Today's consumers demand products that are high quality, environmentally sustainable, safe and healthy for manufacturers and users, and socially responsible.

Product stewardship is the responsible management of the health, safety, and environmental aspects of raw materials, intermediate materials, and consumer products throughout their lifecycle and across the value chain in order to prevent or minimize negative impacts and maximize value. Product stewardship addresses local, national, and global issues relating to the environment, worker health and safety, and social accountability as they relate to the design, use, and disposal of everyday products. As the first academic institution in the US to offer a graduate certificate in product stewardship, Indiana University prepares you to become a leader in this emerging field. 

The Graduate Certificate in Product Stewardship gives you the knowledge and skills to help companies design and manage consumer and industrial products throughout their lifecycle, in order to minimize risk and maximize economic benefit. This certificate is especially attractive for environmental health, occupational health, and safety professionals looking to add product stewardship expertise.

As a student in the program, you learn to identify and characterize product hazards, exposures, and risk through inherent product characteristics, uses, and misuses. You evaluate current and emerging societal issues, regulatory requirements, and voluntary frameworks that may affect products throughout their lifecycles. And you prepare to assess and apply best practices to improve product sustainability and competitive advantage while minimizing business risk through management and product development.

Your IU Online Graduate Certificate in Product Stewardship prepares you for such careers as:

• Product stewardship manager
• Regulatory affairs/compliance specialist 
• Product safety specialist
• Sustainability analyst   
• Risk manager   
• Strategy manager   

Certificate Requirements 

To earn the Graduate Certificate in Product Stewardship, you must complete 15 credit hours in product stewardship core courses.

NOTE: If you choose to pursue the IU Online MS in Product Stewardship, these certificate courses may apply toward your degree requirements. Completion of the certificate program does not guarantee admission to the graduate program.