Course Overview
As the positive impact of sustainability on business performance is increasingly well established, organizations are moving beyond corporate social responsibility (CSR) to embed environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance in their strategy and operations. In this new reality, the business case for sustainability is clear; sustainability is a competitive advantage, improves risk management, encourages innovation, improves financial performance, and helps build employee engagement and customer loyalty. In this course, students explore options for structuring purpose-driven businesses (governance and necessary metrics) and the features of purpose-driven organizations (leadership, commitments, policies, reporting, and partnerships). Students have opportunities to compare the pros and cons of various sustainable business models.
Prerequisite(s)
- Acceptance into the Sustainable Business Advanced Certificate, Sustainable Business Leadership Advanced Diploma, or Bachelor of Business Administration program.
Credits
4.0
Registration requirements
Departmental approval is required to register for this course. You must have approval from the department to register. Students accepted into a program can register directly.
Domestic fees
$879.89 - $897.00 See individual course offerings below for actual costs.
International fees are typically 3.4 times the domestic tuition. Exact cost will be calculated upon completion of registration.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Describe various organizational structures (corporations, partnerships, sole proprietorships, benefit companies, cooperatives, not-for-profits) and their pros and cons.
- Articulate the business case for sustainability and community economic development.
- Explain the principles of community economic development.
- Define and describe an organization's purpose.
- Explain the impacts of embedding environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance on an organization's board, strategy, policies, and operations.
- Identify stakeholder groups, their interests, and best practices in stakeholder engagement and management.
- Identify the impacts of various organizational structures on stakeholders (employees, shareholders, supply chains, civil society, and the planet) and describe ways to measure these impacts.
Effective as of Fall 2020
Related Programs
Sustainable Business Models (BSUS 5210) is offered as a part of the following programs:
- Indicates programs accepting international students.
- Indicates programs eligible for students to apply for Post-graduation Work Permit (PGWP).
School of Business + Media
- Bachelor of Business Administration
Bachelor of Business Administration Full-time/Part-time
- Sustainable Business
Advanced Certificate Part-time
- Sustainable Business Leadership
Advanced Diploma Full-time
- Sustainable Business Leadership
Advanced Diploma Part-time
Course Offerings
Fall 2026
Below are two offerings of BSUS 5210 for the Fall 2026 term.
CRN 48255
Dates
Sep 03 - Dec 10 Loading
- CRN 48255
- $897.00 Domestic fees
Class meeting times
Duration
15 weeks
Instructor
TBD
Course outline
Course outline TBD — see Learning Outcomes in the interim.
Important information
- Reserved for Sustainable Business Leadership (SBL) and BBA students. SBL students are pre-approved to register. BBA students please email sbl@bcit.ca with your ID for departmental approval. If you are not enrolled in either of these programs at BCIT and are seeking special permission to register, please email sbl@bict.ca Corse includes a combination of live online (MS Teams) and work-at-your-own pace online learning each week.
Confirmation
Required
To proceed with registration and add this course to the cart, please confirm:
No approval yet? Request approval You must have approval from the department to register. Students accepted into a program can register directly.
Status
If you have any questions about this course, please contact us.
CRN 48136
Dates
Sep 09 - Dec 09 Loading
- CRN 48136
- $879.89 Domestic fees
Class meeting times
Duration
14 weeks
Instructor
Tracey Kliesch
Course outline
Course outline TBD — see Learning Outcomes in the interim.
Important information
- No Class: September 30 (Day of Truth & Reconciliation) and November 11 (Remembrance Day) This course is open only to students in the Sustainable Business Leadership (SBL) and Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) programs. • SBL students: You are pre-approved to register. • BBA students: Please email sbl@bcit.ca with your student ID to request departmental approval. • All others: If you are not in either program and wish to request special permission, please email sbl@bcit.ca. Each week includes a mix of: • 2 hours live online instruction (MS Teams) • 2 hours asynchronous online learning with active instructor involvement (students will receive guidance, support, and/or feedback during this time)
Confirmation
Required
To proceed with registration and add this course to the cart, please confirm:
No approval yet? Request approval You must have approval from the department to register. Students accepted into a program can register directly.
Status
If you have any questions about this course, please contact us.
Programs and courses are subject to change without notice. Find out more about BCIT course cancellations.