The stability of the Earth as a system is currently at risk as five of the nine planetary boundaries - describing the environmental limits within which humanity as a species may continue to thrive - have now been exceeded. The practice of sustainability is crucial to our management of life under water, life on land, the environment, and for societal health and wellbeing now and in the future.

 

Utilising the digital resources of the SDG Academy and the sustainability expertise of UCD academic staff, the Professional Diploma in Foundations of Sustainable Development is taught through the lens of the SDGS and has the unique ability to address the large range of issues covered by the 2030 agenda.

 

Ultimately, it will equip students to solve some of the most pressing issues of our times. Students who complete the programme will emerge with a holistic understanding of the core tenets of sustainable development across the four pillars of the Sustainable Development Goals —economic, social, and environmental, and governance.

 

Key facts:

• The programme is flexible and delivered online and it provides students who complete the programme with a pathway for entry onto UCD’s online MSc Sustainable Development programme.
• This programme can be completed over 1 trimester (Sept start only) or over 2 Trimesters (Sept & Jan start) giving the student lots of flexibility.
• Lectures for module 'Global Classroom' is available as live and also recorded. The second module 'Fundamentals of Sustainability' is on demand, this gives the student a lot of flexibility to learn.
• The programme utilises the best available online sustainability education resources from global experts and is delivered in partnership with the UNSDSN SDG Academy 
• Assessments are through continuous assessment. 
• Once they complete the Diploma, students can continue into UCD’s online Master’s of Science (MSc.) in Sustainable Development—offsetting 20 academic credits.
• On completing the SDG Academy FSD course students are eligible to receive 10 credits towards this Professional Diploma. This is achieve by registering for the Foundations of Sustainability module and completing a further assessment on a topic related to SDG Academy MOOCs.