What we call Sustainability Entrepreneurship (SustE) at ESCP Business School doesn’t only mean that a business maximizes environmental and social responsibility across the value chain – to us that’s a given. SustE means that the company has a specific environmental or social mission that is pursued with business means. The sustainability component is its raison d’être, in addition to informing how a company operates. Ecological and social value creation are at least as important as financial value creation in SustE. Whether it’s green, social, or mixed, SustE is commercially successful entrepreneurship.

It is important to consider that SustE shares some similarities with social entrepreneurship (e.g., both are mission-driven and both use business success as a means to achieve a higher purpose), but it is not the same. Social ventures are often donation-based or depend on public funding, i.e. they are leveraged. Sustainability Entrepreneurship, as defined in our programme, is about developing financially self-sustaining ventures. A successful SustE venture runs on a business model that is sustainable - for the environment, society, and for the business itself. It follows that some types of social entrepreneurship, namely those that are financially independent and turn solving global sustainability problems into a self-sustaining business, can be considered sustainability entrepreneurship.

Although this is an entrepreneurship programme, the MSc in Sustainability Entrepreneurship & Innovation (MSEI) is not an incubator. You will, however, learn to exchange and elaborate on ideas, and creatively solve ecological and social challenges with entrepreneurial ways of thinking and working.

The programme’s curriculum is strongly rooted in theoretical and conceptual knowledge in the broad topics of sustainability, entrepreneurship, innovation, business development, and intercultural management – this is roughly 50% of the programme. An additional 25% is spent on preparing you for your career (language courses, communication, etc.) and to complete a master thesis (research methods, etc.). The other 25% of the curriculum is spent on gaining practical experience with a company consultancy project, a year-long sustainable lifestyles venture, and an internship or business development project.

In addition, you will create a new and vibrant network. ESCP students, alumni, and the Berlin and Paris entrepreneurial ecosystems will help you create the network you need for your future career in the small but rapidly growing field of sustainable business.

Special support is offered by our programme partner. These include the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the Berlin-based Sustainable Natives consultants network, and many more business partners and mentors.

This programme is for candidates who are passionate about sustainability topics but also arrive at ESCP with an entrepreneurial spirit, whether evidenced by previous work experience, extracurricular activities, or even hobbies. The MSEI programme is most suited to candidates who have an academic background (can be a major or a minor) in business or management and are ready to revisit these topics specifically with a sustainability and entrepreneurship lens. Candidates will be recent college graduates, with no more than a one or two years of full-time work experience, and be keen to study in an international environment.

It’s for those who, after graduating, are interested in setting up their own business, a new business unit, a corporate spin-off, or other types of commercial project dedicated to solving a specific sustainability problem.

After graduating with the MSc in Sustainability Entrepreneurship & Innovation, you will be prepared to work as an entrepreneur in your own business, or as an intrapreneur within existing organizations of all types. You’ll also be well-suited to lead or join start-ups, launch corporate spin-offs, business development units, or incubators. Some example job titles include:

• Sustainable business developer
• Impact manager
• Sustainability consultant
• Project manager
• Innovation strategist
• Venture architect
• Sustainability marketer
• Venture analyst

We generally believe that those with a business background will be most equipped to succeed in such a unique programme. Keep in mind that students without a strong business/economics background are required to participate in a preparatory course prior to the start of the programme. This course will include the topics of accounting, marketing, finance, economics, and controlling. Attending online courses via MOOCs like Coursera or Udemy can also enhance your eligibility. This shows us that you’re invested in preparing yourself to tackle this academic challenge.

The MSEI programme is designed for aspiring change makers who want to apply the tools of business development (such as business model innovation) to solving the world’s most urgent social and environmental problems. You will acquire the skills, the practical understanding of relevant business concepts, and the methods to drive change within teams, firms, and industries. And even to launch completely new ventures yourself, as some of our graduates already did. You learn to use business development and innovation of all sorts as a tool to tackle sustainability challenges.

The Master in International Sustainability Management (SustM) is a programme that covers all aspects of managing environmental and sustainability issues within existing organizations. It integrates scientific knowledge with a business perspective, which will also equip you for a career where you can make a positive difference right away. Here, you learn about the management tasks and challenges that emerge when existing and typically large companies consider sustainability issues.

Loosely speaking, the SustM is grounded in a management perspective, while the core of the MSEI programme is about employing entrepreneurial and innovative tools on sustainability challenges.

The programme covers 6 terms lasting two years in total. The programme starts every September.

The MSEI takes place on the Berlin and Paris campuses of ESCP Business School. You will spend three terms in Berlin (Terms 1, 3 and 4), and one term in Paris (Term 2). Two additional terms for the master thesis and your internship or business development project can be completed anywhere in the world. There is no option to choose differently.

For non-EU citizens, that the majority of your studies take place in Berlin means that you could have the option of obtaining a 18-month residence permit after graduating. This permit can be converted into a longer work permit if you obtain a job.

120 ECTS

ESCP Business School was established in 1819, making it the first business school in the world. In its current form, ESCP stands out for its multicampus structure with six campuses in Berlin, London, Madrid, Paris, Turin, and Warsaw. Being part of the school means embracing multiculturalism, diversity and interdisciplinarity. A European as well as an international outlook is part of our DNA.

ESCP Business School was established in 1819, making it the first business school in the world. In its current form, ESCP stands out for its multicampus structure with six campuses in Berlin, London, Madrid, Paris, Turin, and Warsaw. Being part of the school means embracing multiculturalism, diversity and interdisciplinarity. A European as well as an international outlook is part of our DNA.

ESCP has also long inspired and educated purpose-driven leaders who will have an impact on planetary, social, and organizational progress. Sustainability is not only something we teach, but also do. ESCP leads the way in integrating sustainability and responsible leadership into its educational activities, research, strategy, and operations.

While sustainability entrepreneurship falls under the category of social entrepreneurship, not all social entrepreneurship may be considered sustainability entrepreneurship. The learnings and theoretical frameworks of this programme, though, can certainly be applied to rethink any problems, especially those with social aims.

As the MSEI programme is not about social entrepreneurship per se (see above), you should maybe consider other programmes if you are primarily interested in social or private-public ventures. The theories, concepts, and tools you learn in the MSEI programme can be useful for leveraged social ventures as well, but SustE is taught with the goal in mind to solve global sustainability problems, maintain important ecological and social resources, and do this with the aim of financial independence, hence, with the aim of being successful in the commercial market.

ESCP not only seeks to provide you with a rigorous environment to develop your skills and knowledge, but also aims to thoroughly prepare you to enter the job market. Courses include a mix of lectures, group projects, instruction from practitioners and corporate partners, and case studies.

Special features of the MSEI programme include a one-year project, the so-called Sustainable Lifestyles Venture together with our partner United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), and a company consultancy project in which you work with real clients on solving real sustainability challenges. In addition, you can choose between a three-months internship or your own business development project during the last term. Here, you will be supported by our network of mentors and business partners.

ENo, submitting a test score is optional. If you do not submit an official score, then you will take the English test during the Admissions Test Day in order to evaluate your fluency and competency in the language.