DePaul University
PAE-21: Sustainability in Continuing Education

Sustainability in Business Certificate Program: For businesses today, it is not a matter of "if" you will focus on sustainability but rather "when." Businesses that focus on sustainability tend to improve profitability and increase customer loyalty. The Sustainability in Business Certificate program is designed to give you an understanding of the basic concepts in sustainability and enable you to apply sustainable business practices in your workplace, with an emphasis on using sustainable business practices to improve the bottom line. The 10-week program will also summarize the critical points of green design, construction and operations needed to prepare you for the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Associate credential. Becoming a LEED Green Associate will help you stay competitive as organizations seek more knowledgeable employees that can apply the principles of sustainability across multiple business disciplines. This program is designed for business professionals, managers and entrepreneurs who want to capitalize on the movement in the business world toward sustainability or are interested in obtaining LEED certification. Certificate in Sustainability, Design & Construction: High-performance building is a cornerstone of the new green economy. This 30-hour classroom course will introduce the broad principles of energy-efficient green building and can help prepare you to pass the LEED Green Associate (LEED GA) exam. The Certificate in Sustainability, Design and Construction will introduce participants to green building and sustainability principles, terminology and processes; LEED principles and how they affect building design, siting and life cycle; energy efficient interiors and exteriors; environmental landscaping considerations; operations and maintenance considerations. The program focuses on how all these concepts apply to building and design professionals, contractors, operations and maintenance professionals, real estate brokers, government workers, city planners, educators and others involved in the building construction and maintenance fields. The certificate program will provide students with 30 contact hours, spread out over a 10-week program. It will also provide students with materials designed to help them pass the LEED GA exam. Green building affects many professions, including building and design professionals, contractors, operations and maintenance professionals, real estate brokers, government workers, city planners, educators, and others involved in the building construction and maintenance fields will benefit from the certificate program. These professionals all find that the LEED GA credential on their business card helps them stand out as a green building leader. If you want to pursue a LEED AP+ specialty designation and are not already a LEED AP, you must pass the LEED Green Associate exam first. This course will fulfill the Green Building Certification Institute application requirements for registering for the exam.

DePaul University's Continuing and Professional Education offers courses, seminars, workshops and onsite experiential learning for a total of 56 programs with 2 focused on or related to sustainability. The certificate programs usually meet for a minimum of 10 sessions, 3 hours each. Both the Sustainability in Business Certificate Program and Certificate in Sustainability, Design & Construction were created in 2011.