Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Business
PostgraduateTAS-SBS-GCE2025
Improve organisations’ environmental, social, and economic impacts.
Help businesses balance profit with people and the planet. You’ll learn to manage sustainability issues for organisations that care about their triple bottom line. Contribute to sustainable development. Consider a broader social system.
- Study method
- 100% online
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Applications close
- 6 July 2025
- Credit available
- Yes
- Duration
- 1 year full time or part time equivalent
- Total subjects
- 4
- Available loans
- Australian Higher Education Loan Program (HELP)
- CSP available
- Yes
Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Business
About this degree
Upon successful completion of this program, students should be able to:
- Identify and evaluate various sustainability-related risks and opportunities that confront organisations and society.
- Think critically to formulate solutions, make decisions and recommendations about contemporary business problems related to the sustainability agenda.
- Communicate both in oral and written form to justify proposed initiatives for improving the social and environmental performance of an organisation.
Now more than ever, business leaders need to consider a multitude of issues linked to 'sustainable development' when managing their organisation.
As stakeholders increasingly demand greater accountability from organisations to address their environmental and social impacts, sustainability-related performance is now acknowledged as an integral aspect of business – with a failure to do so putting an organisation’s future at risk.
The Graduate Certificate in Sustainable Business is designed to develop business professionals with the skills to tackle these sustainability-related issues in an increasingly socially and environmentally minded business climate.
The Graduate Certificate is a 4-subject program with flexible learning options for practitioners currently working or seeking a career in the fields of socially responsible investment, business continuity, and governance and assurance.
Recommended study pattern
This program is only available for part-time study.
Completion of 4 core subjects from the schedule below:
- TAS-BFA757 Socially Responsible Investing
- TAS-BFA758 Organisational Social Responsibilities
- TAS-BFA759 Managing and Reporting Sustainability Related Performance
- TAS-BFA760 Sustainability Related Governance and Assurance
Award requirements
Satisfactory completion of 4 subjects, as required in the schedule, within 0.5-2 years from commencement.
Degrees are usually made up of core subjects and electives. Some degrees include a choice of majors, so you can focus your studies on a specialisation.
This list is a general overview. Download the full Degree Guide for more information.
Open Universities Australia is a not-for-profit organisation. You will not pay any fees for using our services.
Indicative total fee $8,500
The amount shown here is indicative for an Australian citizen studying full-time, which is typically 8 subjects per year.
Fees may vary depending on:
- the subjects you choose
- credit from previous work experience
- your eligibility for government funding loans or subsidies such as HECS-HELP or a Commonwealth supported place.
To learn more, go to Fees or contact a student advisor.
Wherever you are, the University of Tasmania brings its island campus to you through a growing range of online programs across art and design, business, education, health, science, sustainability, technology, and more. It’s never too late to switch things up. Kickstart that career you’ve been dreaming about, or upskill for the one you’re in. You’ll also become a part of the world's leading university on climate action.
Learn more about UTAS.
Explore UTAS courses.
- QS World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:
- 20
- Times Higher Education World University Ranking 2025, within Australia:
- 19
Entry requirements
A completed AQF7 bachelor's degree or above, or approved equivalent#, in any discipline.
#An equivalent qualification from an overseas institution as assessed by the University with reference to the equivalencies identified by the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition (NOOSR).
Qualifications, relevant work experience or other special circumstances, as approved by the College Executive Dean or delegated authority.
You must provide evidence to support your application on the basis of work experience, in particular a copy of your CV demonstrating your work experience, and letters of reference from line managers or similar to confirm your work experience. In the case of applicants who have worked as a sole trader or consultant, additional evidence to support the level of experience must be provided.
The University of Tasmania grants credit and recognition of prior learning that may include formal and/or informal prior learning. More information is available here.
Career opportunities
Graduates of this program will be prepared to work across industry sectors as sustainability-informed professionals. Drawing on program content, you’ll be prepared to help organisations in understanding their social and environmental impacts and ensuring that important sustainability issues are addressed.
Demand for sustainability-focused jobs is anticipated to grow 2.5% on average each year until 2030, making up three-quarters of the top growing occupations*. Sustainability-informed professional are high in demand as organisations are currently looking at net zero carbon emissions pathways and ethically performing supply chains.
- Environment and Sustainability Manager
- Environmental Projects Officer
- Sustainability Consultant
- Sustainability Product Specialist
- Circular Economy Officer
- Performance Support Officer
- Carbon Consultant
*People Powering the Future Report, Deloitte Access Economics
Professional recognition
We are accredited with both CPA Australia and Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand to ensure your experience and studies are globally recognised .
Australian job snapshots
Data sourced from Australian Jobs 2023.
| Role | Earnings | Employment change |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Managers | Over $120K | N/A^ |
| Policy Analysts | $93K to $120K | N/A^ |
| Policy and Planning Managers | Over $120K | Up 53.8% |
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Degree FAQs
How long does it take to finish an online degree?
That's up to you! Because we let you choose when to study online, you can actually pick up and pause study when it suits you. Many universities have a set time you need to complete your degree within. For some this is up to 10 years, and for others there is no limit.
There are some degrees that are stricter about when you can take breaks, and about how many years you can take to complete your degree. Please always check with your uni what the limits are.
As a general guide, Commonwealth supported place students have 10 years to finish their undergraduate degree through OUA, However, if you're studying with Griffith University, there's a limit of 8 years to complete your studies. If you want to take a break that lasts more than two study terms, you'll need to apply for a leave of absence. You can apply for a leave of absence for up to 12 months, as long as you complete your studies within the maximum time allowed for your degree.
If you're studying with Macquarie University, with the exception of certain degrees, there's no limit to how long you can take. But, please check with Macquarie Student Administration to be sure.
If you're studying with the University of Adelaide, you have up to 9 years to complete your undergraduate degree and graduate.
If you're studying with La Trobe University and want to take a break of minimum 1 study term, you must apply for leave of absence to avoid being inadvertently withdrawn from your degree.
Through OUA, you can study all year round, so it's possible to fast-track and finish up sooner than studying at a traditional uni would allow. That said, you need to spend around 12 hours a week on each undergraduate subject you do, so taking on extra work to finish ahead of time can be challenging.
How can I pay for my studies?
You may be eligible for a HELP loan from the Australian government, depending on your citizenship status and where you'll be living during your studies. You can also pay upfront with your credit card.
Payment options are explained in Fees, and you can contact a student advisor for more information.
How does studying through Open Universities Australia work?
You might find learning through OUA a little different to how you've studied in the past. It can take time to develop the skills you need for independent online study.
We connect you with subjects and degrees that are taught by leading Australian universities. You can complete single subjects, or follow a degree structure to work towards a specific qualification. Subjects are offered in several study terms throughout the year, so you can choose to study part-time or full-time, continuously or with breaks.
We help you find the subjects or degree that's right for you, and we handle your enrolment in uni and some administration. Your uni sends you your study materials and deals with all academic matters. They're also in charge of your assessment and graduation. If you go on to complete a degree, you'll graduate from the uni offering your degree, for example, RMIT University or Griffith University.
How do I know if I‘m eligible to apply for a course?
Before starting an enrolment, it's important to read the entry requirements for your chosen course to ensure that you're eligible to apply. If you don't quite meet the requirements, we can help you find a pathway into your course through open-entry subjects, which anyone can study. Contact us to find out more.
When is my cut-off date for enrolment?
Our close of enrolment times vary. You can check the cut-off dates for upcoming study terms by visiting Key dates.
Why should I study online through Open Universities Australia?
There are a lot of reasons to study your course online through us.
You can enrol without entry requirements
We have a unique open-door policy that makes it possible for everyone to enrol in university study, no matter their academic history. If you don't meet the entry requirements for a degree, we'll help you get in through single undergraduate subjects and transition into a qualification from there.
You have total control over how you study
Upskill without committing to a whole degree upfront. Or enrol in a full degree, but take it a subject at a time. We'll introduce you to flexible study options you didn't even know about, so you can fit uni around what matters to you.You'll graduate with the same qualification as an on-campus student
Once you enrol through us, you'll study online with the university that provides your degree. This means that when you complete your qualification, you'll graduate with the same degree as on-campus students.We'll help you navigate the university world
Our friendly student advisors will be your guide every step of the enrolment journey. They'll help you compare universities, choose a course, provide documentation and understand your finance options.
How do I enrol?
Here at Open Universities Australia, we make enrolling online as straightforward as possible. To get started, find the course for you by browsing the options on this page. You can also compare different qualifications using our handy comparison tool, or request help from one of our student advisors.
When you've made your choice, click 'Apply now' on the relevant course page and follow the prompts to begin your enrolment. We'll ask you to supply some supporting documentation, including proof of your identity, your tax file number, and a unique student identifier (USI) during this process.
Your university will get in touch with you via email to confirm whether or not your application has been successful.
If you get stuck at any time, reach out to a student advisor and we'll talk you through it.
You can also take a look at our online self-service enrolling instructions.