Jennifer Sadler ’25 M.S. Gains New Career Perspective from Joint Whitman/Maxwell Master’s Degree in Sustainable Organizations and Policy

Interested in furthering her knowledge of sustainability related issues, Jennifer Sadler ’25 M.S. was about to apply to Syracuse University’s master’s degree in public administration program two years ago, when she noticed a new offering on the drop down menu—a joint master’s degree in sustainable organizations and policy offered through the Whitman School of Management and the Maxwell School of Public Affairs. The residential master’s program offers a degree that exposes students to a variety of perspectives in the sustainability space, incorporating strategic management, supply chain management, entrepreneurship, environmental studies, political science, economics, sociology, international affairs and public administration.

“I really liked the idea of a degree that brought together both business and policy,” says Sadler, noting that Syracuse University wasn’t initially on her radar, but once she visited campus, she committed immediately. “I think I may have been the very first student to enroll in the new program. The degree seemed very holistic to me, and I thought it would give me an edge in finding a career leading organizations in addressing the challenging issues of sustainability in a complex global environment.”

The STEM-designated master’s degree can be completed full-time in just a year, requiring 30 credits—12 each from both Whitman and Maxwell and six elective credits in students’ particular areas of interest. Throughout the program, students are exposed to an interdisciplinary group of experts in business, policy, governance and develop “real-world” skillsets in demand by public and private organizations.

“This experience has really opened my eyes to the many career opportunities in this space,” says Sadler, who earned an undergraduate degree in political science and environmental and sustainability studies from the University of Kentucky. “When I started, I was thinking about focusing on sustainability policy and one day working for the Environmental Protection Agency or the Department of Environmental Conservation. But this joint program has shifted my interests into areas of the private sector that I had never considered before.”

Sadler is now geared more towards leveraging her experience in risk management and consulting, as well as possibly research. Several professors have piqued her interest in the work insurance and broking companies are doing in analyzing risk for more niche sectors, like climate and resiliency insurance, marine insurance, and even theft and piracy as we become more dependent on AI for functional operations.

“It would be really interesting to apply concepts I’ve learned earning this degree to things that really impact the world,” says Sadler.

Sadler credits “outstanding professors” like the Whitman School’s Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship Paul Momtaz, and Pontarelli Professor of Environmental Sustainability and Finance Jay Golden from Maxwell’s Department of Public Administration and International Affairs, both of whom co-chair the program, as well as Whitman’s Professor of Supply Chain Practice Patrick Penfield, for their passion and ability to connect their expertise to real sustainability issues.

“I’m currently taking Green Supply Chains with Professor Penfield, and I never would have thought going into grad school that I would be taking a course in this topic,” Sadler explains. “But, the experience has really helped me see a new side of business and how it is an important aspect of sustainability.”

As sustainability and issues related to it seem certain to remain in the forefront, so will career opportunities for those with the educational backgrounds to lead the way.

 “This has made me much more well-rounded in the climate and sustainability space,” says Sadler. “It’s an uncertain time we live in, but seeing the innovation and scholarship that is happening both in this program and within the sustainability field also makes it exciting. I think this joint degree in sustainable organizations and policy will really help me be a part of creating change for good.”

For more information on Syracuse University’s master’s degree in sustainable organizations and policy, visit our website.

By Caroline K. Reff