As anthropogenic challenges intensify, sustainability has gained traction in economic contexts, raising questions about its translation to continuing higher education. In Switzerland, Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in economic sciences hold a distinctive position in higher education. They target experienced professionals in positions of responsibility, operate under cost-recovery conditions and are shaped by market dynamics. Little empirical research has examined how sustainability is integrated into this segment of higher education. This thesis addresses this gap by exploring the factors that influence the integration of sustainability into CAS programs in economic sciences in Switzerland.
The study adopts a qualitative research design and is based on 24 semi-structured interviews with three stakeholder groups: program directors, participants and employers. Using qualitative content analysis, the study examines how institutional and market structures, participant motivations, employer expectations and prevailing understandings of sustainability shape the integration of sustainability within CAS programs.
The findings indicate that sustainability is widely perceived as relevant across all stakeholder groups. However, its integration into CAS programs remains uneven and is directly influenced by factors such as program focus, attitudes and expertise of program directors, participant and employer expectations and current market conditions (i.e., regulatory changes). There is consensus that sustainability should be addressed in all programs in economic sciences, however, how this is conceptualized differs. Sustainability content is most likely to be accepted when embedded in existing curricula, linked to concrete professional contexts and framed to align with economic considerations. This approach helps to resonate with participants, especially those skeptical about the practicality of sustainable development. However, if not engaged with more critically, it risks reinforcing weak sustainability by prioritizing incremental change within existing structures.
CAS programs can offer spaces for reflection, peer exchange and practice-oriented engagement with sustainability issues. However, limited time and expectations of immediate applicability constrain their capacity to foster deeper transformative learning. On the example of CAS in Switzerland, this thesis contributes to understanding the structural, organizational and motivational factors shaping the integration of sustainability in continuing education.
