MSc in Transformative Sustainability

Two of Italy’s most prestigious universities, Bocconi and Politecnico di Milano, have joined forces to prepare new professionals in the field of transformative sustainability. The two-year program, entirely taught in English, is based on a complementary blend of their strengths: Politecnico brings knowledge of the most advanced technologies and an engineering approach to design, innovate and manage sustainable systems. Bocconi shares its expertise on the strategic and economic aspects of sustainability.

This cutting-edge program combines fields in technology (technologies for the environment, energy, mobility, and circularity) with the fields in the social sciences (management, economics, and quantitative and legal disciplines) that are needed to manage a just sustainable transition within organizations.

1st Year

Semester I - at Bocconi

• Economics and Management Fundamentals - 4 courses
  • Corporate Sustainability Strategies and Governance
  • Sustainable Finance and ESG Investing
  • Impact and Sustainability Measurement
  • Environmental Economics and Climate Change
• Tools and Methods
  • Sustainable Leadership seminar
  • ESG Law

The aim of this semester is to strengthen the fundamentals of sustainability management and economics.

Semester II - at Politecnico di Milano

• Enabling Technologies Fundamentals – 4 courses
  • Materials Towards Circular Economy
  • Ecological Processes, Environmental Impacts, and Transition Towards Sustainability
  • Technologies for the Energy Transition Towards Sustainability
  • Designing Sustainable Cities
• Tools and Methods
  • Critical Thinking and Complex Decision-Making seminar
  • Innovation for Sustainability
• Foreign language (lessons only)

The scope of this semester is to delve into the fundamentals of key enabling technologies for the sustainability transition.

2nd Year

Semester I - at Bocconi and Semester II - at Politecnico di Milano

• Tools and Methods
  • Business and Marketing Plan Workshop
  • Sustainable Entrepreneurship Workshop
  • Data Analytics for Sustainability
  • Sustainable Operations & Supply Chain Management
• Personalized path
  • Diversity and Global Policy
    or
    Technologies and Systems for Sustainable Mobility
  • Electives on key enabling technologies for sustainability transition, theoretical methods and practical tools for sustainability management and entrepreneurship (to be chosen among a set of Bocconi and Politecnico di Milano courses)
  • Internship, Foreign Language, Thesis

This MSc program is designed for students interested in building a professional career in a multidisciplinary environment, characterized by original and innovative hybridization between management and technology, who aim to become changemakers toward sustainable development. In particular, two main professional profiles will be developed:

Sustainability Specialists

As Sustainability Specialists, graduates will support the sustainable growth and “transformation process” of the corporate business by integrating sustainability into the value chain: Sustainability Specialists help design or improve organizational processes or practices toward sustainability. They will develop and monitor plans for sustainability projects and initiatives, and contribute to developing sustainability project goals and initiatives by providing technical and administrative support, in addition to measuring and reporting sustainability indicators and metrics. They will be employed by for-profit companies, not-for-profit or hybrid organizations, or public administrations. They may also be entrepreneurs of new business ventures, social enterprises, or innovative startups.

Sustainability Analysts

As Sustainability Analysts, graduates will contribute to projects that help clients improve their processes or practices toward sustainability, sharing market best practices and designing action plans adapted to the client’s reality. They will support clients in applying tools and methodologies to manage strategies, plans, and projects for sustainability, as well as develop ESG and impact evaluations of sustainability projects. They will be employed by consultancy companies, financial institutions, or governmental or nongovernmental organizations supporting sustainable development, think tanks, research institutes, and academia.

Entrepreneurial career paths are also supported by the knowledge and skills developed with this MSc Program, thanks to the hands-on activities included in the courses and to the opportunities provided in collaboration with Politecnico di Milano (Polihub) and Bocconi (B4i) incubators.