a better position in the job market and a traineeship as a sustainability consultant."

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