University of Colorado Boulder鈥檚 Engineering Management Program, in collaboration with Siemens Digital Industries Software, announces the launch of its new graduate certificate in Design for the Circular Economy. Offered through the Coursera platform, this innovative program is designed to equip students and working professionals with the skills needed to thrive in, or enter into, the rapidly growing field of sustainability and the circular economy.
The circular economy is transforming industries around the globe, focusing on redesigning products to be more resource-efficient and compatible with repurposing and recycling into new products at the end of their lifecycle. As businesses, governments, and nonprofit organizations increasingly prioritize sustainability, demand for professionals with expertise in circular economy practices is surging.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation (in collaboration with McKinsey & Company) estimated that transitioning to a circular economy could generate around 700,000 jobs in the European Union alone by 2030, across sectors such as recycling, remanufacturing, and product life extension. The CU Boulder and Siemens collaboration aims to meet this need through cutting-edge, online education that prepares graduates to drive positive change within their organizations and beyond.
The Design for the Circular Economy graduate certificate is a 9-credit hour, 100% online program. The program offers four specializations consisting of 12 1-credit hour courses. Eight courses will be offered by mid-January, with the remaining courses to launch by summer 2025. Students are required to complete any two 3-credit hour specializations (totaling 6 credit hours), and 3 additional courses (totaling 3 credit hours), which could include another specialization or any three topical electives from the Design for the Circular Economy Certificate electives.