Sustainability Management (M.A.)
Helping to Make Companies and Organizations Sustainable
The master 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 entities.
The program is interdisciplinary in nature and open to bachelor’s degree holders from a variety of fields, such as 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 Small Master’s Project, you will organize a Sustainability Day for the THA, and in the 4th semester, as part of your Large 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 skills and methods needed to implement sustainability projects in companies.
The module handbook and the list of courses approved for earning the Special Skills—both available for download—outline the course content and the structure of the program. Please note: Different versions of the module handbook apply to students who began their studies in the summer semester of 2024 or 2025, and to those starting in the fall semester of 2025/2026 or later.
The program is integrated into the institutional accreditation process and is part of the quality management system at the Technical University of Applied Sciences Augsburg. Accreditation was granted in March 2025.
Here you will find the Study and Examination Regulations for the master program in Sustainability Management: SER.
Please also note: Different versions of the Study and Examination Regulations apply to students who began their studies in the Summer Semester 2024 and Summer Semester 2025, and to those beginning their studies in the Winter Semester 2025/2026 or later.
Downloads
Curriculum (Start of Studies in the Summer Semester)
| Semester | Modules in the Master’s 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 Program in Sustainability Management (starting 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 = Semester Hours Per Week, 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 a master’s degree to advance your qualifications while continuing to work: The program is intentionally designed to be completed on a part-time basis. Lectures take place 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 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
- Development of 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 outline in writing the goals you hope to achieve through the master’s program, as well as your personal, academic, scientific, and/or professional motivations 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 relevant to the aptitude test.
- 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) certificates. Information regarding your English language proficiency level is included in these certificates. Therefore, please upload these to the student portal as well.
IMPORTANT: Even applicants who are currently pursuing 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 degree. 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 involvement 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: More is better!
Please substantiate your information 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 during the eligibility assessment process.
We welcome applications from abroad!
- If you completed your prior education abroad, please be sure to submit a preliminary review documentation (VPD) through uni-assist e.V. along with your application to THA. Here is the link to the website with detailed information: uni-assist e.V. Processing your application may 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 program itself. You can find further important information in the Guide to Applying for Master Programs from Abroad, which you can access via the following link: Guide.
- 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 are a student in a part-time degree program and need confirmation—for the purpose of the insurance exemption under the working student privilege—that your part-time program accounts for more than half the time required for a full-time program, we will be happy to provide you with written confirmation. Please contact the program coordinator for this. The average number of hours in the master program in Sustainability Management is 11.2 semester hours per week. In a full-time program lasting three semesters, the average number of hours is 18.7 semester hours per week. This means that the course load for the Master’s in Sustainability Management is 60% of that of a full-time program.
If you have completed your degree but, for formal reasons, do not yet have a bachelor’s degree certificate at the time of application, you can 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 of grades 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 you do not provide a diploma, a confirmation of your final grade or current grade point average, or information on the ECTS credits earned, your application will not be considered in the selection process.
For a bachelor’s degree requiring 180 ECTS, the missing 30 ECTS must be submitted or earned at a later date.
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 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 break between semesters 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 website: 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 this case, the THA may make available any unused capacity 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 here.
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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.
News - Events - Projects
What's happening in the Master's in Sustainability Management program? Here you'll find information on projects and company tours, as well as dates for online information sessions, presentations of the major master's projects, Sustainability Day at THA, and much more.
