Online Education for Working Professionals
Explore the sustainability and resilience of human and natural systems.

Engineering Sustainability and Resilience—Graduate Certificate

Engineering Sustainability and Resilience

Help build a resilient society through sustainable engineering.

Learn the origins of sustainable development. Apply environmental life cycle assessment to systems. Examine grand challenges in sustainability, such as global climate change and the efficient utilization of materials through circular economy. Explore energy systems, natural resource management, community life, policy, and environmental literacy. The certificate will allow students to put sustainability and resilience thinking into practice within their chosen fields of study and careers.

3 courses in 3 semesters.

Department Chemical Engineering
Admissions requirement BS in any discipline, with a background in quantitative analysis recommended.
Contact Timothy C. Eisele
Length 3 courses in 2-3 semesters
Effort 3 hours per credit per week
Each course 3 credits
Total credits 9
Course type Online or on-campus
Modality Watch class recordings on demand
Cost Based on credits and course type
Already enrolled? Speak with your advisor.

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Progress quickly with a compact curriculum.

Work with the program advisor to select courses that fit your interests and pre-requisite skills.

Check your preparation.

There are no pre-requisite courses for the required courses. There are a wide variety of electives to choose from, with varying pre-requisite requirements.

Take 6 credits of required courses.

Take both of these courses.

Take a 3 credit elective course.

Elective courses have been selected to represent a wide range of academic units, to address issues commonly associated with sustainability, and to provide additional sustainability assessment skills. All of these courses offer students the ability to evaluate issues from multiple sustainability perspectives. Elective course options will be re-evaluated regularly.

Choose one course from the list below. CEE 5350 Life Cycle Engineering is offered alternate years beginning with the 2020-2021 academic year. SS 5313 Sustainability Policy is offered on demand.

The minimum completion time is two semesters.

Here are typical schedules. Two or three semesters are recommended.

Sample Plan 1

Fall Spring
ENG 5515 ENG 5525
Elective

Sample Plan 2

Fall Spring
  Elective
Fall  
ENG 5515 ENG 5525

Sample Plan 3

Spring Summer
  Elective
Fall  
ENG 5515 ENG 5525

Interested in taking a single, online course? Enroll as a non-degree seeking student.

Upon completion of the Certificate the student should be able to:

  1. Apply a holistic sustainability and resilience assessment to emerging technical and societal issues by integrating multiple complementary analysis frameworks to assess a specific issue.
  2. Communicate sustainability assessments to their peers.

Michigan Tech was founded in 1885.

The University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and widely respected by fast-paced industries, including automotive development, infrastructure, manufacturing, and aerospace. Michigan Tech graduates deliver on rapid innovation and front-line research, leaning into any challenge with confidence.

The College of Engineering fosters excellence in education and research.

We set out as the Michigan Mining School in 1885 to train mining engineers to better operate copper mines. Today, more than 60 percent of Michigan Tech students are enrolled in our 17 undergraduate and 29 graduate engineering programs across nine departments. Our students and curriculum embrace the spirit of hard work and fortitude our founders once had. Our online graduate courses are the same, robust classes taken by our doctorate and masters candidates, taught directly by highly regarded faculty, with outstanding support from staff. We invite working professionals to join these courses, bring their own experience and challenges as part of the discussion. Leverage the national reputation of Michigan Tech to advance your career in tech leadership.

Meet the online certified instructors.

Students have the flexibility to review class recordings later.

David Shonnard

David Shonnard

Professor, Chemical Engineering

Teaching Statement

Dr. Shonnard teaches courses in chemical reaction engineering, life cycle analysis, and waste plastics conversion.

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Robert Handler

Robert Handler

Senior Research Engineer, Chemical Engineering

Teaching Statement

Dr. Handler specializes in sustainable water and energy systems and other topics in sustainable engineering.

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