Sustainability Management (M.A.)
Helping to Make Businesses and Organizations Sustainable
The Master’s program in Sustainability Management will give you a comprehensive understanding of the relevance of global sustainability goals and the resulting requirements for companies and organizations. It will equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to increase the level of sustainability within these organizations.
The program is interdisciplinary in nature and open to bachelor’s degree holders from a variety of fields, including engineering, design, computer science, architecture and construction, social sciences, and business.
What makes this degree program special?
The program is distinguished by its diverse practical focus. You will not only acquire knowledge but also apply it throughout your studies. As part of your minor master’s project, you will organize a sustainability day for the THA, and in the 4th semester, as part of your major master’s project, you will work on specific tasks for and with companies in the region.
Course Content
The Master’s in Sustainability Management covers all aspects of the corporate value chain. You’ll take modules on the fundamentals of sustainability and specialized sustainability management. Through the “Special Skills” component, you’ll acquire the expertise and methods needed to implement sustainability projects in companies.
The module handbook, which is available for download, details the course content and the structure of the program.
The program is integrated into the system accreditation process and is part of the quality management system at Augsburg University of Applied Sciences. Accreditation was granted in March 2025.
Here you will find the Study and Examination Regulations for the Master’s program in Sustainability Management: SPO.
Downloads
Curriculum (Start of Studies in the Summer Semester)
| Semester | Modules in the Master’s Program in Sustainability Management (starting in the summer semester) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fundamentals of Sustainability (4 SWS, 5 CP)1 | Sustainable Products and Business Models (8 SWS, 10 CP)2 | Creative Work, Facilitation, and Conflict Resolution (4 SWS, 5 CP)3 | |||
| 2 | Sustainable Corporate Infrastructure (8 SWS, 10 CP)2 | Sustainable Corporate Management (4 SWS, 5 CP)1 | Small Master’s Project (4 SWS, 5 CP) | |||
| 3 | Sustainability Reporting and Certification (4 SWS, 5 CP)2 | Change Management (4 SWS, 5 CP)3 | Sustainability Communication (4 SWS, 5 CP)2 |
3rd/4th Semester Special Skills (4 SWS, 5 CP)3 | ||
| 4 | Sustainable Human Resource Management (4 SWS, 5 CP)2 | Major Master’s Project (8 SWS, 10 CP) | ||||
| 5 | Master’s Thesis and Final Presentation (15 CP) | |||||
Module Assignment:
1 Sustainability Management
2 Specialized Sustainability Management in the Value Chain
3 Special Skills
Abbreviations: SWS = Semester Hours Per Week, CP = Credit Point
Curriculum (Start of Studies in the Winter Semester)
| Semester | Modules in the Master’s in Sustainability Management (enrollment in the winter semester) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sustainable Corporate Infrastructure (8 SWS, 5 CP)2 | Sustainable Corporate Management (4 SWS, 5 CP)1 | Small Master’s Project (4 SWS, 5 CP) | |
| 2 | Fundamentals of Sustainability (4 SWS, 5 CP)1 | Sustainable Products and Business Models (8 SWS, 10 CP)2 | Creative Work, Facilitation, and Conflict Resolution (4 SWS, 5 CP)3 | |
| 3 | Sustainable Human Resources Management (4 SWS, 5 CP)2 | Major Master’s Project (8 SWS, 10 CP) | 3rd/4th Semester Special Skills (4 SWS, 5 CP)3 | |
| 4 | Sustainability Reporting and Certification (4 SWS, 5 CP)2 | Change Management (4 SWS, 5 CP)3 | Sustainability Communication (4 SWS, 5 CP)2 | |
| 5 | Master’s Thesis and Final Presentation (15 CP) | |||
Module Assignment:
1 Sustainability Management
2 Specialized Sustainability Management in the Value Chain
3 Special Skills
Abbreviations: SWS = weekly semester hours, CP = credit point
Is this degree program right for me?
What You Should Bring
- A Passion for Sustainable Economic Transformation
- Determined Efforts
- Strong commitment
- Ability to work in a team
- Openness to an interdisciplinary exchange of ideas
If you’d like to earn an advanced degree through a master’s program while continuing to work: The program is specifically designed to be completed on a part-time basis. Lectures are held on Thursdays, Fridays, and occasionally on Saturdays. Thanks to the program’s duration being extended to 5 semesters and a course load of 14–16 semester hours per week (each 45 minutes), it is generally possible to combine your studies with limited professional work.
Keep in mind, however, that this master’s program cannot be pursued “on the side.” The THA does not coordinate between employers and students. You are personally responsible for balancing your work with your studies. Please do not underestimate the time and effort required for this program.
Do you have any more questions?
Our general student advising office takes the time to provide you with personalized, no-obligation advice.
Click here to go to the academic advising page: Academic Advising.
For questions specific to the program, please feel free to contact the program director, Prof. Dr. Sabine Joeris. You’ll find her contact information at the bottom of this page.
Your perspective afterward
Our graduates gain the knowledge needed to work in advisory staff positions—such as a CSR department—or in operational roles—such as development, production, purchasing, logistics, facility management, or human resources—to help improve social and/or environmental sustainability.
Possible areas of responsibility include:
- Environmentally friendly product development and production
- Social corporate culture and structures
- Preventing environmental and social problems in the supply chain
- Design and implementation of climate protection measures
- Corporate mobility management
- Preparation of sustainability reports
- Customer communication with a focus on sustainability
- Developing new, sustainable business models
Your Application
If you have successfully completed your first bachelor’s degree program with 210 ECTS credits and a final grade of 3.0 or higher, you can apply for the Master’s in Sustainability Management through the THA’s student portal within the respective application deadlines.
Your application should give us the best possible idea of your qualifications and motivation for our program. Therefore, the following documents are required:
- Your bachelor’s degree certificate with the transcript of records, so that we can verify your overall grade point average and the modules you took during your bachelor’s program.
- A statement of purpose in which you clearly explain in writing the goals you hope to achieve through the master’s program, as well as your personal, academic, scientific, and/or professional reasons for applying.
- A tabular resume: Your academic and professional history to date must be presented in writing without omissions and substantiated by submitting appropriate supporting documents (originals or officially certified copies). Please also be sure to include any information that is relevant to the aptitude assessment.
- Proof of written and spoken proficiency in German and English at a minimum level of B2 for German and B1+ for English (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages). The language of instruction is German. If you completed your secondary education in Germany, the required language proficiency levels are generally demonstrated by your General University Entrance Qualification (Abitur) or Vocational University Entrance Qualification (Fachhochschulreife) diplomas. Information regarding your English proficiency level is included in these diplomas. Therefore, please upload these to the student portal as well.
IMPORTANT: Even applicants who are completing or have completed their bachelor’s degree at THA must submit all required certificates and documentation!
As part of the process to determine your suitability for the specific degree program, your application materials will be reviewed by the program’s admissions committee and evaluated using a predetermined scoring system. Achieving a minimum score is a prerequisite for admission. It also determines your ranking for the allocation of available spots.
In addition to your GPA from your first bachelor’s degree, the following are relevant for the aptitude assessment and your placement on the admission list:
- Modules in the field of sustainability successfully completed during your bachelor’s program. Please provide proof of these via a Transcript of Records.
- A bachelor’s thesis in the field of sustainability or other areas relevant to the program. If the title of your bachelor’s thesis does not appear on your diploma or transcript of records, please include a certificate from your primary thesis advisor confirming the title. This also applies if you have not yet completed your bachelor’s thesis.
- An internship or professional experience totaling at least 10 consecutive weeks in a role relevant to your degree program.
- Community service lasting at least one year.
- Documented intercultural experience in your academic or professional context to date (semester abroad or internship abroad) or in volunteer work (for example, with aid organizations in an international context).
The rule here is: The more, the better!
Please support your statements with appropriate documentation (transcripts, employment and internship certificates, written confirmations from, for example, sponsoring organizations, etc.). If the required documentation is missing, your application cannot be evaluated as part of the eligibility assessment process.
Applications from abroad are welcome!
If you completed your prior education abroad, please be sure to submit a preliminary review documentation (VPD) along with your application to THA. You can request this from: uni-assist e.V.
Processing your application can take up to 8 weeks. To ensure your application to us is not jeopardized, submit your application in a timely manner so that you can also meet the application deadline for the master’s program itself. You can find more information about applying to master’s programs from abroad via the following link: Admission Requirements for a Master’s Program.
- Please write your resume and statement of purpose in German.
- Please be sure to provide proof of your proficiency in German and English with official certificates. Since the language of instruction is German, proof that you have at least a B2 level of proficiency in German is mandatory. For English, a B1+ level is required. The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages applies.
Please submit all certificates and supporting documents required for the application in certified German translations.
FAQ
If you have completed your studies but, for formal reasons, do not yet have a bachelor’s degree certificate at the time of application, you may still apply for a spot in the program. In this case, submit a confirmation (grade report, transcript of records, etc.) from your registrar’s office that
1) the number of credits earned at the time of graduation (210 or 180),
2) the individual grades from the modules you have completed, and
3) your current grade point average.
If you are still missing a few credit points that you will earn during your final semester of your bachelor’s program, you may also apply. In this case, we also require a transcript or a Transcript of Records from your registrar’s office and a note in your application specifying how many credits you still need to earn and in which modules.
Please note: If no diploma, no confirmation of your final grade or current grade point average, and no indication of the ECTS credits earned is provided, your application cannot be considered in the selection process.
For a bachelor's degree requiring 180 ECTS, the missing 30 ECTS must be submitted or made up.
You have the following options for completing your degree:
1) Provide proof of practical work experience by the end of the second semester at the latest. This is
- either an internship equivalent to a 20-week mandatory internship required by a degree program at a university of applied sciences,
- or full-time employment totaling at least 35 hours per week over a period of at least 22 weeks.
In each case, you must submit an internship or employment certificate that includes information on the duration and weekly working hours, the company’s business area, and the nature of the work. If you can already provide evidence of one or more such activities at the time of application, list them on your resume and upload the certificates and supporting documents to the applicant portal.
2) Another option is to successfully complete sustainability-related course modules at THA during the first two semesters. The program directors will determine which courses must be taken at the beginning of the first semester.
The master’s program is also accredited as a dual degree program and can be pursued as a dual degree program upon consultation with the program directors. A dual master’s program means that students work at a company (the industry partner) during the lecture-free periods and write their master’s thesis based on their work there. To this end, a cooperation agreement is signed between the industry partner and the THA. You can find detailed information on our page: Information on Dual Study Programs.
The Master’s program in Sustainability Management is generally designed to be completed entirely at THA. The curriculum does not include a study abroad component. However, if you are considering studying abroad during your Master’s program, this is generally possible. In such cases, the THA may make available any unused slots from the exchange programs of other degree programs that require a study abroad period. You can find more information on this in the document available for download on the student intranet.
What Our Students Say
I enjoy studying at THA and appreciate the pleasant atmosphere. The program offers exciting prospects for my future career and has provided me with valuable insights through field trips. Interacting with my fellow students is also very enriching for me.
This program is opening up new perspectives for me on sustainable business practices and perfectly complements my existing technical knowledge. I particularly appreciate the interdisciplinary exchange and the practical focus. I can apply what I learn directly to my work as a student employee.
To me, sustainability means taking responsibility and actively helping to shape social change. This degree program has given me the academic foundation and perspectives I need to consider environmental, social, and economic challenges holistically.
News - Events - Projects
What's happening in the Master's in Sustainability Management program? Here you'll find information about projects and company tours, as well as the dates for online information sessions, presentations of the major master's projects, Sustainability Day at THA, and much more.
