Sustainable Business Models

The continuing education program is aimed at people in positions of responsibility in organizations and companies who want to develop sustainable business models. It is primarily intended for working professionals in the fields of sustainability management, strategy, and business development who need expertise in designing sustainable business models. The knowledge acquired in the certificate program enables you to better assess the specific challenges of business models in your current work environment and systematically align them with the requirements of sustainability, the circular economy, and regeneration. The program also offers an entry point into specialist qualifications for expert roles in sustainability management, thereby opening up new career prospects for you.

After successful completion and provided that the admission requirements are met, the certificate can also be credited toward the Master’s program “Business Administration – Shaping the Economy Sustainably”. The certificate thus offers the opportunity to earn a Master’s degree in Business Administration step by step while working.

The certificate requires participation in two modules totaling 10 ECTS from the currently offered module catalog (see “Module Overview”).
For each module (5 ECTS each), you should plan for approximately 125 hours of workload:

• 30 to 40 hours of in-person attendance
• 80 to 90 hours for preparation and follow-up work for the module

The required materials will be provided to participants by the lecturers.

After successful completion, you will receive a certificate from Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences. It is also possible to take just one module. In that case, you will receive a certificate of participation.
The modules are offered by Alanus University of Arts and Social Sciences.

Please choose two of the following modules if you would like to earn a certificate. Registration for individual modules takes place directly via the link provided with the respective organizer.

Here you will find the detailed module descriptions offered by Alanus University as part of this continuing education program:

Module “Sustainability Management”

Sustainability is on everyone’s lips today. The module introduces you to the fundamentals of sustainable corporate management and systematically presents the most important fields of action. You will learn how to anchor and assess sustainability in corporate strategy and how to shape its implementation in the company through suitable communication, management, and steering processes.

The module covers the following topics:

• The concept of sustainability and its history
• Ethical foundations of corporate sustainability
• Theories of sustainability management
• Standards & norms of sustainability management
• Sustainability and strategy
• Sustainability and innovation
• Managing sustainability (life cycle assessment, etc.)
• Sustainability communication
• Management methods for corporate sustainability

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Stephan Hankammer
Date: November 26 to 29, 2025

Module “Sustainable Entrepreneurship”

The transition to a sustainable economy can only succeed if founders and managers develop and successfully implement sustainable business models. In this module, you will learn to recognize, unlock, and assess sustainability as a dimension of business models. Scientifically grounded and practically tested tools support you in aligning new business ideas with the goals of sustainability, regenerativity, and the circular economy from the outset, while also making them economically viable.

The module provides knowledge and skills in the following subject areas:

• Fundamentals of entrepreneurship
• Fundamentals of sustainable entrepreneurship
• Related concepts (social entrepreneurship, ecopreneurship, social business)
• Intrapreneurship and corporate entrepreneurship
• Sustainability impact & market impact of entrepreneurship
• Development of sustainability-oriented business ideas
• Methods for evaluating business ideas
• Description, evaluation, and development of sustainable business models

Date: March 27, 2026 and April 24 to 25, 2026 and June 12, 2026

Module “Economy, Society, Transformation”

Designing sustainable companies requires a fundamental understanding of the interface between economy and society in the context of the major transformation challenges of the 21st century. How has this interface developed historically? What cultural and societal foundations are needed for an economy that is meant to act sustainably and regeneratively? How can concrete alternatives achieve broad impact? The module situates these questions in a scholarly context while also opening up perspectives on concrete alternatives for shaping the economy and businesses.

The course examines the role of the economy, economic activity, and economic actors in societal contexts. We look at the effects economic decisions have on individuals, communities, and society as a whole, and the levers this creates for addressing the major transformation challenges of the 21st century. We explore mechanisms for scaling new (transformative) approaches and the question of the circumstances under which niche phenomena can enter the mainstream. In doing so, we take a close look at concrete alternatives in order to examine their transformative approach and their possible impact on the economy and society.

Lecturer: Jun. Prof. Dr. Verena Hermelingmeier
Date: tbd

Are you interested in Academic Continuing Education? We would be happy to advise you personally!

Prof. Dr. Susanne Blazejewski: 02222 9321-1629
Email: zertifikat_wirtschaft@alanus.edu

• Proof of eligibility for university admission (e.g. Abitur, advanced technical college entrance qualification, vocational training with professional experience, in accordance with KunstHG §41)
• At least one year of professional experience relevant to the field
• International applicants must have sufficient German language skills, both written and spoken

After successful completion, and provided that the admission requirements applicable there are met, the certificate can also be credited toward the Master’s program “Business Administration – Shaping the Economy Sustainably.” The certificate thus offers the opportunity to earn a Master’s degree in Business Administration step by step while working.

Please register for the Alanus University modules by email at: zertifikat_wirtschaft@alanus.edu.

You can find the terms of participation here.