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Study Sustainable Business at Otago

    Be an agent for change.

    Sustainability is becoming a crucial component of most organisations, and there is huge demand for graduates with specialised sustainability knowledge. The minor in Sustainable Business will give you an understanding of the social, ethical, and environmental implications of managing business organisations. You will develop the depth of knowledge needed to provide recommendations for sustainable operations and strategy, and ultimately make a difference in both New Zealand and the world.

    The skills and knowledge you learn in this minor can be applied across a variety of industries such as energy, farming, education, health and government. Most larger organisations in Aotearoa New Zealand now have some form of sustainability role so you will have a great selection of career opportunities.

    Information on this page relates to the Minor in Sustainable Business. There is also a postgraduate degree, the Master of Sustainable Business (MSusBus), which has its own qualification page:

    Master of Sustainable Business

    Teaching is via a mix of lectures, labs and tutorials. The three required papers are delivered by active researchers who have an interest in managing sustainable enterprises, which means that the teaching and course work draw upon emerging research in the field. The elective papers are offered by departments across the University which can further enhance and broaden your perspective of Sustainable Business.

    Why study Sustainable Business?

    This minor will appeal to students who are environmentally, ethically and societally minded and who want to do good in the world. The selection of papers focus on issues surrounding sustainable business, ethics and indigenous approaches to dealing with environmental pressures. These will provide you with a breadth and depth of knowledge to support good organisational citizenship and allow you to make a difference in both New Zealand and the world.

    The call for businesses to become more sustainable is ever-increasing. Gain the sought-after skills and knowledge needed to help organisations tackle one of the key issues of our time – how to manage an organisation to maximise benefits to society, while minimising the impact on the natural environment. This minor will enhance your employability, by providing you with the opportunity to apply sustainability concepts to business, a skill highly sought after by graduate employers.

    Career opportunities

    The job opportunities in sustainable business are increasing fast, with a strong market for the skill set developed through this programme. The minor in Sustainable Business will prepare students for a variety of careers. Graduates will be well positioned to work as and with sustainability advisers, consultants, analysts, planners and managers for policy, change, development and strategy. These roles cut across industries such as energy, farming, education, health and government.

    Recommended high school subjects for undergraduate study

    There are no required subjects for studying Sustainable Business at Otago. This minor is open to all students studying across the University.

    Minor-only subject

    Please note: this subject can only be taken as a minor.

    A minor subject can be included in many of our undergraduate degrees. To earn a minor, you typically must complete a minimum of 90 points in that subject, with at least 18 points at the 300-level.

    Your minor can be a subject more commonly taken for a different degree. For example, a BCom majoring in Marketing can include Japanese as a minor subject. To include this subject as a minor in your application, first find a major subject through our Subject Search or Study Match.

    You can check what’s required to receive the minor accreditation in the programme details below.

    Further study opportunities

    Whether you are looking to bridge your undergraduate studies to advanced knowledge or aiming to specialise in a specific field, Otago offers a range of graduate and postgraduate options to suit your aspirations.

    Programme details

    Compare programmes for this subject.

    A minor subject can be included in many of our undergraduate degrees. To earn a minor, you typically must complete a minimum of 90 points in that subject, with at least 18 points at the 300-level.

    Your minor can be a subject more commonly taken for a different degree. For example, a BCom majoring in Marketing can include Japanese as a minor subject. To include this subject as a minor in your application, first find a major subject through our Subject Search or Study Match.

    You can check what’s required to receive the minor accreditation in the programme details below.

    Available as a minor subject for a Bachelor of Arts (BA), Bachelor of Music (MusB), Bachelor of Performing Arts (BPA), Bachelor of Theology (BTheol), Bachelor of Science (BSc), Bachelor of Commerce (BCom), Bachelor of Entrepreneurship (BEntr), Bachelor of Health Science (BHealSc), Bachelor of Arts and Commerce (BACom), Bachelor of Arts and Science (BASc) or Bachelor of Commerce and Science (BComSc) degree

    LevelPapersPoints
    100-level

    BSNS 111 Business and Society

    18

    200-level

    MANT 252 Developing Responsible Leadership

    18

    300-level

    MANT 337 Organisations and Sustainability

    18

    Plus

    Two of
    MANT 331 Business Ethics
    MANT 340 Indigenous Management and Organisation
    ACCT 325 Corporate Sustainability Accounting and Reporting
    ECON 207 Environmental Economics
    ECON 303 Economics of Developing Countries
    ECON 317 Urban and Regional Economics
    ENVI 111 Environment and Society
    ENVI 211 Environmental History of New Zealand
    ENVI 311 Understanding Environmental Issues
    ENVI 312 Interdisciplinary Aspects of Climate Change
    FINC 320 Sustainable Investing
    MATS 204 Treasure or Trash: Sustainability of Materials
    PHIL 235 Environmental Philosophy
    POLS 224 Current Issues in Environmental Politics
    POLS 324 Current Issues in Environmental Politics (Advanced)
    TOUR 306 Ecotourism and Sustainable Development

    36

    Total   90

    More information

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    Regulations on this page are taken from the 2025 Calendar and supplementary material.

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