About this Program

A first of its kind in Canada, MHC's Sustainable Innovation diploma, with majors in Business or Science, provides students with the ability to develop, implement and lead sustainable innovation strategies in diverse industries. Students will acquire just-in-time experience learning to develop the skills and competencies needed to analyze and evaluate the detailed ecosystems that reinforce and support our built environment.

Offered with flexible learning options (in person and online), this two-year program of five semesters includes an integrated workplace learning experience and is designed for change makers who are excited about challenging existing standards and propelling their ideas forward to positively impact our communities and society. This program trains the next generations of leaders to initiate effective, innovative and sustainable approaches to solving challenges that impact people, places and profits by looking at new and strategic ways of doing business.

The Sustainable Innovation diploma challenges learners to broaden their perspective and create new products, services, systems, and processes that develop long-term solutions and address the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The term sustainability focuses not only on climate change but recognizes that ending poverty and other hardships naturally coincides with strategies to improve health, education, social equality, and economic growth.

Program Outcomes:

At the end of this program, students will develop knowledge, skills, and values in the following areas:

Sustainable Practice

• Describe the scientific, social, and environmental underpinnings regarding the scale, urgency, and necessity of sustainable innovation.
• Explain the interconnected nature of systems, the principles of sustainability, and recognize the implications of organizational decisions and actions.
• Recognize the complex dynamics of megatrends and systemic needs, and apply tools and practices that countries and organizations utilize to increase sustainability.
• Approach sustainability challenges from an innovation-centered perspective that recognizes the collective interests of economics, environment, and society.

Innovation Capability

• Explore ideas and issues from multiple perspectives before formulating an action plan.
• Identify, locate, evaluate, and responsibly use information to conduct economic analysis and develop business cases for both sustainability and innovation practices and processes.
• Creatively synthesize ideas, information, and expertise in original and imaginative ways characterized by innovation, informed risk-taking, and productive failure.
• Source existing or novel ideas from other domains into new products or approaches and extend into other domains where applicable.
• Systematically seek out and test potentially risky directions and unproven approaches through proven innovation theories and methods (e.g. rapid designing, testing and evaluation prototypes) towards implementing innovation.

Leading Change

• Facilitate incremental and transformative change processes to co-create social and organizational innovations with multiple stakeholders.
• Lead tangible changes in organizational practices and integrate sustainable innovation with strategy, including the ongoing ability to gather additional research in all areas of sustainable innovation as needed.
• Recognize one’s personal attitudes, beliefs, and ethics while engaging with diverse communities and cultures, and balancing these conceptions when leading innovation.
• Tailor communications to effectively express, listen, and adapt to others’ perspectives to establish appropriate actions.