This course is an introduction to careers in sustainability, focusing primarily on the role of a sustainability analyst at public and private organizations. Through a mix of video, print, peer review, and interactive content, learners will be able to explain sustainability and the specifics of a sustainability analyst’s job within an organization.
The course is structured around two elements: topical knowledge and practical application. Throughout the course, learners can practice what they learn and get feedback from their peers to build their skills. Additionally, knowledge checks provide milestones for learners to ensure that they understand the necessary information about each topic presented. Each module begins with a video that introduces the concepts taught in the lesson, including interviews with ASU School of Sustainability professors.
Interactive activities and hands-on application are central to the learner experience in this course. They include participating in mini-application experiences, trying out real-life skills with expert feedback, and creating personalized tools like presentation slide decks and spreadsheet templates to use in the role on day one of a new job. The interactive and hands-on activities are specifically designed to teach not only sustainability skills but also professional skills like professional writing, presentation skills, and conducting successful video meetings. This combination of practical skills and specialized content makes this course a unique foundation for the rest of the specialization.
Status: Writing
Writing
Status: Sustainable Development
Sustainable Development
Beginner·Course·14 hours
Featured reviews
4.0
·Reviewed Dec 20, 2022
Good course with clear instructions, definitely a good place to start to learn more about sustainability analysts
5.0
·Reviewed Oct 20, 2023
Very hands-on course, learned a lot by having to do a plethora of peer-reviewed assignments!
4.0
·Reviewed May 29, 2023
I enjoyed the course. It was a good starting point to understanding what the topic encompasses.
5.0
·Reviewed Jan 15, 2023
Excellent real sustainability course that match the reality situations and applications.
5.0
·Reviewed Jan 6, 2023
Amazing to learn, and expandable to apply if you know your environment.
5.0
·Reviewed Dec 24, 2022
Absolutely gem of a course. Anyone who wants to learn about sustainability with no prior knowledge of the same may start with this course. Thank you Coursera! Merry Christmas!
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N
Natasha
2.0
·Reviewed Dec 2, 2022
Though the information you learn is valuable, the grading system is not. Having peers grade you from all around the world does not seem fair when some of them are not taking this course seriously. I had feedback such as "no" with no explanation of how I could improve on an assignment I was genuinely confused about. I ended up failing that assignment and had to wait a week to be regraded on my new submission. The set up for the assignments is a little confusing at times and the "templates" can be used by anyone. So sometimes the data gets altered. It was easy and convenient, this class, so that's why I gave it any stars.
S
ShivaChemburkar
2.0
·Reviewed Sep 13, 2023
Completing any course should not rely on peer-graded assignments. The course material is good and serves as a nice refresher or introduction to sustainability.
V
Victoria
2.0
·Reviewed Mar 8, 2023
The peer review grading piece holds up actually completing this module.
M
Matti
4.0
·Reviewed Oct 26, 2022
Course itself is quite good overview of the basics of a sustainability and on the work of a sustainability analyst. However, the many peer review task makes it a bit frustrating, since there is no way of tring to figh/skip a reviewer who clearly hasn't spend anytime checking the submission and gives 0 pts that should not be given for that submission. Then it requires another submission and another waiting time of new peer reviewers.
J
Jarek
1.0
·Reviewed Sep 22, 2024
there are very few students enrolled while there are 6 peer-graded assignments. you won't complete the course until someone grades your work. You may need to wait for a long time! I finished my course yesterday and didn't get a single grade for my assignments.
J
Joshua
5.0
·Reviewed Jul 19, 2023
creating the line graphs was the most challenging part as I was not familiar with Excel. This type of application is real world as I've been in solar and have conducted many bill reviews to ensure accurate system sizing for customers. I would've liked to have more than simply peer review- even though the peer review aspect is perfect for learning; I found a few folks didn't really understand the assignments or were just flying by. In any case, it proved useful for me. Look forward to part 2/3 !!
A
Andrés
5.0
·Reviewed Jan 23, 2023
Considering this course as an entrance to sustainability analytics, it provides great information. On a personal level, it motivated me, as it showed me with clarity what does a sustainability analyst profesional route looks like.
D
Dolma
5.0
·Reviewed Dec 24, 2022
Absolutely gem of a course. Anyone who wants to learn about sustainability with no prior knowledge of the same may start with this course.
Thank you Coursera! Merry Christmas!
B
Belal
5.0
·Reviewed Jan 2, 2026
Proud to join this outstanding training course. The content, explanations, and in-depth analysis cover all aspects of the sustainability analyst role. Thank you to everyone.
S
Sayan
5.0
·Reviewed Oct 21, 2023
Very hands-on course, learned a lot by having to do a plethora of peer-reviewed assignments!
E
Emad
5.0
·Reviewed Jan 16, 2023
Excellent real sustainability course that match the reality situations and applications.
M
Mohammad
5.0
·Reviewed Jan 7, 2023
Amazing to learn, and expandable to apply if you know your environment.
J
Jocelyn
5.0
·Reviewed Apr 6, 2023
I thoroughly enjoyed this course. Thank you!
I
Ibtisam
5.0
·Reviewed Oct 28, 2024
This course is excellent at all levels
C
CARLUYS
5.0
·Reviewed Jun 27, 2025
Excellent course!
G
George
5.0
·Reviewed Sep 10, 2024
VERY PRACTICAL
P
Pinyapat
5.0
·Reviewed Feb 11, 2025
Great course
S
SHAJI
5.0
·Reviewed Dec 29, 2022
Excellent
K
Kyle
4.0
·Reviewed Jan 2, 2023
This course provides a great overview of what working as a sustainability analyst entails, but the assignment prompts are often unclear and leave room for multiple interpretations. Additionally, I believe that the slide presentation templates they offer have some room for improvement when it comes to clearly and concisely conveying information. I would recommend this course for anyone (like me) who wants to learn more about what it's like to be a sustainability analyst, but I would not get overly caught up in the assignments.
M
Miguel
4.0
·Reviewed Jul 8, 2024
The course was good, and I did learn more around the career of a sustainability analyst. I thought the course I was doing was "Sustainability Analyst Fundamentals", I did not now that I have to do 2 more courses in order to get a certificate with the title "Sustainability Analyst Fundamentals".