
The Postgraduate Certificate in Sustainable Business (PCSB) is a Master's-level postgraduate programme, delivered part-time for working professionals. It is designed to strengthen leadership skills, help embed sustainability in an organisation or across the supply chain to achieve positive, transformative change.The programme is delivered in two formats, blended or online. PCSB blended encompasses both online learning and two residential workshops in Cambridge. Students can choose from three streams depending on their role and discipline, professional interests and learning needs. See below for more information on the blended programme or, if you are interested in the fully online option, then please click here.Download the postgraduate study brochure to receive further information on our postgraduate programmes.Applications open in September 2025 for programmes starting in 2026. |
Organisational stream
This stream is recommended for senior to mid-career professionals and managers in any sector, function or organisation, who are looking at embedding sustainability within their organisation, leveraging a systemic perspective as well as a structural and strategic approach.
Value Chains stream
This stream is recommended for all business functions and stakeholders associated with a value chain – not just procurement or specific supply chain roles. The course is relevant to upstream as well as more downstream ends of the value chain, including post-consumer sustainability challenges.
Finance stream
This stream is recommended for senior to mid-career professionals and managers working as corporate treasurers, investment bankers, asset managers, asset owners, insurance and pensions investors, venture cap investors, and in other finance-related roles, who are looking at embedding sustainability within their organisations, decision-making, products and services.
Organisational stream |
Value chains and markets stream (formerly PCSVC) |
Finance stream |
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Focus |
Embedding sustainability within the context of an organisation, from strategy through to operations. |
Embedding sustainability across an organisation’s value chain by creating value across the full life cycle of a product (from its conception to its end use). Find out more about the definition and characteristics of a value chain. |
Assessing the role of finance in building sustainable and economic resilience by exploring opportunities, risks and trade offs when using financial institutions and instruments as a lever for sustainability. |
Who's it is for |
Senior to mid-career professionals and managers interested in:
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Senior to mid-career professionals and managers interested in:
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Senior to mid-career professionals and managers interested in:
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What will you learn |
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Find out more about the PCSB Blended Curriculum options |
Accreditation and progression options
Successful completion of the PCSB results in a Postgraduate Certificate awarded by the University of Cambridge. This carries 60 CATS points at Level M and is equivalent to one-third of a Master’s degree.
PCSB alumni who wish to continue their learning with CISL are welcome to apply for admission to the Master of Studies in Sustainability Leadership via either of two routes:
Continuous route: PCSB alumni are exempted from the first (of four) workshops and gain credit for the year 1 assignments.
Flexible route: PCSB alumni can apply to continue to the Postgraduate Diploma in Sustainable Business. Thereafter, PG Dip alumni can apply to continue to the final stage to achieve the Master of Studies in Sustainability Leadership. This route is longer in duration but has a less intensive workload compared to PCSB and the continuous route.
See here for more details on the differences between the two routes.