New Business & Sustainability program: business as a force for good

Learn more about the Undergraduate Certificate in Business and Sustainability.  

Royal Roads University announced a program for those who see business as an opportunity to make the world a better place. Starting this September at the RRU Langford, John Horgan Campus, the Undergraduate Certificate in Business and Sustainability is an interdisciplinary program that explores social, environmental, and economic sustainability across a variety of business areas.  

“Business can be a powerful force for good,” says Robert Mittelman, dean of Interdisciplinary Studies and one of the curriculum designers for the Business and Sustainability certificate and diploma programs. “This program is about helping students see how they can shape a more just, sustainable, and thriving world through business.” 

Students will gain insight into the different functional areas of business through a systems thinking lens. They’ll learn how to lead change, manage impacts, and apply their learning in real time through a challenge-based approach introduced in the diploma program. 

“You get a solid business foundation, but also an understanding of the impact that businesses can have on our communities,” says Mittelman.  

Graduates of the certificate may ladder into an undergraduate diploma and eventually complete a bachelor’s degree. The program opens doors to careers in sustainable business, social enterprise, corporate responsibility. 

Courses in the certificate and diploma program will cover a wide range of topics including accounting, economics, marketing, human resources, business in the environment, business and humanity, global social entrepreneurship, finance, law, ethics, Indigenous business in Canada, and business model innovation. 

The Business and Sustainability certificate is one of three undergraduate certificates now available to first-year students at the new RRU Langford,John Horgan Campus. Students can also apply for the Applied Environmental Sciences and Social Sciences certificates. Applications for the first semester this fall are open until August 18, 2025. 

Learn more about Royal Roads University’s first-year undergraduate programs.