环境可持续发展研究生证书的目的是提供15小时的证书，旨在满足对发展环境可持续性知识感兴趣的潜在学生的需求。该证书的目的是为已经拥有本科学历的专业人员提供有关环境可持续性的研究生指导，以此作为维持和促进其专业发展的一种手段。根据Daly（1990）的说法，环境可持续性可以定义为“可以无限期持续的可再生资源收获，污染创造和不可再生资源枯竭的速度。”更简单地说，环境可持续性可以定义为能力。保持在物理环境中有价值的因素和实践，并长期地对环境质量做出贡献。该证书计划旨在为学士后课程提供本科专业以外的环境可持续性课程
The purpose of the Graduate Certificate in Environmental Sustainability is a 15-hour certificate designed to meet the needs of prospective students interested in developing knowledge in environmental sustainability. The purpose of this certificate is to provide professionals who already have undergraduate degrees with graduate instruction in environmental sustainability as a means to maintaining and promoting their professional development. According to Daly (1990), environmental sustainability can be defined as ''the rates of renewable resource harvest, pollution creation, and non-renewable resource depletion that can be continued indefinitely.'' More simply, environmental sustainability can be defined as the ability to maintain factors and practices that are valued in the physical environment and that contribute to the quality of the environment on a long-term basis. The certificate program is designed to provide post-baccalaureates with course work in environmental sustainability outside of their undergraduate major. The certificate provides students with a post-baccalaureate educational opportunity that is narrower in scope and shorter in duration than its associated master's graduate degree program in the Environmental Science Academic Programs.