MASTER OF ARTS IN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND

ORGANISATIONS

Declared as Deemed to be University under Section 3 of UGC Act, 1956

DETAILED SYLLABUS
2011-2013 BATCH

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY and DAUPHINE UNIVERSITY, PARIS

CHRIST UNIVERSITY
BANGALORE
INTRODUCTION
Sustainable Development is of central importance in the agendas of numerous organizations,
from corporations to NGOs, political parties and local authorities, governments and
international organizations. Issues regarding global warming, limited energy resources,
population growth and the rise of emerging economies redefine the responsibilities of
countries and thus lay the foundation of a sustainable development. Sustainable Development
requires significant participation of the parties involved and also the creation of new business
partners (conventional and NGOs). Major corporations have already made significant
headway in addressing the issue. Today we have gone beyond the experimental stage and
there is a growing emphasis on the need for a Sustainable Development policy in different
types of organizations. Companies are facing heavy pressure from numerous bodies and
lobbies to recognize the need for Sustainable Development, particularly from the UNO, the
European Commission, States, Institutions, the consumer, investor and saver lobbies. The
implementation of a Sustainable Development policy implies radical structural changes at
every level of the company. The ethical dimension of Sustainable Development is also
essential and is to be observed in purchasing policy. Indeed purchasing policy is directly
impacted by the problematic of Sustainable Development. The auditing of suppliers is no
longer based on pure economic and industrial criteria but also on environmental, social and
ethical grounds. Commitment to such a policy can only be envisaged if the criteria for
assessment and authentication are benchmarked. This policy also impacts the internal and
external communication strategy of an organization. It involves communicating the values
and the sense of responsibility that the organization and all those who work for it uphold. The
progression of ethical investments, social rating or fair trade practices complete the context.
Finally, working with the aim of promoting Sustainable Development requires a global vision
which fosters close collaboration with emerging countries.

Program aims

The Objective of the program is to train professionals in the analysis of Sustainable

Development policies.
The program is based on solid partnerships with various industrial groups, banks, NGOs,
specialized law firms, rating agencies and consulting groups.
It mobilizes the capacities to: Formulate recommendations, Participate in the creation and the
analysis of Sustainable Development policy, Assess the different tools used to ratify actions
undertaken.

Candidate profiles
This program is designed for all persons involved in Sustainable Development who wish to
gain a thorough operational knowledge in an international framework.

Eligibility:
A student is eligible to apply to the program if he or she has completed an
undergraduate degree from any recognized University with a Minimum of 50 % and a
minimum of three years Professional Work Experience.
Selection will be made based on review of applications and a personal Interview by the
Admissions committee of the University.
Course Structure
The Masters of Arts in Sustainable Development and Organizations is a two year Masters
Program offered at Christ University across four semesters.

SEMSTER – 1 *
Course Code Name Hours Credits Marks
CIA ESE total
MSD 131* Environmental Economy, 4 4 50 50 100
energy and sustainable
Development

MSD 132* Institutions and Corporate 4 4 50 50 100

Responsibility
MSD 133* European Environmental 4 4 50 50 100
Law
MSD 134* Environmental Sociology 4 4 50 50 100
MSD 135* Corporate Governance, 4 4 50 50 100
accounting and
sustainable development
20 20 250 250 500
* Courses offered by Faculty from Europe

SEMESTER 2
Course Code Name Hours Credits Marks
CIA ESE total
MSD 231 Marketing for clean 4 4 50 50 100
products
MSD232 Green Purchasing 4 4 50 50 100
MSD 233 Innovative Finance 4 4 50 50 100
MSD 234 Research methods 4 4 50 50 100
MSD 271 Project proposals 2 2 50 - 50
MSD 272 Mandatory Study Tour - 2 - - -
18 20 250 200 450
SEMESTER 3
Course Name Hours Credits Marks
Code CIA ESE total
MSD 331 Environmental policies in 4 4 50 50 100
India
MSD 332 Ecological engineering and 4 4 50 50 100
sustainable development
MSD 333 Strategies for Sustainability 4 4 50 50 100
MSD 334 Program Planning and 4 4 50 50 100
Evaluation Methods
MSD 335 Psychology for Sustainable 4 4 50 50 100
Development
20 20 250 250 500

SEMESTER – 4
Course Code Name Hours Credits Marks
CIA ESE total
MSD 431 Clean production 2 2 25 25 50
MSD432 Water management 2 2 25 25 50
MSD433 Waste Management 2 2 25 25 50
MSD 434 Sustainable construction 2 2 25 25 50
MSD 435 Transportation and 2 2 25 25 50
Sustainable Development
MSD 481* Project(Dissertation) 8 8 50 50 100
18 18 175 175 350

EVALUATION
Each course will be evaluated through Individual projects, Group Projects, synthesis of
modules and submission and presentation of a dissertation on a SD project
SYLLABUS
Semester – 1
MSD 131 Environmental Economy, Energy and Sustainable Development
CREDIT LEVEL: 4
TOTAL MARKS: 100

This course on Environment, Development and Sustainability covers all aspects of the environmental
impacts of socio-economic development. Concerned with the complex interactions between
development and environment, its purpose is to seek ways and means for achieving sustainability in
all human activities aimed at such development.

Unit 1
Interactions among society, development and environment, and their implications for sustainable
development
Unit 2
Technical, economic, ethical and philosophical aspects of sustainable development; local, regional
and global sustainability and their practical implementation
Unit 3
Development and application of indicators of sustainability; development, verification,
implementation and monitoring of policies for sustainable development;
Unit 4
Sustainable use of land, water, energy and biological resources in development; impacts of
agriculture and forestry activities on soil and aquatic ecosystems and biodiversity.

Primary Reading
B. Nath; and L. Hens; D. Pimentel Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of
Sustainable Development.
Semester – 1
MSD 132 Institutions and Corporate Responsibility
CREDIT LEVEL: 4
TOTAL MARKS: 100

Unit 1
Identification of "societal problems", - Perspectives on the role and responsibility of businesses in
society, Social and/or community entrepreneurship, non-profit organizations, The approach to CSR in
academia (accounting, marketing, business ethics, international management, sustainability, corporate
governance), Theories to explain the CSR phenomenon, The meaning of socially responsible
business management in practice (including international or cultural differences), Critical analyses of
CSR accounts

Unit 2
Introduction to Corporate Social Responsibility – Origin and importance of CSR in the corporate and
nonprofit sectors; making the case for being named a leader in CSR and being identified as such;
measuring and promoting related events, projects, programs; preserving the spirit and mission of the
organization in a socially responsible environment.

Unit 3
Developing a program suitable to your needs/mission; due diligence and internal processes for
identifying the program partner; communication outreach and networking tactics; Proposal writing –
crafting a grant and submission tactics; eligibility qualifications needed for an in-kind transfer,
contribution, etc.; communicating and defining company guidelines and strategic focus areas; learning
the corporate vocabulary; identifying the strengths and weaknesses of a grant.

Unit 4
Current trends in employee volunteerism; challenges for measuring engagement and accurate
reporting; metrics used to quantify participation; industry benchmarking; Furthering the brand
through volunteerism; marketing volunteer opportunities – internally and externally; planning a
volunteer event; media recognition – (dis)/advantages of Print/TV/online attention. Relationship
Development and Sustainability; Building sustainable and trusted relationships in institutions.

Primary Reading
Philip; Kotler and Nancy :L, Hoboken,: John Corporate Social Responsibility: Doing the Most Good
for Your Company and Your Cause, Wiley & Sons, Inc., NJ , 2005
Semester – 1
MSD 133 European Environmental Law
CREDIT LEVEL: 4
TOTAL MARKS: 100
This course examines the development of EU environmental policy and how EU environmental law
relates to the development of environmental law at the level of Member States.
Attention is given to the development of environmental law concepts such as sustainable development
and the four areas of Community policy under Article 174(1) EC namely preserving and protecting,
and improving the quality of the environment; protecting human health; the prudent and rational
utilization of natural resources and promoting measures at national and international level to deal with
environmental problems.
The course addresses recent developments such as environmental rights, the polluter pays principles,
and the precautionary principles in detail. The efficacy of regulatory enforcement and the role of the
European Environment Agency are also considered. Particular attention is given to the role of
Environmental Impact Assessment, the Free Movement of Goods and the Environment, the recent
Environmental Liability Directive; and responses to global warming are considered.
Special case studies on Genetically Modified Organisms, waste management and chemical waste
strategies and finally the Protection of European Habitats and Species Directives are included. An
analysis at theoretical and conceptual levels is provided of the way that European environmental law
has developed. The role of EU environmental law in the free movement of goods is critically analyzed
and assessed.

Unit 1
The main conceptual and legal principles of European Environmental law; the role of EU
environmental law in the economy of member states including an assessment of the cost benefits of
environmental protection in terms of market forces

Unit 2
The various Treaty and legislative provisions applicable to the environment; the institutional
relationship between the EU institutions and Member States in the area of environmental regulation

Unit 3
The role of environmental regulation and its different forms; basic cases and EU directives/regulations
on the environment
Unit 4

The future of environmental policy making in the environmental law area; an understanding of the
use of science and economic instruments in the regulation of environmental problems.

Primary Readings
Maria Lee, EU Environmental Law Oxford: Hart Publishing , 2005.
Lee Peter G.G. Davies, European Union Environmental Law Asgate, 2004 .

Semester – 1
MSD 134 Environmental Sociology
Credit Level – 4
Total Marks - 100

Unit 1
Introduction to Environmental Sociology: Historical and ecological origins of modern world, life
sphere, social environment systems, traditional small scale societies. The maturation and
diversification of environmental sociology: from constructivism and realism to agnosticism and
pragmatism.

Unit 2
History and stages of environmental movements, ecological movements and foundations and their
role in Sustainability, Population and Consumption.

Unit 3
State of the Environment, Sacredness, Spirituality and Environmental protection. Scientific
advancements and risk on the social relationships, Ecological Modernization, Reflexive
Modernization, and Disproportionality , The State, Institutions and Regulation

Unit 4
Social construction of Nature, Social construction of environmental problems, gender and social
development.

Primary Readings
William R. Catton, Jr. and Riley E. Dunlap (1978) "Environmental Sociology: A New Paradigm."
American Sociologist, 13(1): 41-49.
Frederick H. Buttel (1978) "Environmental Sociology: A New Paradigm?" American Sociologist
13(4): 252-256.

Semester – 1
MSD 135 Corporate Governance, Accounting and Sustainable Development
Credit Level – 4
Total Marks - 100

Unit 1
Corporate Governance and Environment sensitive governance. Environmental governance standpoint,
sustainability.

Unit 2
Theoretical relationship between finance and sustainability. Effective Financial tools (as measured by
both sustainable impact and the ability to earn a profit) and which are not. Models of finance and
sustainability that can be practically applied in a variety of social contexts

Unit 3
Financial tools and their impact on climate change. Financial tools and strategies that might be used in
the future, in the context of a carbon-constrained global economy and national and international
policy developments.

Unit 4
Sustainability as a positive force, Investor responses, Future trends
Internal Expectations from corporates and what can corporates hope to achieve themselves as thought
leaders on the subject, Sustainability as a risk factor, measurement of sustainability by companies
Private Equity & Sustainable Investing, Energy Efficiency Financing & Cleantech, decision making
in investments, Review of case studies from across the globe

Primary Readings
Sustainable Investing: The Art of Long-Term Performance (2008, Earthscan)
Cary Krosinsky, Nick Robins et al
SEMESTER 2
MSD 231 Marketing for Green products
Credit Level – 4
Total Marks - 100

Unit 1

Status of clean production - Technical dimension: Difficulties, Possibility of recycling the products,
Composition of the products, origin, Production process and environment

Unit 2

Economical dimension: Evaluation of the cost of cleanness, Economical advantages (or hopes) and
disadvantages, Cases

Unit 3

Environmental dimension: Supply chain and environmental costs, Evaluation of the different
environmental costs, (transportation of the components, production process, recycling environmental
costs,…), Environmental benefits

Unit 4

Enterprise Demonstration: Clean production evaluation standards in India, Cases

SEMESTER - 2
MSD 232 Green Purchasing
Credit Level – 4
Total Marks - 100

Unit 1

Definition of green barriers, green marketing, characteristics, Definitions and figures about clean
products
Demand for clean products

Unit 2

Distribution systems; Costs/benefits for the distribution system to introduce environmentally friendly
products, Criteria for the choice of the products

Unit 3

Performance and its evaluation of green marketing

Unit 4

Cases, for instance: “Clean cars”: figures, international comparison, characteristics of clean cars’
users, future of clean in India or Asia … Is it possible the produce a clean car?
Recycled paper: figures..
Bio food: figures …, Environmental quality of buildings, construction: constraints, efforts
realized, market
SEMESTER - 2
MSD 233 Innovative Finance
Credit Level – 4
Total Marks - 100

Unit 1

Introduction to applying financial innovation to address environmental and sustainable development,

Renewable energy financing. Frame the continuum of impact investing Risk management, new value
creation, & the economics of impact
Develop a framework for a multi-asset class sustainability portfolio

Unit 2

Clean tech venture capital: evaluate, value and structure deals for renewable energy projects, clean
tech venture capital, energy efficiency projects,

Unit 3

Markets from social and environmental factors: Micro-finance, Carbon credits and environmental
service, Water Credits

Unit 4

Green/sustainable real estate, Forestry, natural resources, and agriculture

Implications of sustainability on public equities portfolios

Primary Readings
An Overview of Impact Investing - by Phillips Hager & North Investment Management, November
2010
SEMESTER - 2
MSD 234 Research Methods
Credit Level – 4
Total Marks - 100

Research methods are designed to introduce students to the range of research methodologies and
techniques of data collection, analysis and presentation that may be used in an undergraduate or
postgraduate research project, dissertation or thesis. This subject emphasizes good research practice in
defining a research topic, surveying the relevant literature, using results of the literature search to
establish sound research questions and eventually to select appropriate research methods to answer
these questions. An overview of appropriate research strategies with common data collection methods
and analytical procedures are presented. Techniques used for collecting, presenting, synthesizing and
analyzing data are also discussed.

Unit 1
Research and relevance and application of research to SD studies. Philosophic, ontological and
methodological issues in Research in SD. Ethics of Research

Unit 2
Research process: Conceptualizing, Literature review, Coverage, data and analysis. Quantitative and
Qualitative Designs.

Unit 3
Statistical applications and their use in Research in SD

Unit 4
Qualitative analysis and their applications in SD. Writing in Research

Primary Readings
Methods for Development Work and Research, by Britha Mikkelsen. Sage, New Delhi, 2005. A
comprehensive guide to participatory research methods in international development.

The Logical Framework Approach. Aus Guideline 3.3 from Ausaid, Canberra, 2005. A
straightforward guide to setting up a project using the Logical Framework.

Applied Sampling, by Seymour Sudman. Academic Press, New York, 1976

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