Hello all!
I have both a passion in environmental sustainability and business management. After studying possibly jobs for both of those passions, I found a specific occupation that I’d love to do: a Chief Sustainability Officer/a Director of Sustainability at a company.
If I were to pursue these passions and attempt to become a CSO, what should I major in undergrad? Environmental Sustainability, Business, or a possible duel/double major of both of them.
(Also if you know about CSO’s, do you know how much time it would approximately take to become one?)
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I would think that it would be the most logical to major in business and minor in sustainability. Double majoring would also make sense, but sense the courses wouldn’t share many required classes, you might find yourself with 20+ credit hours.
However, if you only plan on pursuing one path, I think sustainability would be the best. Sure, you’re going into business, but I just think a degree in sustainability would stand out more when applying for a related position.
Also, have you considered the management side of architecture? I think that would be a great way to combine your interests.
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I’d major in environmental science/studies/sustainability. Perhaps minor in business.
“Business” is a pretty general major, and many people go into business without having studied it formally. But if you want to lead sustainability and environmental science efforts, you’ll need to understand the science behind the issues at a foundational level.
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How long it takes to be a CSO will depend on the type of company you work for. In small start ups, people often get big titles at young ages. If your talking about a Fortune 500 type of company, most senior executives are in their 50’s.
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I know someone who is that. He is an environmental engineer. He knows more than anyone i know when it comes to how buildings work from top to bottom inside and out, and how to buy and set up solar energy for homes and commercial buildings. He never took a course in business or management. He is likeable, hard working, and clever.
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I have a similar situation! I’m very interested in both business management and engineering, specifically sustainable/ renewable engineering solutions. As someone who loves the creative problem-solving aspect and design process of engineering but would rather oversee an idea/ project’s implementation than physically building it, what should I major in for undergrad?
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