Professional certifications are optional features of the MBA in Sustainability. Students may receive academic credit for successful completion of the following professional certification courses:

LEED Certification

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System™ is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings.

Types of LEED professional certification:

• New commercial construction and major renovation projects
• Existing building operations and maintenance
• Commercial interiors projects

Credit toward the MBA in Sustainability degree is available to students who complete LEED certification training.

Certified Building Biology Environmental Consultant (BBEC)

Building Biology principles are rapidly gaining the respect of many mainstream architects and builders, medical practitioners, health and other environmentally concerned businesses. This surge of interest in healthy building practices has created a strong demand for persons who are trained and skilled environmental consultants.

The International Institute for Bau-Biologie and Ecology (IBE) is the only institution in North America that offers comprehensive training in Building Biology principles. Our vision is to create natural living and workplace spaces that lead to healthier people.

The BBEC program includes two components, which may be completed in any order:

• Hands-on training that focuses on how to detect hazards, testing methods, the use of meters and equipment, and how to give mitigating advice. Requires attendance at three seminars which will be combined and offered in-residence during a one-month academic term at Maharishi University of Management:
  • Electromagnetic Radiation — Addresses the entire spectrum of electro-pollution which affects people in homes and offices.
  • Indoor Air, Water, and Materials — Focuses on toxic synthetic chemicals which are present in our indoor air, tap water and in building materials.
  • Environmental Testing — Includes three days of hands-on home inspections with professional Building Biology Environmental Inspectors using tools and techniques taught in the first two seminars.
• Professional Correspondence Course CC — This holistic self-paced course, covering living conditions of the home, workspace and neighborhood, consists of 23 online course packs, translated into English. In Germany, this is the only state approved education program in Bau-Biologie (Building Biology).

Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC)

The Permaculture Design Certificate (PDC) course is a foundational course in sustainable living systems design for all climates and landscapes which connects students to a global network of permaculture contacts and projects.

In this locally offered course, students will:

• learn how to integrate organic food production into sustainable communities
• gain skills necessary to design and teach Permaculture systems
• access a global network of environmental activists and projects
• learn the essentials of nature-friendly, energy-efficient house design
• understand, and be responsible for, your energy consumption and waste production
• apply Permaculture principles and methodology to other fields

This certificate training is offered annually in Fairfield, and students may receive academic credit for successfully completing the course.

Software Competencies

Students have the option to gain competency in industry-standard simulation software:

ENERGY-10 This software tool helps users to identify the most cost-effective, energy-saving measures for planning a low-energy home or building. The simulation software is suitable for residential homes and small commercial buildings.

ENERGY-10 can conduct a whole-building analysis, evaluating the energy and cost savings that can be achieved by applying energy-efficient strategies such as daylighting, passive solar heating, and high-performance windows and lighting systems. Using the software at the early phases of design can result in energy savings of 40% to 70%, with little or no increase in construction cost.

Chief Architect This home design software is the industry leader for residential and light commercial design.

• Create detailed floor plans, elevation views, and cross-sections
• Visualize and design with 3D models and virtual tours
• Produce detailed, professional blueprints and plan sets
• Use powerful automated building tools, like automatic framing and roof generation
• Create complete cost estimates with the automatic material list generator
• Generate landscapes and site planning designs
• Use powerful CAD tools to create custom details
• Design your first house in 30 minutes with the “Getting Started” and step-by-step video tutorials