The Professorship in Sustainability Management currently offers three courses for MSc students, with two further collaborative courses in development.

Module: Corporate Sustainability
(formally Betriebswirtschaftliche Aspekte des Sustainability Managements)
Taught in the winter semester.

Companies are key agents in global sustainability transitions, both as causes of breaching planetary boundaries, and as drivers for innovation which enable the transition towards sustainability. The course “Corporate Sustainability” offers an introduction to corporate sustainability in five components (Figure 1). The theoretical concepts and numerous case studies discussed in the course allow student to understand the implications of sustainability for businesses, to transfer corporate strategies into action, and to examine business processes and value chains for economic, ecological and social sustainability. Specifically, students first learn about definitions and drivers of corporate sustainability (component 1), before they are introduced to basic types of corporate sustainability strategies (component 2). The students learn to systematically characterise different sustainability strategies and to assess technological and business model innovations in the context of sustainability in different phases of a company. They learn organisational, qualitative and quantitative approaches for tactical-operational planning and control as well as evaluation of sustainability activities in component 3, and will be able to identify interactions with central external actors in component 4 which features legal regulations of business sustainability reporting as well as the interactions between corporate sustainability and the capital market. Finally, the students learn to apply the sustainability concepts presented to companies in different geographies, and thus to recapitulate and critically question them (component 5).

Figure 1: Concept of the Corporate Sustainability Module

Module: Entrepreneurship for Sustainability Transitions
Taught from WS2024/25.

The course "Entrepreneurship for Sustainability Transitions" equips students with a comprehensive understanding of how entrepreneurship can drive sustainability transitions and contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It explores the challenges, opportunities, and operational models of sustainable entrepreneurship, focusing on key areas like climate change, biodiversity, environmental preservation, and sustainable economic development. Students will learn key theories on the nexus between entrepreneurship and sustainability, while developing the ability to turn sustainability challenges into entrepreneurial opportunities. The course emphasizes practical experience where students form small groups and over the course of the semester simulate the process of founding their own sustainable start-up. This includes finding an opportunity for sustainable development impact, as well as creating a strategy, a business model and a pitch deck. Students will engage with design thinking and other creative methods to address socio-ecological challenges, critically apply theories of sustainable entrepreneurship, and understand the process of designing social or environmental ventures.
 

Module: Sustainable Business Model Innovation in Sub-Saharan Africa
(Consultancy Seminar) 
Taught in the sommer semester.