Transformative Accreditation for Sustainability Degree Programs in Higher Education
Our goal: to increase the quality, visibility, and impact of sustainability and sustainability-related degree programs.
by providing context-sensitive guidance for program-level design and evaluation
Our goal: to prepare sustainability professionals across all employment sectors.
by working with employers to enhance experiential learning and sustainability skills training.
Our goal: to evolve higher education.
by using specialized program-level accreditation as a lever for innovation, improvement,
and transformative learning.
SEAC is a third-party specialized accreditor for Sustainability and Sustainability-Related degree and certificate programs in higher education.
Founded in 2026, SEAC is working to improve the preparation of Sustainability Professionals. We believe Sustainability Education is vital to developing a resilient, empowered, and skillful modern workforce that will meet the challenges of our future climate.
Our program standards, best practices, and competency framework have been developed through decades of conversation with groups such as the Council of Environmental Deans and Directors and the Sustainability Education Community of Practice at Global Council for Science and the Environment. We collaborate with other organizations in Sustainability in Higher Education including AASHE, AESS, NAAEE, and Second Nature. We welcome input and participation from all academic disciplinary associations, networks, and accreditors.
From 2021-2026, the Pathways towards Accreditation initiative, funded by the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation, provided focus and momentum to expand stakeholder engagement and formalize SEAC’s transformative accreditation process.
The SEAC is an independent not-for-profit under the fiscal sponsorship of the National Sustainability Society.