External education

The Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability offers programs for individuals and organizations to gain new skills and knowledge for a more sustainable future.

Our external education programs are designed to motivate and empower participants to make informed decisions about strategy, operations, policies, and lifestyles that affect global sustainability.

Learn about the External Education & Mobilization team

Find learning experiences

Select a program that meets the needs of your organization and helps you achieve your professional goals.

On campus

Championing Sustainability from the Boardroom

Conference room with table and chairs and plant wall in the background

This immersive, one-week residential program is exclusive for board directors. It brings together expertise from across Stanford University in the heart of Silicon Valley and Egon Zehnder, the world’s preeminent board and leadership advisory firm. This transformative experience is designed to equip board members with essential knowledge of sustainability. Through expert-led sessions, board directors will learn about, debate, and connect with global peers on a variety of relevant topics.

On campus

Learn about our program for board members

Strategic Chief Sustainability Officer Program

Urban office building with trees and people

Make the business case for sustainability with strategic and financial frameworks, personal leadership skills, and a deeper knowledge of today’s sustainability landscape. Faculty from Stanford Graduate School of Business and Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability will join forces to deliver a truly impactful program. This five-month program includes self-paced and live online sessions plus a one-week, intensive on-campus experience.

On campus

Learn about our program for chief sustainability officers

Online learning

Energy Innovation and Emerging Technologies Program

This program will equip you with in-depth knowledge and the tools necessary to drive impactful change and leadership. The comprehensive curriculum covers emerging technologies, finance, and sustainability management, empowering you to spearhead the transition to a sustainable future. You will learn how sustainability business practices and clean energy drives economic growth, and learn 21st-century business strategies to drive your organization towards long-term prosperity. This program is designed for anyone who is interested in shaping the future of energy and organizational business strategies.

Online

Learn about this program for individuals or teams

Sustainability Strategies: Develop Initiatives to Transform Your Business

Person working on their laptop with wind turbines and data on the screen

Develop an understanding of the impacts and root causes of climate change to communicate the value of sustainable business practices to key stakeholders. Learn to identify business opportunities that arise by transitioning to an environmentally sustainable organization. Understand the interdependence between innovation and sustainability as a guiding force for developing your own sustainability initiatives. Develop a proactive mindset to lead change effectively, with an eye toward positioning the organization as an agent of change.

Online

Learn about this program for professionals and leaders

Introduction to the Natural Capital Approach

Mountain scenery with wildflowers in the foreground

People depend on nature to sustain and fulfill human life, yet the values of nature are typically ignored in decisions. Mapping and modeling ecosystem services can help highlight the diverse benefits provided to people by nature (what and where) and explore how those benefits might change under different management options – thus bringing information about nature's values into decisions in practical ways. With these approaches, we can improve the state of biodiversity and human well-being by motivating greater and more cost-effective investments in both.

ONLINE

The course is for industry, government, nonprofit, and academic professionals.

Harnessing the Power of Geophysical Imaging to Recharge California’s Groundwater

Using advanced Airborne Electromagnetic (AEM) Imaging and towed-Time-Domain-Electromagnetic (tTEM) imaging technologies and techniques with advanced software simplifies finding good groundwater recharge sites. This course focuses on determining if subsurface composition and geology allow efficient water movement from the surface to the water table, identifying "fast paths" via geophysical imaging.

Online

More on this course for industry, government, nonprofit, and academic professionals.

Additional resources

Stanford offers many opportunities for working professionals to learn new skills and meet their personal learning goals, wherever they are in their life or career.

Meet our team

Our school's External Education & Mobilization team focuses on designing programs that motivate and inform successful efforts to advance sustainability and expand access to sustainability knowledge.