Master's in Sustainable Business and Innovation

This programme focuses on the transformation of business and marketing processes toward a sustainable future. It takes a multidisciplinary approach, recognising the connections between business, food systems, environmental issues and agricultural sciences. You will receive the official diploma of the Master’s in Management, Economics and Consumer studies, specifying a Master's in Sustainable Business and Innovation.

The programme runs annually beginning in September each year. It consists of 120 credit points (ECTS), equivalent to two academic years. The academic year consists of 6 periods. Period 1,2,5 and 6 comprise six weeks of classes, one week of self-study and the exam week. In these periods, students often follow two courses worth 6 credits each. Period 3 and 4 entail of four weeks in which both the lectures and the exams take place. In these periods, students follow one course worth 6 credits. The expected workload is 40 hours per week.

For more detailed information about this programme's profile and learning outcomes, check the Study Handbook.

You will begin with core programme-specific courses such as Business Theories & Sustainability, Strategic Marketing for Market Transformation, Leading & Organising Sustainability, Conceptual Innovation Lab, Analytical Methods, and Critical Reflections on Business that integrate social-science, natural-science, and business perspectives.  

Programme specific courses (30 ECTS)

• Business Theories & Sustainability (YSS37006):
• Which theories are underlying the decisions that managers make on a daily basis? How useful are these theories if businesses also aim to contribute to the SDGs? What alternative theories are emerging? This course will teach you how to use theories to analyse and evaluating sustainable business models to their commercial and societal potential and pitfalls.
• Strategic Marketing for Market Transformation (MCB33806): How do companies change the rules of the game in the market and business ecosystems? What instruments do they use for advertising, product development, channel development and pricing. How do they engage with vital stakeholders, greenwashing, competition and unwilling consumers? In this course, you will study businesses cases on companies at the forefront of sustainable change and learn by playing a market game against other students.
• Leading and Organising for Sustainability (BMO36306): How to change organisational structures, processes, competencies, policies, and incentives to foster sustainability? How do leaders change norms and build corporate cultures that foster change for sustainability? What are the organisational hindrances and flows? By studying living business cases and receiving direct feedback from MNC managers, your knowledge will be expanded.
• Conceptual Innovation Lab (YSS38606): Different types of innovations can be accelerators for sustainability transition of global food systems towards the achievement of the SDG-goals. Innovative concepts and development frameworks that can create understanding and guide actions into the transition process are abound. This course will teach you a scientific, robust and step-wise approach on how to develop innovative conceptual frameworks. Concepts of creative conceptual thinking, scientific reflection, active and lively discussions to develop academic skills will pass by in this course.
• Analytical Methods (YSS38806): This course provides students with the analytical methods to support businesses, policymakers, and researchers when making decisions on sustainability and innovation. Students will learn how to develop a research design and decide which research methods are best to use.

For more information on the course offered at WUR, check out the Study Handbook MME-A.

Course on Critical reflections on business:

Identify and develop your own competencies for sustainable leadership and lifelong learning competencies.

Academic Master Cluster (12 ECTS)

Academic Consultancy Training (9 ECTS) and Modular Skills Training (3 ECTS): In Academic Consultancy Training, you will work with students from different master’s programmes on an assignment for an external client. In this way, you can apply the knowledge you gained during your studies and experience what it’s like to work as a consultant. Your group will be supported by an academic expert focusing on the contents of the project and a coach focusing on the group process and personal development of the team members.

In Modular Skills Training, you select modules to work on specific skills that you would like to develop, like scientific writing, management skills or career orientation.

Electives (18 ECTS)

Within this master’s programme students can follow two elective courses in the fields of digitalisation, creative data science, consumer behaviour, digital marketing, governance, economics, and econometrics and also in supply chain analytics and management. Students can follow any relevant master course that adds to their master’s programme, given it is of relevant difficulty and adds to the programme being studied.

Courses first year.

You complete a professional internship in industry, consulting, or research settings, where you put your theoretical knowledge to practice and gain real-world sustainability insights. You then focus on an independent master’s thesis, conducting rigorous research on a topic of your choice and applying both quantitative and qualitative methods to generate actionable sustainability impact.

Thesis (36 ECTS)

In the Sustainable aBusiness & Innovation Master's programme at WUR, your thesis is basically your chance to dive deep into a topic that gets you excited about how people interact with products, food, or services. Instead of just learning theories in class, you get to pick a real-world question you're curious about, like why people go crazy for certain food trends or what makes them choose one brand over another.

You start by picking a topic that sparks your interest. Then, you dig into what's already out there – what researchers have said, what studies have found – and figure out where there's still room for more insight. Next, you design your own study. It could be surveys, interviews, or whatever method suits your topic. You collect your data, analyse it and then report everything in an official paper. It's not just about getting it right, but about showing you've really thought deeply about something you're passionate about. It's like your academic rite of passage into the world of Sustainable Business & Innovation.

Internship (24 ECTS)

Doing an internship while finalising your Master's in Sustainable Business & Innovation is like taking a real-world joyride through the fascinating landscape of business. It's not just about hitting the books, it's about diving deep into the practical side of things. You get to swap the classroom for a hands-on experience, where the theories you've been absorbing start making sense in the wild.

You might find yourself working with industry pros, getting the lowdown on how businesses understand and cater to management needs. You're not just observing, you're part of the action, trying to figure out why people do what they do, whether it’s working in digital marketing, jumping on financial numbers, or managing a new brand launch. Combined with this internship, you will also write a research report. It's the kind of real-world insight you can't get from textbooks alone, and it sets you up for a one-of-a-kind learning experience as you cruise through your master's journey.

Courses second year.

• Lectures: the lecturer introduces and explains course topics in class.
• Tutorials: assignments are completed individually or in small groups.
• Labs: practical computer sessions focusing on economic and statistical models.
• Problem-Based Learning (PBL): group case-study work guided by a supervisor.
• Self-study: independent study time is timetable, with flexibility for extra sessions. 
  

Your success matters to us at WUR. That’s why we invest in more lecturers, study advisors, and student counsellors than other Dutch universities. This means you always have someone to turn to, lowering the risk of setbacks and making your study experience more personal and engaging. It’s how we show our real dedication to helping you achieve your goals. 

• Master's in Sustainable Business & Innovation
  This programme trains you to help businesses transform towards sustainability by redesigning strategies, business models, and marketing practices. You learn to balance profitability with environmental and social goals, while gaining skills in leadership, innovation management, and stakeholder engagement. The focus is broad and business-oriented, preparing you for roles such as sustainability manager, consultant, or entrepreneur.
• Master's in Sustainable Supply Chain Analytics
  SSCA combines sustainability with quantitative methods, teaching you how to design and optimise global supply chains using data analytics, operations research, and IT tools. You focus on flows of goods, materials, and information, while learning to evaluate trade-offs between efficiency and sustainability. This programme is best suited for students who enjoy working with models and data and who aim for careers in logistics, operations, or analytics consultancy.
• Master's in Consumer Studies 
  explores how and why people make choices, and how these decisions shape sustainable consumption and innovation. It combines insights from psychology, sociology, and economics with methods such as experiments, surveys, and design research. The programme prepares you for roles in market research, communication, or product development, and is especially valuable if you’re interested in consumer behaviour, health, and sustainability.
• Master's in Economics of Sustainability
  This programme applies economic theory and modelling to global sustainability challenges, such as resource scarcity, environmental policy, and transitions to low-carbon economies. You develop strong quantitative and analytical skills through courses in econometrics, behavioural economics, and policy evaluation. It is an excellent fit if you want to work in research, government, or consultancy, applying economic tools to design and assess sustainability policies.
• Master's in Governance of Sustainability Transformations
  GST focuses on the political, social, and institutional processes that shape transitions toward sustainability. You study governance theories, law, regulation, and multi-actor collaboration, while also learning practical skills for facilitating change. With its emphasis on systemic transformation and governance design, the programme prepares you for careers in policy, NGOs, or advisory roles that require bridging diverse interests and guiding collective sustainability action. 

Graduates from Sustainable Business and Innovation have career prospects as managers or consultants in the traditional business sector and government departments, or as university instructors or researchers. 

Interested in the MSc Sustainable Business and Innovation? 
Check if your background matches the entry requirements.

Purpose and reason for the admission requirements

The admission requirements for the Master’s programme in Sustainable Business and Innovation are designed to ensure that students can successfully complete the programme within the standard two-year period. The programme aims to educate and empower future change-makers who can drive sustainable transformation in businesses and society from a management and marketing perspective. Accordingly, applicants are expected to have sufficient knowledge of concepts and methodologies in business administration, innovation management and/or marketing as well as sufficient background in research methodology.

The criterion used for admission is

Students with a WUR BSc degree in Business and Consumer Studies or with a BSc degree and a WUR Innovation and Entrepreneurship minor are automatically admitted.

Students with the following portfolio are very welcome, but first are evaluated by the Admission board:

A bachelor's degree with ≥30 ECTS in at least one of the following disciplines:

• Business studies (Business administration)
• Business economics (accounting, financial management)
• Decision theory (logistics, operations management)
• Information technology/management
• Organisational behaviour
• Management studies (innovation management, strategic management, industrial organisation)
• Marketing studies

The student should have covered at least 10 ECTS in Management and/or Marketing courses.

And have at least 10 ECTS in research methodology including statistics (linear regression, analysis of variance (ANOVA), hypothesis testing) (either in the Bachelor programme or in addition to the Bachelor programme).

Method of assessment whether this norm is met

• Transcript of records displaying the content of previous course subjects and project work;
• Curriculum vitae displaying relevant work, internship and/or project experience on an academic level in a relevant field if applicable.

Scores attributed by the Admission Board

Admitted / not admitted / admitted under condition of obtaining the BSc or MSc degree / not admitted with offer of pre-master.

You can apply for this Master's here.

The Admission Board may allow and/or suggest compensation of knowledge gaps by:

• a GPA≥7.0* for the previous education for small discrepancies, as new knowledge is sufficiently easily acquired;
• a GPA≥7.0* and an individual pre-master's programme for larger discrepancies that can be compensated in ≤30 ECTS and one year of study.

*Check the general admission page for the International credentials evaluation guide for international equivalencies to a Dutch GPA>7.0. This guide includes compensating factors for a slightly lower GPA the Admission Board may include in their judgement.

A pre-master's programme can be constructed based on the deficiencies of your bachelor to the entry requirements of the master's programme. A pre-master's runs from 12 ECTS up and until 30ECTS, depending on your situation. An example below is applicable to a university of applied science student lacking statistical background. Please note that from this example no rights can be derived.

Contact the study advisor directly via mme.msc@wur.nl to discuss your possibilities at WUR, options on pre-masters' based on your transcript of grades, and how to mitigate knowledge gaps if you are still in the process of obtaining your degree. Find out more about pre-master's programmes. 

Study programmes with knowledge gaps

University of Applied Sciences (NL: hbo) students often are required to follow additional courses in a pre-master or as a minor during the previous study programme to cover the required previous knowledge. This usually consists of courses on: mathematics, quantitative research methodology and statistics, business economics, operations research and/or information technology.

All information about the costs of this programme can be found on this page.

Wageningen offers a diverse, enjoyable, and amiable student community. Despite being a small town, you get to know people from all over the world because of Wageningen University & Research's global atmosphere. Everything in town is relatively accessible by bicycle, and the campus is contemporary and green. Whether it's a sporting event, a party, or a laid-back evening with friends at one of the student associations, there's always something going on. Additionally, there are parks, forests, and a river nearby, so if you enjoy the outdoors, you're in the right area. It's a fantastic combination of learning, socialising, and taking in the scenery.

All information about student life in Wageningen can be found on this page.