Sustainability and corporate social responsibility have become the gold standard for many modern businesses, non-profits and B corps. This double major will open up opportunities to a variety of meaningful positions including chief sustainability officer, human resources and community partnerships.
Program Overview
Maximize your competitive advantage.
At Western Colorado University, you can maximize your competitive advantage in the job market by arming yourself with a strong foundation in both business administration and environmental sustainability. This coordinated double major teaches you fundamentals in both fields, so you can successfully help businesses operate and excel using environmentally conscious practices.
You can also double up on conferences, networking events and internships that Western offers in both fields. Experiment with sustainable building design in the Coldharbour Institute or pitch your business idea to the Innovation + Creativity + Entrepreneurship (ICE) Lab on campus. In a competitive job market, these unique skills will set you up for success.
The best of both worlds
The Business Administration and Environment & Sustainability coordinated double major at Western teaches students the fundamentals in both fields, so they can successfully help businesses balance the bottom line with an environmental conscience.
Careers
Take the first steps toward your academic and personal growth.
Fostering your intellectual development is the primary focus of every academic program at Western. Our professors and Office of Career Services will help you identify your strengths, hone your skills, define your goals, and prepare for a fulfilling and enriched life after graduation. Wondering how you can apply your program of choice to your intellectual and personal journey? Check out our “What Can I Do With This Major?” tool to explore the diverse opportunities and pathways within any degree program.
Scholarships
Western’s Scholarship Application portal allows you to search for, apply to and manage your scholarship opportunities. This platform houses over 300+ departmental and privately funded scholarship opportunities available to both new and returning students. Through the scholarship portal, students may identify scholarship opportunities based on academic program, campus involvement, academic standing, specific keywords and more. Students may click below to begin learning about what scholarship opportunities are available to them.
Please check individual scholarship opportunity start dates and deadlines as there are exceptions.
Find your ScholarshipsWestern’s Scholarship Application portal allows you to search for, apply to and manage your scholarship opportunities. This platform houses over 300+ departmental and privately funded scholarship opportunities available to both new and returning students. Through the scholarship portal, students may identify scholarship opportunities based on academic program, campus involvement, academic standing, specific keywords and more. Students may click below to begin learning about what scholarship opportunities are available to them.
Please check individual scholarship opportunity start dates and deadlines as there are exceptions.
Find your ScholarshipsAlumni Association Future Alumni Scholarship
The Alumni Association Scholarship is a one-time scholarship of $1,000 and is applicable for the student’s junior or senior year at Western.
Any child or grandchild of an alumni is eligible to receive the Future Alumni Scholarship.
- This is a one-time non-renewable scholarship of $1,000.
- Only one Future Alumni Scholarship will be awarded per academic year.
- GPA must be 3.2 or above (college).
Due date has been extended to April 30 for 2024. An Alumni selection committee, appointed by the Alumni Advisory Council, will review applicants and select awardee by June 1.
Alumni Legacy Scholarship
The Alumni Legacy Scholarship is a one-time non-renewable scholarship and is only applicable for the student’s first year at Western (incoming freshman or new transfer students are eligible).
Do you have a son or daughter looking at college? Have they considered attending Western? As an alumni, your son, daughter and/or grandchildren are eligible for certain benefits distributed through this scholarship, as follows:
- This is a one-time scholarship of $1,000.
- Nominee must be an incoming first-year student or new transfer.
- The cost of orientation is reduced by half (a $45 value).
- GPA must be 2.5 or above (high school or college of transfer).
The applicant must fill out the application form found below. Application forms are accepted year-round. If the applicant meets the GPA guidelines, the scholarship will be awarded.
Mountaineer Alumni Recommendation Scholarship
The Mountaineer Alumni Recommendation Scholarship is a one-time non-renewable scholarship and is only applicable for the student’s first year at Western. This scholarship is not available to midyear transfers or students beginning in the spring semester.
Are you an alumni or employee of Western and know a prospective (or incoming) student who would be a great fit at Western? A recommendation from alumni and employees can support any new student and provide them a $500 scholarship their first year. (Western employees may not recommend a spouse or dependent receiving tuition benefits).
- Any Western alumni/employee may nominate only one student per academic year to receive the $500 scholarship (distributed $250 per semester).
- The scholarship is good for the first year only and is non-renewable.
- The recommended student must be a full-time undergraduate student, attending Western for the first time.
The applicant must fill out the application form found here. The nominating alumni/employee must fill out the application form and submit the required documents by June 1. The recommended student must meet university admissions acceptance standards and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The Presidential Promise is guaranteed to students who have received a scholarship through the Denver Scholarship Foundation (DSF) and/or GearUp—and are eligible for a Pell Grant.
For students who meet these criteria, Western will cover the cost of tuition and fees through the combination of federal, state and institutional aid. For more information on the Presidential Promise, visit our scholarships page.
Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) or Central Plains (CP) tuition represents a substantial savings relative to normal, out-of-state tuition. Students eligible for the WUE or CP program will be charged 150% of Western’s total in-state tuition. For 2018-19, total in-state tuition was $8,934. WUE/CP tuition was $13,401. The WUE/CP discount is valued at $4,695.
For more information about the WUE and CP geography-based programs, visit Western’s Tuition Discount Programs Page.
Immediately upon acceptance at Western, every student is considered for a merit scholarship worth between $2,500-$4,500 per year for in-state students and $8,000-$10,000 for out-of-state students. The amount is based on the student’s GPA and ACT/SAT scores. Visit our Net Price Calculator at western.edu/cost to determine whether you qualify for a merit scholarship.
For more information about merit scholarships at Western, visit our scholarships page.
Note: Students enrolled in a Western-CU Boulder Partnership Program (i.e. major) do not qualify for Western Merit Scholarship programs. See the Rady Merit Scholarship section above for scholarship opportunities.
Get Involved
Take your education beyond the classroom.
Get the hands-on learning experience you need to apply your knowledge and launch your career.
Business Administration
- Career Fairs: Connect with future employers during the various career fairs in the School of Business and around Colorado.
- ICELab: The Innovation + Creativity + Entrepreneurship (ICE) Lab on upper campus is a space that provides startups and expanding businesses with the materials and support needed to succeed.
- Office of Career Success: Business students have a department-specific career services professional.
- Study Abroad: Experience Harlaxton College in the English Midlands.
Environment & Sustainability
- Clubs & Organizations: Join the Organics Guild, Sustainability Coalition, or Wildlife Society.
- Coldharbour Institute: Experiment with sustainable building design, resilient food systems, or community organizing in the Gunnison Valley.
- Conferences: Attend the Headwaters Conference, the Colorado Water Workshop, and Sage Grouse Spring Symposium.
- Earthship Academy: Learn how to construct a self-sustaining building capable of producing food and saving energy.
- High Country News: Check out the independent news source’s new satellite office located in Kelley Hall.
- Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory: Find a research assistantship at one of the premier biological research stations in the world.
- Solar Energy International: Engage in the local, regional, or global conversation about the renewable energy era.
Organics Guild
The Organics Guild provides students with experiential learning through regenerative gardening practices.
News & Research
Department Information
School of Business
Associate Dean
Paula Mann, CPAAssociate Dean of the School of Business, Assistant Professor of Accounting
Contact Information
Campus Location
Western Colorado University
Borick Business Building 223
1 Western Way
Gunnison, CO 81231